Atlantic Rumors: Vucevic, Shamet, Nets, Murray-Boyles

Veteran center Nikola Vucevic is considered highly likely to switch teams this summer after finishing the season with the Celtics, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Vucevic, who was traded from Chicago to Boston in February in the final year of his contract, took on a significant role in Boston’s rotation, averaging 23.4 minutes per night in his first 11 outings with his new team. However, he sustained a fractured finger in his 12th game as a Celtic and wasn’t able to return until the final week of the regular season, resulting in less consistent minutes during the postseason.

Vucevic, 35, averaged just 9.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game in 16 regular season appearances with the Celtics, shooting 43.9% from the floor and 34.0% on three-pointers. Those shooting numbers were well below his career rates, while his PPG and MPG represented his lowest averages since his rookie year in 2011/12. Vucevic will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

• Rival suitors are “already starting to circle” in anticipation of pursuing Knicks wing Landry Shamet in free agency, according to Stein. Shamet has received minimum-salary contracts in each of the past two seasons, but he should be in line for a raise this summer after making 39.2% of his three-pointers during the regular season and playing a key reserve role for New York during its run to the NBA Finals. Shamet was out of the rotation in the first round, but he has scored double-digit points in six of the team’s past nine games, dating back to the second round. The Knicks will hold Shamet’s Early Bird rights, giving them the ability to make a strong offer, though re-signing him would push them deeper into tax/apron territory.
• Mexican forward Karim Lopez, who spent the last two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers, told Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) that he and Tennessee forward Nate Ament are working out for the Nets on Tuesday. Although both Lopez and Ament are viewed as potential lottery picks, it would be a surprise if either player goes as high as No. 6, which is the pick Brooklyn controls.
• While the Raptors could be active on the trade market this offseason, don’t expect standout rookie Collin Murray-Boyles to go anywhere, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star, who suggests last year’s No. 9 overall pick is virtually untouchable. Smith’s advice for how to react to any trade rumors involving Murray-Boyles? “Stop reading, delete that source from every aspect of your reading/social media network, and take a cleansing shower.”