Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Fernandez, Raps, Knicks

Although they weren’t able to make a trade on draft night, the Celtics are still open to dealing if teams are willing to meet their asking price, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. According to Bulpett, there are indications that the C’s may still be able to do business with teams like the Sixers and Bulls, for trade candidates like Jahlil Okafor and Jimmy Butler. But it will be much trickier for Boston to make a deal now than it was on draft night, since Philadelphia and Chicago likely would’ve wanted to get the No. 3 overall selection to nab Kris Dunn, rather than Jaylen Brown.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic division:

  • There were whispers this week linking the Sixers to Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez, but the former NBA veteran isn’t going anywhere at this point. As detailed by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, Fernandez says he’s always open to offers, but for now he plans to stick with Real Madrid for the remaining two years of his contract, rather than returning to the NBA.
  • Outside of their big, new contract agreement with DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors have been fairly quiet so far in July. However, as Doug Smith of The Toronto Star observes, GM Masai Ujiri and the Raptors did a big chunk of their 2016 spending in 2015, when they secured Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross to extensions. If the team had waited to lock up Valanciunas and Ross, they’d be restricted free agents, and would likely be in line for much bigger deals than the ones they signed last fall.
  • Frank Isola of The New York Daily News wonders if the Knicks will get back into the conversation for a top-tier free agent – such as Russell Westbrook – in 2017 if Phil Jackson‘s moves this summer pay off and result in a strong 2016/17 season. We asked you yesterday to make predictions for the Knicks’ forthcoming season.
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