Celtics Notes: Irving, Grousbeck, Tatum, Defense
Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck is happy to welcome Kyrie Irving to Boston, calling the point guard a “transcendent player,” relays A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Speaking at an event today in Boston, Grousbeck said the team views the Irving deal as its best path toward another NBA title.
The Celtics, who were the East’s top seed last season at 53-29, have shaken up the roster over the summer, with Irving, Gordon Hayward and rookie Jayson Tatum as the main additions. Grousbeck said the moves were made with an eye on the immediate and long-term future, but he declined to speculate on whether Boston is ready to knock off Cleveland in a playoff series. “I’m not going to make any predictions about that,” he said. “I think we’re in a good position to represent Celtic pride well. We have a strong team, an up and coming team, a young team with more youth on the way. We want to be good for a sustained period of time and it starts now.”
There’s more news tonight out of Boston:
- Cleveland’s desire to obtain Tatum held up the deal for several weeks, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical. Appearing on NBA TV, he said the trade could have been completed much earlier if Boston was willing to part with its No. 3 pick out of Duke. Charania added that any dispute in Cleveland was more about Irving than LeBron James, and James stayed in the background while owner Dan Gilbert and GM Koby Altman worked on the deal.
- Tatum is “just as surprised as everyone else” to be playing with his fellow Duke alumnus, Blakely writes in a separate piece. Tatum said he heard rumors that he might be headed to Cleveland in a deal and is relieved to stay in Boston. Blakely confirms that the Cavs asked for Tatum at first, then talked to several Western Conference teams after the Celtics refused. When that didn’t pan out, they revisited negotiations with Boston. Tatum, who vacationed with Irving in the Bahamas this summer, is looking forward to playing alongside his new teammate. “I’m pretty sure it’ll be a lot of fun,” Tatum said. “He’s a tremendous player, a superstar in this league.”
- The Celtics now have multiple stars who will enable them to compete for a title, according to Nick Ashooh of CSNMidAtlantic. He notes that newcomers Hayward and Marcus Morris ranked higher last year in Defensive Win Shares than former Celtics Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk, which should help Boston improve its team ranking of 15th in points allowed per game.
Community Shootaround: Challenging The Warriors
Tuesday night’s blockbuster deal that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics would have been clearly the biggest news of many NBA offseasons. But it has a lot of competition this summer in a league where Jimmy Butler, Paul George and Chris Paul have all been traded since the playoffs ended.
Still, Tuesday’s trade affects the balance of power in the East, both for the 2017/18 season and for years to come. The Cavaliers added an extra defender in Jae Crowder, who can harass Kevin Durant and the Warriors’ other wings if we get another Cleveland-Golden State matchup in the Finals. In landing Irving along with Gordon Hayward, the Celtics probably made the best two offseason acquisitions in the East.
But does that mean the Warriors should be afraid of either team — or anyone else?
Golden State brought back virtually all the key components of its championship team and picked up promising rookie Jordan Bell in the draft. Stephen Curry agreed to a five-year extension. Kevin Durant inked a one-year deal with a player option, but that was only to lead to a long-term contract next summer. Klay Thompson is under contract for two more seasons, and Draymond Green is signed for the next three.
So in addition to a wealth of talent, the Warriors will have continuity in their corner.
A lot of teams got better this summer. The Thunder got a bargain price on George. The Timberwolves traded for Butler and signed Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson. The Rockets traded for Paul and may have Carmelo Anthony before the season starts.
So with training camps about a month away, we want to know who you believe will be the Warriors’ top challenger. Please leave your comments below.
Mavericks Notes: Noel, Matthews, Smith, Cuban
Restricted free agent Nerlens Noel turned down an offer from the Mavericks in the range of $17.5MM per year, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. With no further details on that offer, it’s hard to know exactly how appealing it was — it could have been a short-term deal, or not fully guaranteed. Still, it seems like a very fair annual rate for Noel.
The 23-year old big man remains one of the top players left on the market as training camps near. Noel still hopes to land a max contract, even though few teams have the financial resources available to make such an offer.
He recently changed agents, hiring Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who lists LeBron James and John Wall among his highest-profile clients. Noel has been frustrated at not receiving offers from any other organizations. He still has the option to accept a $4,187,598 qualifying offer from the Mavericks and take his chances as an unrestricted free agent next season. Noel averaged 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 22 games with Dallas after a deadline trade brought him from the 76ers.
There’s more today out of Dallas:
- Halfway through the four-year, $70MM deal he signed with the Mavericks in 2015, Wesley Matthews is adopting some new training techniques to improve his game, writes Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Matthews has been doing yoga this summer and trying to improve his conditioning in hopes of raising his shooting percentage in 2017/18. “I want to be the most complete basketball player that I can be, and with the shooting slump that I had there were still ways that I had to be effective on the court,” he said. “You know, energy, leadership and defense, that’s always going to be a part of it. But being able to get other guys shots and get other guys open, I take pride in that as well.” Matthews has shot 39% overall and 36% from 3-point range during his two seasons in Dallas, well below the numbers he put up in Portland. He could be a year away from free agency, as he has a player option on his $18,622,514 salary for 2018/19.
- Owner Mark Cuban worries that it might be a “curse” or “jinx” that Dennis Smith Jr. is considered an early favorite for Rookie of the Year, but he raved about the No. 9 draft pick in a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. In a segment transcribed by The Dallas Morning News, Cuban says Smith’s ability goes beyond his obvious athleticism. “I mean his ball handling, his intellect for the game, he’s already on Synergy Sports watching great point guards [and] learning from them,” Cuban said. “He’s committed to getting better every day. He’s just got that mindset of a winner.”
- In the same interview, Cuban says the NBA’s new scheduling policy goes “90% of the way” toward solving the problem of teams resting healthy players, and adds that he would never tell coach Rick Carlisle to keep a player out of action.
Knicks Consider Jarrett Jack, Archie Goodwin
In their quest for depth at point guard, the Knicks are considering both Jarrett Jack and Archie Goodwin, posts Ohm Youngmisuk on ESPN Now.
Jack, 33, would bring another veteran presence to a position currently occupied by Ron Baker, rookie Frank Ntilikina and journeyman Ramon Sessions, who signed with the team earlier this month. Jack is trying to rebound from two season-ending injuries, a torn ACL in his right knee in January of 2016 and a torn right meniscus in March of this year. His only NBA action last season was two games with the Pelicans after signing a 10-day contract in late February.
At 23, Goodwin fits in better with New York’s youth movement. He played briefly last season with the Pelicans and Nets, amassing a combined 15 games, and spent most of the year with the Greensboro Swarm in the G League. A late first-round pick in 2013, Goodwin played his first three NBA seasons with the Suns, where his coach was current Knicks mentor Jeff Hornacek.
New York has 19 players headed to camp, one under the league maximum. The Knicks are over the cap, so any offer would have to be for the veteran’s minimum.
Cavs Inquired On Klay Thompson Before Trading Kyrie To Celtics
The Cavaliers completed a trade with their top Eastern competitor on Tuesday and had apparently been willing to deal with another notable rival. Before they worked out an agreement with the Celtics that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston, the Cavs called the Warriors to inquire about a possible swap involving Irving and Klay Thompson, reports Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Spears describes Golden State as “uninterested.”
[RELATED: Celtics acquire Kyrie Irving from Cavaliers]
From a cap perspective, a Thompson/Irving deal would have made some sense, since both players have two guaranteed seasons left on their respective contracts and are earning similar salaries. However, there was little reason for the Warriors to break up the core of a roster that is coming off a championship, particularly since Thompson – an excellent shooter and defender who doesn’t need the ball much – is probably a better fit in Golden State than Irving would have been.
It’s the second time this offseason that we’ve heard about a team shopping a star and contacting the Warriors about a possible deal involving Thompson. The Pacers reportedly reached out to Golden State about a potential Paul George/Thompson swap back in June. As they did when the Cavs called about Irving, the Warriors told the Pacers they weren’t interested, which Thompson appreciates, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
“It’s really cool,” Thompson told Slater. “It shows the Warriors believe in me and these other teams want me to be a part of their success. So I appreciate it. I’ve been in trade rumors forever. Everyone has. Except for maybe LeBron James, Steph [Curry] — well, even Steph early in his career. It’s part of the business. It is flattering and I do appreciate it.
“When you hear the rumors, it means you’re wanted,” Thompson added. “You’re doing something right. Look at the bright side. But I’m happy I’m still with the Warriors. I hope to be here my whole career. It’s a great place to play.”
Spurs Sign London Perrantes
4:43pm: Perrantes received a one-year, partially guaranteed deal from the Spurs, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
3:46pm: The Spurs have added an undrafted rookie to their roster, announcing today in a press release that former Virginia guard London Perrantes has signed with the club. Terms of Perrantes’ agreement with San Antonio weren’t announced, but it figures to be a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deal.
Perrantes, a 6’2″ guard, averaged 12.7 PPG, 3.8 APG, and 3.0 RPG in his senior year at Virginia last season, along with a solid shooting line of .453/.374/.813. He worked out for several teams – including the Spurs – in the weeks leading up to the draft, but wasn’t considered likely to be one of the 60 players selected in June.
After going undrafted, Perrantes played for the Heat in Summer League action in both Orlando and Las Vegas. In six total games for Miami, he averaged 10.8 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 3.2 RPG. However, he’ll be in camp with the Spurs, rather than the Heat.
Perrantes is probably a good bet to eventually join the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League team, as an affiliate player.
2017 NBA G League Expansion Draft Results
The NBA G League conducted its expansion draft today, allowing the league’s four new franchises to add the returning rights to 11 players apiece. The league’s previously-existing 22 teams had been permitted to retain the rights to nine players each, leaving the rest of their players unprotected and free to be drafted, though no team can lose more than two players. Adam Johnson recently outlined the full details of the expansion draft process in a piece for 2 Ways & 10 Days.
The G League’s four new teams this year are affiliates for the Hawks (Erie BayHawks), Grizzlies (Memphis Hustle), Bucks (Wisconsin Herd), and Clippers (Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario). The Erie BayHawks have been in the G League for years but are technically an expansion team since the old iteration of the BayHawks was purchased by the Magic and moved to Lakeland, Florida — the Lakeland Magic will retain returning rights for former BayHawks players.
The players added today by the G League’s four expansion teams won’t necessarily play for them this season — in fact, it’s not all that common for expansion draftees to suit up for their new clubs. Many of those players will try to catch on with an NBA team or will end up playing overseas, if they’re not already on an NBA or international roster. Still, the expansion draft gives the G League’s new teams some assets as they start to build their rosters for the coming season.
Listed below are the results of today’s expansion draft, per the G League’s official announcement. The player’s former G League team is noted in parentheses, and picks are ordered by round. The teams will hold their players’ rights for the next two seasons:
Erie BayHawks (Hawks)
- DeAndre Daniels (Raptors 905)
- Sean Kilpatrick (Delaware 87ers)*
- Ronald Roberts (Reno Bighorns)
- Terran Petteway (Maine Red Claws)
- Casey Prather (Windy City Bulls)
- Jordan Crawford (Grand Rapids Drive)*
- Jordan Sibert (Iowa Energy)
- Beau Beech (Long Island Nets)
- Raphiael Putney (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
- Luke Harangody (Lakeland Magic)
- Will Bynum (Windy City Bulls)
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies)
- Marquis Teague (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
- Okaro White (Sioux Falls Skyforce)*
- D.J. Stephens (Iowa Energy)
- Omari Johnson (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
- Jamaal Franklin (Long Island Nets)
- Adonis Thomas (Grand Rapids Drive)
- Manny Harris (Texas Legends)
- Mark Tyndale (Reno Bighorns)
- Jordon Crawford (Canton Charge)
- Jimmer Fredette (Westchester Knicks)
- Terrence Drisdom (Santa Cruz Warriors)
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks)
- Vince Hunter (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
- Gracin Bakumanya (Northern Arizona Suns)
- Perry Ellis (Greensboro Swarm)
- Corey Walden (Maine Red Claws)
- Josh Davis (Greensboro Swarm)
- Michael Dunigan (Canton Charge)
- Jarvis Summers (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
- James Siakam (Raptors 905)
- Kyle Casey (Northern Arizona Suns)
- Cady Lalanne (Austin Spurs)
- Tyler Harvey (Lakeland Magic)
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers)
- Andre Dawkins (Texas Legends)
- Bryce Cotton (Oklahoma City Blue)
- Corey Hawkins (Delaware 87ers)
- Will Cummings (Delaware 87ers)
- J.J. O’Brien (Salt Lake City Stars)
- Jamil Wilson (South Bay Lakers)
- Keith Steffeck (Santa Cruz Warriors)
- Julian Jacobs (South Bay Lakers)
- Aaron Craft (Salt Lake City Stars)
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Westchester Knicks)
- Youssou Ndoye (Austin Spurs)
Players marked with an asterisk (*) are currently on an NBA roster. If they remain under contract and are assigned to the G League, they would join their current NBA team’s affiliate.
Latest On Dwyane Wade, Bulls, Cavaliers
Last week, ESPN’s Nick Friedell wrote in a piece on the Bulls’ outlook for 2017/18 that the team is expected to reach a buyout with Dwyane Wade within the next few months. Friedell’s story was edited later to back off that stance a little, suggesting now that “nobody would be surprised” if Wade and the Bulls reach a buyout agreement in the not-too-distant future.
Appearing on ESPN’s The Jump (video link) this week, Friedell once again addressed the Wade situation, calling a buyout “inevitable.” According to Friedell, it’s a matter of “when, not if” the Bulls and Wade will part ways this season.
Here’s more on Wade, the Bulls, and his possible landing spot if he becomes a free agent:
- While the Bulls and Wade figure to get serious about a buyout after the trade deadline if it hasn’t already happened by then, Friedell said during his appearance on The Jump that he wouldn’t be shocked if the two sides work something out in December or January. However, Friedell doesn’t expect a buyout agreement to be finalized before the season.
- Friedell also suggests that the young players on the Bulls’ roster aren’t overly fond of Wade, who last season challenged his teammates’ dedication to winning despite missing practices himself. In Friedell’s view, that potential friction may motivate both sides to get a buyout done sooner.
- The Bulls have no reason to buy out Wade unless he eventually meets their terms and gives up a significant chunk of his $23.8MM salary, according to David Haugh of The Chicago Tribune, who hears that the two sides haven’t yet engaged in buyout talks.
- If Wade is bought out by the Bulls, will he end up reuniting with his good friend LeBron James for the Cavaliers? According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, people close to James are indeed “fairly confident” that Wade will land in Cleveland. As Dan Feldman of Pro Basketball Talk details, before making that assertion, Vardon said earlier in his podcast that only a small handful of people – including agent Rich Paul, LeBron himself, and three others – should truly be considered “close” to LeBron. So Vardon’s info likely came from one or more of those sources.
Boris Diaw Uncertain About NBA Future
Having been waived by the Jazz earlier this summer, forward Boris Diaw remains an unrestricted free agent and his future as a player remains up in the air. Diaw recently told Le Figaro that he’s not 100% sure that he’ll find an NBA home for the 2017/18 season, suggesting that a return to Europe is a possibility (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
According to Diaw, he has been in touch with a few NBA teams, but nothing concrete came out of those conversations. The French forward added that there are several factors he has to take into account as he considers his next move, and he’s not yet closing any doors.
Diaw, 35, has spent the last 14 seasons in the NBA, beginning his career with the Hawks before moving on to the Suns, Bobcats, Spurs, and Jazz. Diaw started 33 games and appeared in 73 overall regular season contests for Utah last season, but saw his production dip — his PPG (4.6), FG% (.446), and 3PT% (.247) marks were all among the worst of his career. He had a $7.5MM salary for 2017/18 that would have become guaranteed if the Jazz had not waived him last month.
While Diaw has played in the NBA for the last 14 years, he also has some international experience, so playing in Europe wouldn’t be new to him. Before being drafted 21st overall in 2003, Diaw spent multiple seasons with Pau-Orthez in France, and he returned to his home country during the 2011 lockout to play for JSA Bordeaux. The veteran forward has also represented France in several international competitions.
The Raptors reportedly inquired on Diaw last month just before he was waived by the Jazz, but no NBA teams have been linked to him within the last few weeks.
Bucks Made Competitive Offer For Kyrie Irving?
12:58pm: Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press (Twitter link) hears that the Bucks didn’t offer Middleton, Brogdon, and a first-round pick for Irving. It’s not uncommon for there to be conflicting reports on trade offers, since there can be ambiguity about what a team is willing to offer and what that team formally offers. Whether or not the Bucks put that package on the table, it was unlikely to be enough for the Cavs.
11:32am: The Suns were long viewed as a potential frontrunner in the Kyrie Irving sweepstakes, but Phoenix never really got close to landing the star point guard, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). According to Gambadoro though, another team that was in the mix for Irving and made a strong offer was the Bucks, who put Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, and a first-round pick on the table.
It’s easy to see why the Celtics’ offer – which included an All-Star in Isaiah Thomas and a stronger first-round pick – was more appealing to the Cavs than Milwaukee’s proposal. Boston’s package, which also featured Jae Crowder and rookie center Ante Zizic, should give Cleveland a better chance to contend for a title in 2017/18, and may also give the Cavs a better chance to land a young star, since that 2018 Nets pick may end up in the top five.
Still, Thomas’ hip is a concern and he’s under contract for only one more year, making him a bit of a risk. The Bucks’ offer would have given the Cavaliers the reigning Rookie of the Year (Brogdon) on an extremely affordable contract (about $3MM over the next two years), and a dangerous shooter and scorer in Middleton, who is on a reasonable contract of his own (about $27MM over the next two years). Milwaukee’s 2018 first-round pick figures to fall in the late-teens or 20s, however.
While the Bucks fell short in their pursuit of Irving, it’s worth remembering that the team was willing to make a play for the All-Star point guard. That point guard spot is perhaps the most glaring area of concern for Milwaukee heading into 2017/18, so the team figures to keep an eye out for potential upgrades again at the 2018 trade deadline and next offseason.