Garnett Hangs It Up

Breaking Report: Kevin Garnett expected to announce retirement Friday 4:13 PM ET ESPN.com news services Kevin Garnett is expected to announce his retirement from the NBA on Friday after agreeing to a contract settlement with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to a report by the Star Tribune. Garnett, 40, had one year worth $8 million remaining on his contract with the Timberwolves. Drafted by the Wolves straight out of high school in 1995, Garnett was the face of the franchise for 12 seasons until his July 2007 trade to the Boston Celtics. Garnett won a championship in his first season with the Celtics, moved to the Brooklyn Nets via trade in June 2013, then returned to Minnesota in February 2015, when then-Wolves coach Flip Saunders convinced Garnett to waive his no-trade clause to clinch the storybook reunion. ESPN's Marc Stein contributed to this report.

Kevin Durant to sign with Warriors

Kevin Durant to sign with Warriors
10:42 AM CT
ESPN.com news services
Kevin Durant will sign with the Golden State Warriors.

Durant announced his decision in a post on The Players' Tribune.

He will sign a two-year, $54 million contract, sources told ESPN's Marc Stein. The deal includes a player option after the first year.

The biggest catch on the free-agent market, Durant met with six teams the past three days: Oklahoma City, Golden State, San Antonio, Boston, Miami and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 27-year-old Durant has spent all nine seasons of his career with the Thunder organization. He won the MVP in 2014, has been named first-­team All-­NBA five times and has made seven All-­Star teams. He has appeared in four Western Conference finals and one NBA Finals, losing in five games to the Heat in 2012.

Durant bounced back last season to earn second­-team All-NBA honors after undergoing three surgeries on his right foot to repair a Jones fracture suffered prior to the 2014-­15 season, when he was limited to 27 games before undergoing a season-­ending bone graft procedure in March. Without Durant, the Thunder missed the postseason.

With him back for 72 games last season, the Thunder improved to 55-27 and finished third in the West. The Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the opening round, upset the 67-­win Spurs in six games in the second round and pushed the Warriors to seven games in the Western Conference finals.

Durant averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season, and he scored at least 20 points in 67 straight games.

In nine seasons, Durant is averaging 27.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

Sources: Kevin Durant will be Warriors top target in free agency.

Marc Stein
ESPN Senior 

Writer

The Golden State Warriors, after their NBA Finals defeat, are going ahead with their long-held plans to pursue Kevin Durant in free agency, according to league sources.

Sources told ESPN that Durant is by no means Golden State's lone target in free agency but stressed that he'll indeed be the Warriors' top target when the offseason marketplace opens July 1.

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Warriors owner Joe Lacob, without addressing Durant specifically so as not to violate league rules that prohibit such discussion before July 1, said Sunday night on his way out of Oracle Arena: "All I can say is that I will be very aggressive."

The Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are widely regarded as the league's two top threats to the Oklahoma City Thunder's attempts to keep Durant this summer.

Sources say that the Warriors and Spurs are on the short list of teams expected to secure a face-to-face meeting with Durant when he allows a select number of teams to court him once free agency starts.

ESPN reported earlier this month that the most likely scenario for Durant, at this juncture, remains signing a two-year deal to stay with Oklahoma City that includes a player option to return to free agency in the summer of 2017 alongside Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook.

But Golden State's unexpected loss to Cleveland in the Finals -- in which the Warriors became the first team in history to fail to win the championship after seizing a 3-1 series lead -- could enhance the Warriors' chances of convincing Durant to join them.

The Warriors have eight unrestricted free agents of their own, including swingman Harrison Barnes and center Festus Ezeli, both of whom are expected to attract significant attention from rival teams this summer.

Durant addressed his pending free agency Monday, acknowledging that "it's a little bit complicated right now" but also stressing that he ultimately is "worried about basketball."

"That's what it is for me," he said. "It's a basketball decision."

Asked what he meant by a "basketball decision," Durant said it's not necessarily about the spotlight or the money.

ESPN's Royce Young contributed to this report