After Larry Nance Jr. agreed to a two-year, $21MM extension with New Orleans, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype talked to four NBA executives who expect Celtics forward Grant Williams to command in the range of $12-13MM per year on his own long-term deal.
However, speaking to Scotto on the HoopsHype podcast, Jared Weiss of The Athletic suggested that he wouldn’t accept less than $15MM annually on a rookie scale extension if he were Williams.
As Weiss observes, the fourth-year forward projects to have a significant role in the Celtics’ rotation with Danilo Gallinari likely out for the season, and – unlike Nance – Williams is still just 23 years old and has plenty of time to continue improving.
According to Scotto, Williams has dropped from about 280 pounds to 265, and seems poised to have a big year. If that’s the case, he could potentially exceed $15MM per year as a restricted free agent next summer should he forgo an extension before this year’s October 17 deadline.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- On that same HoopsHype podcast, Scotto said he spoke to four executives about the Ime Udoka situation, and all four expressed skepticism that Udoka will ever coach the Celtics again.
- As the Celtics consider adding another assistant to fortify interim coach Joe Mazzulla‘s staff, one candidate to keep an eye on is Jarrell Christian, who coached the Maine Celtics last season, says Scotto. Christian has since been named Maine’s general manager, but that typically hasn’t been a full-time position, Weiss notes, with various members of the Celtics’ scouting department filling that role in past seasons.
- Even after a nightmarish September in Boston, John Hollinger of The Athletic is bullish on the Celtics’ chances of being one of the NBA’s best teams, projecting them to win 55 games and claim the No. 1 seed in the East. However, Hollinger believes the C’s will probably need a “peak” version of Robert Williams to make it back to the NBA Finals.
- While Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser may have a good-natured difference of opinions over which player is the better three-point shooter, Tatum praised his fellow forward and stressed Hauser’s importance after Wednesday’s game. “I tell him all the time: If people left me that wide open and all I had to do was catch-and-shoot, I would make a lot more shots as well. So I tell Sam he should send me a thank you card for being on the floor together,” Tatum joked after Hauser made 8-of-13 threes in his first two preseason appearances. “Sam is obviously a great shooter and his game has come a long way. I’m happy for him. I’m happy he’s getting these opportunities, and he’s obviously making the most out of it. We’re going to need him.”
The Celtics are a patch work quilt group of players that will have no real chemistry and will play out of sync all season.
The holes that all choose not to see in this team will translate on the court fast and render the Celtics the title of this years last year’s Knicks team.
It reads here that they should have used the 17.2 trade exception they let expire and rented out Turner for the season.
So you think their holes will render the Celtics the title of this years last years knicks team?
Hard to argue with logic like that.
so a team that brought back every core player that got them within two games of an NBA title while adding players that have been complimentary is suddenly a patchwork quilt with no chemistry? That tracks really well and isn’t incredibly illogical based on zero evidence.
Top free agent acquisition Danilo Gallinari is out for the season. Robert Williams is already hurt and it’s the offseason. You added Malcolm Brogdon, who’s knee’s are now made of glass.
Zero Evidence???
Yes. Zero evidence of them lacking “chemistry”. What you are talking about has nothing to do with “chemistry”, it has to do with injuries or injury-prone players.
Last year the Celtics had very good chemistry, and all the same guys are still there.
Yes zero evidence. As curtisrowe said none of what you mentioned has anything to do with chemistry.
@ Juice
Wishful thinking is funny!
New addition Malcolm Brogdon had 18 assists in two games. Not bad chemistry.
Correct. The key word being “open”, however.
The yrs long Jevon Carter vs Trae Young rivalry has made its way to the Middle East & continues to be extremely spicy. 1 of the best 1v1 rivalries in the league no doubt
Dre & Dejounte (19 1st half pts) both playin at a all-star level as well
Giannis playin like the best player in the world but his team gettin blown out late in the 3rd bc this Hawks team is playing extremely well together. Lookin even better offensively today than the explosive team we had last yr. Loving Aaron Holidays floor game rn
Man Dejounte Murray is out here being extremely dominant. Just pinned Portis’ dunk attempt against the backboard, he’s 9-13 from the field with a couple treys & he’s a cpl rebs & an ast away from a triple double
Gotta say it’s a lil frustrating to see MarJon Beauchamp (the guy I wanted us to draft) doin #s while AJ Griffin (the guy we did draft) continues to sit. AJ didn’t play summer league bc of injury & we only got 4 preseason games so it’s a lil weird that he hasn’t touched the court yet. Lookin like he’s gonna spend most of the season in College Park similar to Jalen last season
Nate put AJ Griffin in with 1min to go smh frustrating… Steve Harvey randomly dappin up guys on the court after the game like he just put up 20 & 10
Nance does a lot more on the court then Williams. But his health is always a problem.