James Harden and Kevin Durant went on a trip to Greece together this past summer as their friendship blossomed again following the trade that brought back together nearly 10 years after they were split up by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sources tell Logan Murdock of The Ringer that Harden reassured Durant twice that he'd sign an extension to remain with the Nets long-term.

Durant signed his extension in August, but Harden declared before the season started that he planned to wait for free agency.

After Durant suffered a knee injury in January, communication with Harden broke down. Harden began searching for a new team while the losses mounted as he played without Durant and without Kyrie Irving for home games.

“It wasn’t like it was a disconnect between us as individuals. I felt like we liked each other,” Durant told The Ringer. “But I was focusing on rehab and he was focusing on the team. Naturally, I wasn’t around the group, but I can’t control how everybody feels about their situation. I can do my best and provide what I provide every day. If it helps someone, cool, if it doesn’t, that’s cool too, but I can’t stress myself out wondering how somebody else feels about the situation.”

The NBA has informed teams of slightly higher projections for the 22-23 salary cap and luxury tax at $122 million and $149 million respectively.

The most recent previous update in February had a salary cap of $147 million and luxury tax of $147 million. Those estimates were each $2 million higher than previous estimates.

The NBA has a salary cap of $112.414 million this season. 

Due to the success of Ubiquiti Networks, Robert Pera has become the third richest owner in the NBA with a net worth of approximately $15 billion. The Memphis Grizzlies, meanwhile, have become one of the NBA's best success stories this season with a promising young core built around Ja Morant.

While Pera is focused on Ubiquiti Networks, he is in the loop constantly with his decision makers.

"From day one, [Pera is] someone who worked hard to make things happen behind the scenes," says former NBA player Elliott Perry, who is one of the team's part owners. "He was always doubling down and trying to find ways to support the team."

Pera almost never involves himself directly in league business, league and team sources ESPN.

But Pera is in touch daily with Zach Kleiman, the Memphis general manager he put in charge in 2019, and Jason Wexler, the team president who has been one of the franchise leaders since Pera bought the team.

"They're 'team Slack,'" jokes one league executive, referencing the medium through which Pera is known to often communicate with his leadership. "They should do a commercial for it."

With Pera's wealth, the Grizzlies may be able to be a luxury tax paying team despite their small market status. The franchise hasn't paid the luxury tax since 2005. Sources tell ESPN that the Grizzlies have been sending signals they intend to be aggressive in retaining and acquiring talent.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are doing some roster shuffling in the season's final weeks. Cleveland is planning to convert guard R.J. Nembhard's Two-Way contract to a standard deal. The Cavs will then sign center Moses Brown to the open Two-Way spot.

Nembhard has appeared in just 13 NBA games as a rookie. In 13 games (12 starts) with the Cleveland Charge of the G League, Nembhard has averaged 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists.

Brown recently completed a second 10-day deal with the Cavaliers. In eight games, Brown gave Cleveland some much-needed depth after the injury to Jarrett Allen, and subsequent injury to Evan Mobley. Now, he'll stick with the Cavs for the remainder of the season, but he will not be eligible to play in the postseason. Two-Way players aren't eligible to play in the Play-In Tournament nor playoffs.

The New York Knicks have had a frustrating season, one that's on the verge of seeing them eliminated from postseason contention. Still, Julius Randle isn't giving up on New York yet.

Randle's agent, Aaron Mintz, said his client isn't looking for a trade away from the Knicks. When asked if reports that he wants a trade are true, Randle emphatically denied that is the case. 

“That’s just not true bro, it’s just not true. It’s just as simple as that," Randle said.

When asked if he can hold up to the scrutiny that comes with playing in New York, Randle simply said "I'm built for it."

The New York Knicks are expected by some NBA sources to shop Julius Randle in a trade for a package revolving around a center if they lose Mitchell Robinson.

Some around the NBA believe Randle is acting in a “James Harden type of way” to suggest he would like to leave the Knicks.

Sources say the lack of leadership from Randle has hurt the Knicks this season. One source said Randle sometimes dresses by himself in another area of the locker room.

The Knicks and Randle signed a four-year, $117 million extension last August. 

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed guard Jared Harper from the team’s G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, to a two-way contract.

Harper, 6-0, 175, appeared in two games with the Pelicans earlier this season, averaging 3.5 points and 1.5 assists in 5.0 minutes per contest. Harper has appeared in 13 career games across three NBA seasons with Phoenix, New York, and New Orleans.

In 29 games for the Squadron this season, Harper averaged 21.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in 34.5 minutes per game.

The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to sign Reggie Perry to a 10-day hardship deal.

Perry previously played two games earlier this season on the Blazers on a 10-day deal.

The Indiana Pacers today announced the team has signed forward Justin Anderson to a second 10-day contract. 

The Pacers signed Anderson to a previous 10-day contract on March 17, 2022. 

The Boston Celtics have agreed to sign Juwan Morgan to a 10-day contract.

Morgan is averaging 12.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 25.9 minutes over 20 G League games with the Maine Celtics this season.

Morgan appeared in one game earlier this season while on a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors.