Latest news with #Spurs
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10 hours ago
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Spurs' Harrison Barnes cut off from answering question amid Kevin Durant trade rumors
The post Spurs' Harrison Barnes cut off from answering question amid Kevin Durant trade rumors appeared first on ClutchPoints. During a community event in Austin, Texas, San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes met with the media. Upon getting asked about his possible inclusion in a potential trade for Kevin Durant, a Spurs media relations employee shut down the question before the reporter could finish it. Advertisement 'No, we're not doing any trade talk. Sorry,' the team's staffer interrupted. It followed a question that comes in the midst of reports that Durant wants to be in San Antonio. 'How does it feel to be involved in trade talk…' Multiple reports have indicated the Spurs are willing to offer several players, including Barnes, and their 14th pick in this month's NBA Draft for Durant. Those same reports, along with speculation, suggest the Phoenix Suns are looking for more. Harrison Barnes faces trade question On behalf of the Harrison and Brittany Barnes Community Fund, the veteran forward helped unveil a newly renovated basketball court at a Boys & Girls Clubs location in the state's capital city. Austin is approximately an hour away from San Antonio by car. Advertisement When Spurs players do such events, usually in the Alamo City, it's common for them to take basketball-related questions as well. But in the rare cases that the player's name is involved in contexts the franchise would rather avoid, the Spurs media staff has limited related questions. The Spurs have been linked to Durant for several weeks now. Because San Antonio is reportedly his preferred landing spot, the organization isn't throwing the kitchen sink at the Suns in a trade proposal. Truth be told, they wouldn't even if KD hadn't reportedly stated he wants to play in the Alamo City. The future Hall-of-Famer will be 37 years old when next season starts. The Silver and Black don't have the intention of trading the second overall pick in the draft and, thus, the chance to add Dylan Harper, nor do they want to part with Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle. Harrison Barnes and Kevin Durant history At 33 years old and, admittedly, probably not part of the Spurs young core, rumblings indicate Barnes is a piece the Spurs are willing to part with in exchange for Durant. Advertisement It wouldn't mark the first time Barnes would be replaced by KD. The former North Carolina standout left the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016 after the Dubs signed Durant. Golden State, which won a championship with Barnes, added two more with the one-time Oklahoma City Thunder star, and there is a chance history could repeat itself this offseason. Related: Kevin Durant trade offer Spurs must make to Suns to seal deal Related: Giannis Antetokounmpo trade grades for ESPN's Spurs-Bucks proposal
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10 hours ago
- Entertainment
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Fans hit Skip Bayless with Spurs receipts after bizarre 22-minute Thunder video
The post Fans hit Skip Bayless with Spurs receipts after bizarre 22-minute Thunder video appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Oklahoma City Thunder have finally climbed the mountain. The Thunder won its first NBA Championship in franchise history on Sunday night, beating the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, 103-91. The game was somewhat marred by the devastating Tyrese Haliburton Achilles injury. But that did not stop fans and celebrities from giving the Thunder their flowers. Advertisement But in an interesting twist, former television personality and self-proclaimed San Antonio Spurs fan, Skip Bayless, posted a strange 22-minute video on X, formerly Twitter. In the video, Bayless is seen getting emotional, wearing an Oklahoma City Thunder hat. 'I am so elated, even though I am not showing it because I am so deflated. This is all so bittersweet,' Bayless said to open the video. 'My emotions are more mixed than the drinks my father used to drink, my drunk father back at that house I grew up in on 43rd Street in Oklahoma City. 'That little two-bedroom, one bath house with that drunk dad of mine,' he said while away from the camera. He would go on to lament Haliburton's injury and declare that this Thunder championship should be regarded as one of the greatest of all time. But one major problem, he sounds like the most bandwagon of bandwagon fans ever. Advertisement Fans noticed, too, replying to his tweet with receipts. 'I've been a Spurs fan since the Ice Man nights of the '70s. First time I've ever dreaded watching a Spurs game,' Bayless wrote in May of 2017. But that was far from the only one. A year prior, he even invoked the Thunder in reference to his Spurs fandom. 'As a Spurs fan, I'll be rooting like crazy for the Thunder to finish Dallas.' But X user A Different Conversation really brought it all home. 'Are you finally at that age where you've lost it? You were already cooked, but a 21 minute video, you being a Thunder fan all of a sudden, and now we gotta hear about your drunk dad 😬 wtf skip.' Advertisement Bayless was indeed raised in Oklahoma City. He was actually named John Edward but upon his nickname of Skip sticking, he eventually officially changed his name. It is somewhat confusing to see such a bizarre video. On one hand, Bayless appears to be opening up about his childhood trauma, expressing vulnerability. On the other hand, he has built a career as an attention-seeking, dramatized personality. So, it's hard to know how much of the displayed emotion was genuine. But one thing is clear. Any fan that suddenly jumps onto a championship bandwagon will always get called out for it. Related: Thunder's Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren in line for $247 million contract extensions Related: Thunder player who made history by winning title before even playing a game
Yahoo
10 hours ago
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Spurs rumors: San Antonio targeting ex-1st rounder with Victor Wembanyama connection
The post Spurs rumors: San Antonio targeting ex-1st rounder with Victor Wembanyama connection appeared first on ClutchPoints. The San Antonio Spurs are gradually building a powerhouse team around Victor Wembanyama, preferring to slowly construct the perfect blend of the right young core and solid veteran talent to complement the 7'3″ Frenchman heading into his third season in the NBA. They have not seized opportunities to expedite their rebuilding process, preferring to keep their young talent instead of packaging them together in a trade for someone like Kevin Durant or perhaps even Giannis Antetokounmpo. Advertisement Nonetheless, with Wembanyama rapidly improving, it's only a matter of time before the Spurs become a powerhouse in the Western Conference once more. To push the Oklahoma City Thunder for West supremacy, the Spurs will need to load up on even more depth, as the two teams that made it to the NBA Finals proved that there is nothing more important in today's NBA than having many players on the roster who are playoff-viable. To that end, it seems as though the Spurs are targeting a versatile big man who has strong ties to their franchise cornerstone. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Spurs are 'among several teams expected to have interest in Yabusele during free agency'. Yabusele and Wembanyama are very much familar with one another, being the primary frontcourt pairing that the France National Basketball Team relied on on their way to the silver medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Yabusele, the 16th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, made his triumphant return stateside this past season with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game on 50/38/73 shooting splits — a major improvement from the last time he stepped foot in the NBA. He started in 43 games last season for the depleted 76ers and proved himself capable of being a small-ball center, as well as fitting on bigger lineups as a power forward, thanks to his defensive versatility and floor-stretching utility. Guerschon Yabusele's potential fit on the Spurs © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Should the Spurs sign Wembanyama's compatriot in Yabusele, it's not quite clear what role the 29-year-old forward will be playing for them. He's not likely to start for the Spurs, as they have Jeremy Sochan, Harrison Barnes, and Keldon Johnson as options at the position, so he's probably going to end up being a backup big man for San Antonio. Advertisement With Sandro Mamukelashvili, Charles Bassey, and Bismack Biyombo all being free agents, the Spurs certainly have more than enough room for the potential addition of Yabusele, who will add toughness and positional versatility to their frontcourt. Related: Why the Spurs made right decision to pass up on Kevin Durant trade Related: Fans hit Skip Bayless with Spurs receipts after bizarre 22-minute Thunder video
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
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Spurs' Dylan Harper a roller-coaster ride of emotions after going No. 2
The post Spurs' Dylan Harper a roller-coaster ride of emotions after going No. 2 appeared first on ClutchPoints. San Antonio Spurs' newest guard, Dylan Harper, was emotional after being selected as the No. 2 overall pick at the 2025 NBA Draft. The Spurs added to their exciting backcourt the 19-year-old who projects to be an absolute star at the next level. Dylan, the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, has succeeded everywhere he's been. In one season at Rutgers, the Franklin Lakes, New Jersey native averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on an efficient 48% from the field. Advertisement Harper was subsequently a third-team All-Big Ten selection, showcasing his talent on a weekly basis in one of the best conferences in the country. At 6 foot 6, 215 pounds, the young guard was fired up about joining his new team. In an interview with ESPN's Monica McNutt, Harper detailed his excitement. 'I'm feeling everything. All the emotions mixed in one bucket, from crying, to laughing, to being happy. I'm excited to get ready, I'm excited…I think when you play with a bunch of great players, it just brings the best out of you. They got a great young core over there, and I'm just ready to get in there and make an impact any way I can with those guys.' Harper joins a team looking to take a huge step up in the Western Conference hierarchy during the 2025-26 season. Victor Wembanyama should at least be a top 10 player in the world this coming season, and he already has an All-Star-caliber point guard beside him in De'Aaron Fox. Next to those two is 2024-25 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, who has the potential to be an elite wing in this league. Several other solid role players are on this roster, like Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and Jeremy Sochan, so Harper isn't guaranteed to start immediately. But looking ahead, it'll be interesting how the 19-year-old fits in a potential backcourt with Fox, who presumably will have the ball in his hands most of the time when it isn't in Wembanyama's. Harper has shown the potential to play off-ball before, but that wasn't his role in college. Advertisement Overall, the Spurs took the most talented player available, which is the right move for this franchise. Harper has the potential to be a cornerstone player for over a decade in San Antonio alongside Wembanyama, especially since he was considered the best pick-and-roll prospect going into Wednesday night. Should the Spurs continue their tradition of developing elite talent, they should have a championship-contending squad sooner rather than later. It's playoffs or bust for this franchise next season. Related: Why Spurs strike NBA Draft gold again with Carter Bryant Related: Victor Wembanyama calls Dylan Harper after Spurs' No. 2 pick
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
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Why the Spurs made right decision to pass up on Kevin Durant trade
The post Why the Spurs made right decision to pass up on Kevin Durant trade appeared first on ClutchPoints. After offseason reports indicated that the San Antonio Spurs were Kevin Durant's preferred destination, the future Hall-of-Fame forward okayed a trade to the Houston Rockets. San Antonio was unwilling to include this summer's second overall draft pick and NBA Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle in any deal for Durant. Advertisement Reports indicate they were also unwilling to part with either a future first-round pick or forward Jeremy Sochan. That is where the true debate lies regarding whether the Spurs should've pulled the trigger. It's fair to ask whether the Silver and Black should've given up a third-year forward who has yet to put up the type of production you might expect from a ninth overall pick and/or a future pick, considering they have several over the next five-plus years. But what should settle the debate is Durant, as in what he's done or hasn't done over the last several years. Kevin Durant wouldn't have automatically translated to success Durant's Phoenix Suns failed to make the playoffs this past season. That's despite also featuring another player who's currently probably among the ten best in the league, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, who, despite some struggles, still averaged 17 points per game in 2024-2025. With that same core the year before, the Suns were swept in the first round. The season before, they lost in the second round. Advertisement These results came two years after the Suns reached the NBA Finals in 2022 and won 64 games in 2022-'23. In other words, the Suns were worse after they acquired Durant through a trade highlighted by four unprotected first-round picks, a 2028 first-round pick swap, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Jae Crowder. Was it all Durant's fault? Of course not. But, it's noteworthy because he teamed with Booker, then Booker and Bradley, with a franchise that had recently come within two wins of an NBA championship and then won 64 games. If his Phoenix teams armed with established stars didn't make long playoff runs, would a Spurs squad centered on a still-blossoming Victor Wembanyama, a recently acquired De'Aaron Fox, and a young, but still raw, Castle? Some may include Dylan Harper in that mix. And that's precisely the reason San Antonio doesn't want to part with the pick that should lead to the former Rutgers star. But, as a rookie, will he affect winning at a substantial mark? The answer to these questions is probably 'no,' which gives more reason for the franchise to focus on its future. Advertisement That the Spurs hold two first-round picks in this draft represents the norm for GM Brian Wright and company. In addition to the second and fourteenth selections this month, they have two more next offseason, two each in 2028, '30, and '31 to go along with first-round picks in '27 and '29. Include second-rounders, and they have 33 selections over the six drafts following this summer's. With all that in the fold, the Spurs didn't see the need to trade for a player who hasn't elevated a team to true contending status since his days with the Golden State Warriors. The 37-year-old left the Bay in 2019. Results haven't followed him since. Related: Spurs rumors: San Antonio targeting ex-1st rounder with Victor Wembanyama connection Related: Fans hit Skip Bayless with Spurs receipts after bizarre 22-minute Thunder video
