$510m twins make NBA history; rivals circle amid star’s contract stand-off – Daily

Kawhi Leonard has cashed in after leaving his former team in tatters.

A set of twins have made NBA history with their monster new deals, while one of their teammates is using those contracts as leverage in his pursuit of a max deal.

And an NBA veteran has called time on his career after 18 seasons in an emotional video alongside his son.

All of this and more in the latest edition of NBA Daily.

Watch every NBL game LIVE with ESPN, available on Kayo | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.

THE RISKY $115M BET ON KAWHI

Kawhi Leonard has cashed in after leaving the Los Angeles Clippers in tatters.

The 2019 NBA champion has returned to Toronto following his long-awaited trade and has now secured his future with the franchise.

Leonard and the Raptors have agreed to a two-year, $115 million (A$161 million) extension, with a player option for the 2028-29 season, the final year of the deal.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, both parties ‘maintained consistent dialogue’ on Leonard’s long-term future with the Raptors since July.

It is also expected that Leonard will finish his career in Toronto, with the veteran now 35 years old.

Tim MacMahon weighed in on the deal on NBA on ESPN.

“Let’s not act like this is not a massive risk,” MacMahon said.

“This is a guy who’s played 60+ games, three times in the last 9 years... $115 million for a player with those durability issues, in his mid-30s that is a massive contract.

“That’s not a discount deal, a discount deal is Kevin Durant, 2-year, $90 million extension. This is $25 million more than that.”

Leonard departed the Clippers following a long-running NBA investigation into him and the franchise, which resulted in him receiving a $700,000 fine and the Clippers losing five first-round picks.

He now joins Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Paul George, Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden in the NBA’s $500 million club.

Ausar and Amen Thompson are now worth a combined $363 million (A$510m), making NBA history.

Both brothers have signed rookie-scale contract extensions this summer with the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets respectively.

Ausar Thompson recently signed a five-year, $155 million (A$218m) extension with the Pistons after the former fifth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.

He led the NBA in steals per game while posting the third-most combined steals and blocks.

Thompson was also an important piece for the Pistons as they finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference before being eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Thompson averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and two steals per game in his third NBA season.

His brother Amen signed a five-year, $208 million extension earlier in the offseason with the Houston Rockets.

Amen averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game as the Rockets finished fifth in the Western Conference.

The twins are now the first brothers in NBA history to each receive a deal worth at least $100 million, with their contracts worth a combined $363 million.

They join two other members of the 2023 NBA Draft class to sign rookie-scale extensions, with Victor Wembanyama and Keyonte George already agreeing to new deals.

Wembanyama signed a five-year, $252 million extension, while George agreed to a $157.5 million deal.

REATH BACK IN THE NBA: Boomer joins $310m superstar in NBA return after season-ending surgery

‘NO HANDOUT’: Simmons fires back at NBA vet; Kawhi trade door opens amid DOJ bombshell

DUREN’S $200M STAND-OFF TAKES NEW TWIST AFTER TEAMMATE DEAL

Jalen Duren’s seemingly never-ending contract saga continues to drag on.

The All-NBA Third Team member has reportedly ‘not accepted’ the Detroit Pistons’ latest offer of five years, $200 million (A$280m), according to ESPN.

And according to The Athletic, the recent deals signed by Ausar and Amen Thompson have added another layer to Duren’s negotiations.

“Detroit inking Thompson to a five-year, $155 million deal, which will begin paying him an average annual value of $31 million, added a layer to Duren’s contract negotiations,” The Athletic reported.

“As did Thompson’s twin brother Amen, who agreed to sign a five-year, $208 million contract to stay with the Houston Rockets earlier this month.

“While Amen Thompson was a Defensive Player of the Year finalist, neither Thompson twin earned an All-Star or All-NBA selection last season, while Duren got the nod on both.”

It is also believed the potential market for Duren next season is another factor in the process.

Alongside the Pistons, the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks are among the teams expected to show interest in Duren and could be willing to pay the money he is looking for.

“Duren’s confidence is born out of the fact that his market for next summer looks quite robust,” Sam Amick reported.

“As The Athletic previously reported, the Sacramento Kings have signalled a willingness to pay him a max salary deal next summer.

“That alone has aided his leverage, but there are at least two other teams – including the Milwaukee Bucks – that are known to have serious interest in Duren (both now and, potentially, next summer).”

Brett Siegel of Clutch Points has suggested a trade idea which could work for both the Pistons and Bucks.

“At this point, if Duren won’t take the $40M annually on the table, send him to Milwaukee for Myles Turner and other assets,” Siegel wrote on X.

“It’s clear he doesn’t want to be in Detroit.”

For now, Duren remains a restricted free agent with the start of the season drawing closer.

After finishing as the first seed in last season’s Eastern Conference, the Pistons will be eager to bring Duren back to a core which includes Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson.

BATUM RETIRES FROM THE NBA

Nicolas Batum has retired from the NBA after 18 seasons.

Batum announced his retirement in a video on social media alongside his son.

“I decided to retire from basketball for several reasons,” Batum told his 10-year-old son, Ayden, in the video.

“I want to come home and be with you. I’m going to take care of you and make room for others. I think I’ve done my time.

“My time with France ended two years ago. And the NBA is over too.

“You know, when you’ve played as much basketball as I have, at some point, you have to know when to stop... I’ve done everything I needed to do.”

Batum, 37, played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers across his 18 seasons.

He appeared in more than 1,250 NBA games during his career after being selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Batum finished with career averages of 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and three assists per game, with his best season coming in 2016-17 when he averaged 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists for the Hornets.

His retirement leaves Brook Lopez as the only player from the 2008 NBA Draft class still in the league, a class which saw Derrick Rose selected with the first overall pick.