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SAN ANTONIO — Between Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Phoenix Suns veteran Kevin Durant, the latter being traded to the San Antonio Spurs, has more legs.
After reports came out about Milwaukee's expected approach to any deal involving its star, the chances of the Spurs landing Antetokounmpo drastically slimmed. Since acquiring Victor Wembanyama, Brian Wright has been methodical about adding talent around him.
Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has not made any firm decisions, but for the first time in his career, he is open-minded about whether his best fit is remaining in Milwaukee – or playing elsewhere, league sources told ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 12, 2025
Story on ESPN: https://t.co/2aTg3Bq8o3
With the number two overall pick secured for the 2025 NBA Draft, that's likely to continue, though there remains an outside probability of making a cheaper deal with the Phoenix Suns to bring in Durant. Former San Antonio Spurs star Dominique Wilkins weighed in on that avenue, speaking from a veteran's perspective.
"When you’ve gotten to the point when you’ve won a championship, to me, moving around like that would be taxing," Wilkins told E-Sports Insider. "When you get around that age, you should look at your situation and say: ‘Look, I want to finish out where I’m comfortable at, instead of chasing championships.'"
The San Antonio Spurs could target Kevin Durant to form a Big Three with De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama, per @BrettSiegelNBA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 29, 2025
“There have been whispers among league personnel about the possibility of the Spurs pursuing Durant and creating the best offensive trio in the… pic.twitter.com/V5OL0SqCVH
Last offseason, Chris Paul signed with San Antonio on a one-year veteran minimum to guarantee himself ample playing time on a squad still learning to play with Wembanyama. Durant joining the Spurs would mirror such a move, but with De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and the second overall pick joining the picture, contention chances would skyrocket from where they were a summer ago.
Should San Antonio opt to walk that route, both parties might sign on to a win-win situation.
“He’s put his mark on the game," Wilkins said. "Kevin Durant doesn’t need to prove anything to anybody about how great he is. He’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game, one of the greatest scorers ever. He doesn’t have to prove anything. Everything else is gravy.”
Durant is positioned to make $54 million next season and is set to be a free agent in 2026. If San Antonio does decide to pursue him, they'll likely want to lock him up for more than one season.
More must-reads:
- Troubling update emerges about Joel Embiid’s health
- Cavaliers' Darius Garland feels 'great' following toe surgery
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
How much longer Rob Pelinka is expected to be Lakers GM revealed
Rob Pelinka still appears to have a very nice long runway in his current position. An update emerged over the weekend about how much longer the Los Angeles Lakers GM Pelinka is expected to remain in his post. Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported during an appearance on “Hoops Talk with Allen Sliwa” that Pelinka will likely remain GM for as long as Jeanie Buss is in charge of the Lakers as their acting governor. “So long as Jeanie’s in place, we also know that means that Rob Pelinka will be in place,” said McMenamin. “Because Jeanie’s the one who has elevated him every step of the way … I don’t anticipate, certainly not in the short-term, the way the Lakers operate changing dramatically whatsoever.” The Buss family recently agreed to sell their majority ownership stake in the Lakers to Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter at a record-setting $10 billion valuation. However, Jeanie will reportedly remain as Lakers governor as part of a contractually-stipulated clause in the agreement. We heard last month more specifically that Jeanie is still expected to stay in charge of the team through the end of the decade. As for Pelinka, the 55-year-old former agent of Kobe Bryant, he was hired by the Buss family in 2017. During the first few years of Pelinka’s tenure, the Lakers signed LeBron James, traded for Anthony Davis, and won the 2020 NBA championship in the Orlando bubble. Though Pelinka has had some ugly whiffs since (namely, the disaster trade for Russell Westbrook in 2021), he earned himself a whole boatload of goodwill with the franchise-altering trade for Luka Doncic earlier this year. Pelinka got a contract extension from the Lakers last April and also landed the new title of president of basketball operations to go along with his role as general manager. With Doncic also just agreeing to an enormous long-term extension with the Lakers, it looks like the team’s hierarchy (both at the player level and the management level) is set for the next several years to come.
Brewers issue update on Jackson Chourio rehab timeline
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio was tearing it up in July before he strained his hamstring legging out a triple. He was placed on the injured list, and it only got worse from there. Less than 24 hours later, manager Pat Murphy said Chourio would be out beyond the 10-day minimum and possibly at least a month. On Saturday, beat reporter Curt Hogg shed another tidbit of light on the slugger’s timetable. It’s not necessarily worse news, but Hogg’s update probably does not illuminate much. Fans already knew Chourio was going to be out a while after Friday’s report, so this latest info isn’t surprising. It isn’t all that encouraging, either. It certainly suggests no expedited return schedule. Not to make assumptions, but the emphasis on the location of the damage versus evaluating its severity seems to indicate the Brewers are just hoping Chourio avoided a worse-case scenario. In that case, caution would indeed be first in the order of operations. Only after ascertaining clarity would it make sense to seriously estimate a recovery timetable. That he won’t be ready to immediately resume baseball workouts further points to a slow, methodical recovery process. For however long he remains out, the lineup will miss him badly. Chourio’s 17 home runs rank second on the team behind Christian Yelich, as do his 67 RBI. His .786 OPS leads the offense among qualified hitters. In 90 at-bats in July, he hit .367/.408/.600. The Brewers are resilient everywhere, but without one of their few genuine power threats and hottest bats, plus an everyday outfielder, they are courting a potential offensive slump. The most fans can hope for from Chourio is that he returns fully healthy by the first week of September. Until then, Blake Perkins and trade pickup Brandon Lockridge should see plenty of playing time while Yelich takes more reps in the outfield after getting most of his at-bats this season as the designated hitter.
25-time Grammy winner's sports agency blasts Jerry Jones for 'comical' comment
The Dallas Cowboys may have 99 problems, and the way owner Jerry Jones handles contract negotiations could be considered a big one. Jones spoke with the media Saturday regarding Micah Parsons' contract situation. The EDGE, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, has requested a trade. The 82-year-old owner clarified the Cowboys have no plans to trade Parsons. While discussing negotiations, Jones took an unprovoked jab at former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and his agent, rapper Jay-Z. "When we have a problem within the team and a player, I don't ever find the agent. He's nowhere to be found," Jones said. "...Jay-Z and I negotiated [Bryant's contract in 2015], spent hours. He said, 'Anybody in my organization is on time.' He said, 'My office used to be on the street corner, and I've always been early. So, they will be on time.' And I said, 'Where do I sign? But I'm going to call you.' Finally, he quit taking my call." The 25-time Grammy winner's sports agency, Roc Nation, took issue with Jones' comment. In a statement released on X Sunday, it denied his claim, calling it "comical." This is yet another example of Jones prioritizing attention when he should be focused on extending two-time first-team All-Pro Parsons. The Cowboys often delay deals for their stars. The team signed Bryant to a five-year, $70M deal in July 2015, just before the deadline to extend players with a franchise tag. Last season, Dallas signed quarterback Dak Prescott to a four-year, $240M contract ahead of its season opener against the Cleveland Browns. The team's procrastination often leaves it paying even more for star players and wastes valuable time. Parsons is still with the team at training camp in Oxnard, Calif., but isn't participating. He likely wants a contract that's similar to that of Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt (three years, $123M). The pass-rusher is the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. Jones' methods are one reason the Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season. Jay-Z should mention that if he wants to write a single that includes a lyric about the owner.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love’s ‘Fiery’ Response to Wife’s Take on Franchise’s Timeless Tradition
Braves star injured in Speedway Classic at Bristol
In a season full of hard luck for the Atlanta Braves, Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds brought more. Star third baseman Austin Riley exited the Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway after tagging out Elly De La Cruz at home plate and saving a run in the bottom of the first inning. Riley fielded a ball that was smoked to third base off the bat of Miguel Andujar and chased Cruz down at the plate to keep Cincinnati's lead at one run. The next time Riley came up in the batting order, however, it was 28-year-old Luke Williams who stepped into the batter's box. The official reason given for Riley's departure from the contest was lower abdominal pain. Riley struck out in his lone plate appearance on Sunday. Riley, 28, is hitting .260 for Atlanta in 415 at-bats this season. He's hit 16 home runs with a .309 on-base percentage in 101 games. Riley strained an abdominal muscle on July 11 in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, which led to the Memphis, Tenn., native being on the injured list until July 25. Atlanta is hoping that the pain he suffered on Sunday doesn't lead to a long-term injury.
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