NBA News: Saturday, February 25th, 2023

The second half of the NBA season is now underway, and the playoff push has really started to heat up. With one of the craziest trade deadlines in recent memory, there are new players playing for new teams across the league. 

Other teams have some other issues or situations going on, and there have been a flurry of big NBA news stories over the past few days. Here is a look at three of the biggest stories from around the league. 

Durant Still Not Ready to Suit Up

The Phoenix Suns made the biggest splash at the Trade Deadline as they were able to acquire Kevin Durant in a monster deal. That move instantly made the Suns one of the betting favorites to win the NBA championship, but Phoenix hasn’t benefitted up to this point. 

Durant was out with an injury when he was traded to the Suns, and he hasn’t been able to take the floor yet. Progress has been made since the All-Star Break, though, as the former MVP has been scrimmaging with the team. 

Durant hasn’t played since January 8th, and conditioning is a big concern for the Suns. The team is likely to have him make his debut on the upcoming road trip, and Wednesday in Charlotte looks like the most logical return date. 

Phoenix has been hit hard by injuries this season, but they will be at full strength once Durant is able to make his debut.

Curry Inching Closer to Return

The Golden State Warriors are trying to stay in the playoff race in the Western Conference so that they have a chance to defend their championship. It hasn’t been easy this season, and they are currently playing without superstar Stephen Curry.

Curry has been making progress in his return from a lower leg injury as he has started to do some workout on the court. After the most recent training session, the team announced that they planned to re-evaluate their star in one week.

The Warriors will be a tough team to deal with if they are able to get into the playoffs and find a way to get healthy. Golden State is also hoping that Gary Payton can get healthy again after acquiring him in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Hawks Hoping to Land Snyder

The Atlanta Hawks made an interesting decision during the All-Star Break as they fired head coach Nate McMillan. Atlanta hasn’t been playing great basketball despite being in a playoff spot, and the team was hoping that a change would lead to better results. 

Joe Prunty is currently serving as the interim head coach for the Hawks, but the team has their sights set on a new permanent coach. According to league sources, Quin Snyder is expected to be named the new head coach, and that deal could be announced within days. 

Snyder is currently out of the country, but the Hawks want to make a deal with him that would lock him up for years. The Hawks are a team under .500, and they want Snyder to come in and take a close look at this roster moving forward.

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All Media on this page by Associated Press.