Celtics Hall Of Famer Bill Russell Passes Away At 88
Legendary former Celtics center Bill Russell, winner of a record 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons as a player, has passed away at the age of 88, per a press statement from Russell’s representatives (Twitter link).
“Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side,” the statement began.
After Boston traded for Russell’s draft rights in 1956 (he was the No. 2 pick out of San Francisco, where he won two NCAA titles), the 6’10” defensive-oriented big man continued to rack up accolades at the next level. In addition to his 11 championships, the 12-time All-Star was also a five-time league MVP, as well as an 11-time All-NBA honoree. He also won an Olympic gold medal for team basketball in 1956.
During the 1966/67 season, when Red Auerbach stepped down as Boston’s head coach, Russell made history as the first Black NBA head coach while still a player. In this player-coach capacity, Russell won the last two of his 11 championships.
Russell was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 as a player, and then again as a head coach in 2021. Beyond Boston, he served as head coach with the Seattle SuperSonics from 1973-77, and for the Kings during the 1987/88 season. He made the 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th Anniversary NBA Teams, honoring the best players the game has ever seen.
In 13 seasons and 963 regular season games, all with the Celtics, Russell averaged 15.1 PPG on 44% field goal shooting, plus 22.5 RPG and 4.3 APG. He certainly would have also averaged a boatload of blocked shots, too, but that statistic was not maintained in his era. His greatness as a competitor and teammate goes beyond the numbers, and he is widely considered one of the very best NBA players ever.
A longtime leader in the civil rights movement, Russell was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama for his societal contributions both on and off the court in 2011. Russell is so resonant to the game of basketball that the NBA Finals MVP Award was rebranded the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 2009, and when health permitted Russell would be on hand to dole out the trophy to the award’s winners through the years.
“Perhaps you’ll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded,” the Russell family statement read in its concluding paragraph. “And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill’s uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle. That would be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6 [Russell’s jersey number, long since retired in Boston].”
Tributes have already begun pouring in for Russell from players, media, fans, and league personnel.
“Thank you for everything! R.I.P. Legend,” current Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum wrote (via Twitter).
Boston star wing Jaylen Brown wrote a series of tweets commemorating the one-of-a-kind Boston big man.
“Thank you for paving the way and inspiring so many,” Brown wrote in part (Twitter link). “Today is a sad day but also [a] great day to celebrate his legacy and what he stood for.”
“R.I.P. Bill Russell,” Boston reserve forward Grant Williams began his post (via Twitter). “You allowed me to be in the position I am in today and you changed not only the league but the world. Forever 6.”
Celtics team president Brad Stevens weighed in as well, tweeting, “So very sad to hear about Bill Russell today. He set the standard – on and off the court. RIP to an all-time winner, teammate and person.”
League Commissioner Adam Silver released a heartfelt statement in response to the news (Twitter link).
“Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports,” Silver wrote. “The countless accolades that he earned for his storied career with the Boston Celtics… only begin to tell the story of Bill’s immense impact on our league and broader society. Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league. At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps.”
Our deepest condolences go out to Russell’s family and friends. One of the NBA’s brightest lights has gone out.
Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Durant, Knicks, Raptors
Various members of the NBA world have been weighing in since word spread earlier this week that the Celtics and Nets have been in conversation about a potential trade centered around current Brooklyn All-Star forward Kevin Durant and current Boston star wing Jaylen Brown.
Brown’s All-Star running mate in Boston, Jayson Tatum, shared his two cents on the matter earlier this week, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.
“I played with [Durant] during the Olympics,” Tatum said on Tuesday, attending the premiere of the new Showtime documentary ‘Point Gods.’ Durant, as an executive producer, was also in attendance, but did not discuss his future with assembled media.
“Obviously, he’s a great player, but that’s not my decision,” Tatum continued. “We got two new pieces [in Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari]… I love our team. I just go out there and play with my teammates. I don’t put that [general manager] hat on to make decisions.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- The aforementioned notion of the Nets and Celtics swapping Durant, Brown, and additional assets was explored by Jared Weiss, Jay King, and Alex Schiffer of The Athletic in a new roundtable.
- The other big lingering line item that persists at this point in the 2022 NBA offseason is the fate of Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. The 6’1″ swingman has long been floated as a possible fit for the Knicks, a star-hungry big market club with the contracts, future draft equity, and intriguing young talent to potentially swing a deal that the Utah front office may value. The Athletic’s Fred Katz and Mike Vorkunov experiment with a fascinating exercise by opting to stage a mock draft of New York’s most valuable trade chips, starting with RJ Barrett and the Knicks’ 2029 first-round pick.
- The Knicks are not the only game in town when it comes to possibly acquiring Mitchell from Utah. Raptors team president Masai Ujiri and his Jazz front office counterpart Danny Ainge may appear at first blush to be particularly abrasive trade partners, doomed to haggle over picks and protections, opines Eric Koreen of The Athletic. However, Koreen notes that, because of the depth of Toronto’s young talent, the teams could wind up being particularly good fits for each other in a Mitchell transaction, provided Ujiri and Ainge can agree on the granular details of such an exchange.
Timberwolves Notes: KAT, Title Path, Branch, Spagnolo
After agreeing to a four-year, super-max extension earlier this offseason with the team that selected him first in the 2015 NBA draft, Timberwolves All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns penned an enthusiastic letter praising Minnesota fans in local paper the Star Tribune (h/t to NBA Retweet for capturing the image).
“To the best fans in the NBA,” Towns began his missive. “When I arrived in Minnesota in 2015, I carried a lot of weight on my shoulders… I arrived at a hopeful time for the franchise. The best part of my tenure here is that we have such a bright future ahead — because of you all, the fans.
“… I am not who I am today without you,” Towns continued. “Thank you for challenging me, holding me accountable, supporting me and giving me a place to grow up and learn what it means to represent this state…. I promise to continue leading us to new heights for years to come.”
Towns will be suiting up for a new-look Minnesota club this fall, thanks in no small part to the team’s blockbuster trade for former Jazz All-Star center Rudy Gobert.
There’s more out of Minnesota:
- In recent remarks made after agreeing to his new contract, Karl-Anthony Towns claimed to revel in the challenge of lifting the team that drafted him onto the path to title contention, writes Michael Rand of the Star Tribune. “A lot of people in my position, you know, they get to this spot with their second contract and they’re looking to get a ring — the easiest ring around the league,” Towns said during a conversation for the Star Tribune’s podcast Daily Delivery. “I wanted to take the harder route. I wanted to be loyal to the people who brought me into this league and gave me a chance to prove my worth. I wanted to win here.”
- Joe Branch, a Timberwolves front office executive who first joined Minnesota following a stint as an agent with Roc Nation, is on the cusp of heading back to the agency side, where he is set to latch on with BDA Sports, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link).
- Shooting guard Matteo Spagnolo, drafted by the Timberwolves with the No. 50 pick this year, will join Italian club Aquila Basket Trento for the 2022/23 season, the team announced in a press statement. Spagnolo heads to Aquila Basket on loan from Real Madrid, for whom the 19-year-old has played since 2018. During the 2021/22 season, Real Madrid loaned Spagnola out to another Italian team, Vanoli Cremona. In 25 contests for Vanolia Cremona, the 6’4″ wing averaged 12.2 PPG on .440/.441/.861 shooting. He also notched 3.5 RPG, 2.6 APG and 0.8 SPG.
Keegan Murray Recovering From Wrist Surgery
Kings rookie forward Keegan Murray, the fourth pick in the 2022 draft out of Iowa, underwent surgery on his right wrist following this year’s Las Vegas Summer League, per James Ham of ESPN 1320 (Twitter link).
Ham calls the surgery “minor,” and says the operation was necessary to “clean out some loose bodies” in Murray’s wrist. The right-hander has already returned to the hardwood following his procedure and is currently shooting with his left hand while the right wrist continues to recover, according to Ham.
The Kings anticipate Murray will return to the floor in time for the start of the 2022/23 regular season, Ham adds. Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL tweets that Sacramento does not expect the No. 4 overall pick to miss the team’s training camp, slated to tip off in September.
Murray enjoyed a robust Summer League stint. His output earned him the 2022 Summer League MVP award. The 6’8″ wing averaged 23.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.3 SPG across four contests, while connecting on 50% of his field goal looks, 40% of his long-range attempts, and 80.8% of his free throws.
Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee notes that Murray averaged the most points for a top-10 lottery selection during Summer League since Trail Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard in 2012.
Warriors Sign Ryan Rollins To Three-Year Rookie Contract
6:27pm: Rollins’ contract with Golden State is now official, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).
4:35pm: The Warriors are set to sign 2022 second-round pick Ryan Rollins to a three-year rookie contract, agents Brandon Grier and Mike Silverman have informed Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
According to Charania, Rollins’ new contract is fully guaranteed through the 2023/24 NBA season and includes a “significant” partial guarantee in the third year of the deal. Charania adds that the wing would earn $4.8MM in total should the third season of the agreement become fully guaranteed — that suggests it’s a minimum-salary agreement, which would be worth precisely $4,757,344.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets that Golden State will use a portion of its mid-level exception to add a third year to Rollins’ contract.
The 6’4″ shooting guard was selected with the No. 44 pick out of Toledo. This multiyear signing had been widely expected and will make Rollins the 12th player with a guaranteed salary on the Warriors’ 15-man roster. JaMychal Green is expected to become the 13th once he officially signs with the club.
Across 34 games during his 2021/22 All-MAC NCAA season, Rollins posed averages of 18.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 3.6 APG. He logged shooting splits of .468/.311/.802.
Rollins was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot in June, but he’s expected to be healthy this fall.
Zion Williamson’s New Extension Includes Conditioning Clause
New details have arrived on the five-year maximum contract extension signed earlier this month by Pelicans star power forward Zion Williamson.
The 2020 All-Star, who has famously struggled to maintain his weight since arriving in the NBA as the top draft pick out of Duke in 2019, will be required to undergo regular weigh-ins, reports Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
According to Clark, if the sum of Williamson’s weight and body fat percentage does not come in below 295, New Orleans will have the ability to reduce the guarantee on his salary.
Clark notes that Williamson’s deal could pay him as much as $231MM, should he qualify for a 2023 All-NBA Team or be named the Defensive Player of the Year or MVP next season. If he doesn’t meet the Rose Rule criteria, it will be worth $193MM. Those figures are based on current cap projections for 2023/24, which is when Zion’s new deal will go into effect.
Clark adds that Williamson’s body weight and overall consistent fitness have been an issue for the Pelicans throughout his three-year NBA tenure.
The former No. 1 overall pick entered the NBA weighing a listed 284 pounds in 2019. After fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in the summer of 2021, Williamson’s conditioning was impacted, and he checked into team training camp at a figure beyond 300 pounds. He did not suit up for a single game during the 2021/22 season.
As Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report notes (Twitter link), a hypothetical decrease in Williamson’s guaranteed salary would only be relevant if the Pelicans eventually decide to waive him or trade him (for salary-matching purposes). As long as he plays out his full five-year contract without being cut, he’ll still earn his full salary for all five seasons.
Simone Fontecchio Signs Two-Year Deal With Jazz
JULY 27: After formally parting ways this week with Baskonia, Fontecchio has officially signed with the Jazz, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 17: Italian small forward Simone Fontecchio is signing a two-year, $6.25MM contract with the Jazz, Fontecchio’s agent Sam Goldfeder informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). News of the deal was first reported by Cesare Forgione of EuroDevotion.
Fontecchio is considered the top international free agent prospect at his position by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (via Twitter). Givony opines that Fontecchio possesses enough positional versatility to also play at shooting guard or power forward.
Fontecchio, then with Italian club Virtus Bologna, first declared for the 2015 NBA draft before ultimately withdrawing his name from consideration. He worked out for the Celtics, then led by current Jazz president Danny Ainge, during that initial process in 2015. He later went undrafted in 2017.
The 6’8″ wing most recently joined Spanish club Baskonia for the 2021/22 season. During 31 ACB League contests with Baskonia, he averaged 12.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 1.7 APG. The 26-year-old also posted shooting splits of .465/.410/.851 last season.
Fontecchio has also suited up for Italian clubs Olimpia Milano and Reggio Emila and German team Alba Berlin.
EuroHoops reports that Fontecchio’s three-year contract with Baskonia includes an exit clause, expiring this month, that allows him to sign with an NBA team. EuroHoops adds that the Lakers had also been considering tendering an offer to Fontecchio.
Thanks to their trade of All-Star center Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves and current rumblings that All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell could be next, the Jazz have been quite active during the 2022 offseason. That said, the Fontecchio signing will mark the team’s first actual free agent addition this year.
Utah will likely use a portion of its mid-level exception to sign Fontecchio.
And-Ones: Paschall, Baynes, Summer League, Gasol
Though Greek club Panathinaikos attempted to sign free agent reserve forward Eric Paschall this summer, the team was ultimately unable to successfully recruit him overseas, per BasketNews.
Utah opted not to tender a qualifying offer to Paschall in June, allowing the 25-year-old to become an unrestricted free agent. After spending his first two seasons with the Warriors, Paschall was traded to the Jazz in the 2021 offseason.
During his first season in Utah, the 6’6″ vet out of Villanova averaged 5.8 PPG and 1.8 RPG across 12.7 MPG for the playoff-bound Jazz as a bench option, playing 12.8 MPG in 58 contests.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA champion center Aron Baynes, who has been working his way back from a spinal cord injury suffered while playing for Team Australia in the 2021 Summer Olympics, has received interest from the Brisbane Bullets of Australia’s NBL, per Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. The 35-year-old big man last played for the Raptors during the 2020/21 NBA season. In 53 games with Toronto, including 31 starts, he averaged 6.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG. Earlier this month, Baynes put on a workout to showcase himself for interested teams in Las Vegas.
- After a Summer League that saw No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero play just two games before being shut down by the Magic and Hawks swingman AJ Griffin, considered one of the best shooters in the 2022 draft, not play at all due to a mild foot injury, Nekias Duncan of Basketball News wonders just how much NBA teams value Summer League as an opportunity to assess young prospects. Duncan notes that the teams’ limited practice time and rosters comprising young prospects plus fringe-NBA-caliber hopefuls make for inconsistent on-court products. “I think we consult with our coaching staff, our front office and our training staff and try to figure out what the best decision is for each guy,” Cavaliers Summer League head coach Mike Gerrity told Duncan about how Cleveland doles out playing time to its various prospects.
- As has previously been reported, former All-NBA center Marc Gasol plans to return to Spanish ACB club Basquet Girona as a player for the 2022/23 season. Thanks to its performance last season with Gasol, the team was promoted from its prior league, LEB Oro, to the upper-tier Liga ACB. As a result of this promotion, however, Gasol is now confronted with some bureaucratic red tape. Per ACB league rules, players are not allowed to both play for and work in the front office of their teams, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. Askounis speculates that the team may decide to temporarily relieve the 37-year-old of his front office duties so that he may suit up for the season. Last year, Gasol averaged 14.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 0.7 BPG for Basquet Girona. The 6’11” big man, a former three-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year while with the Grizzlies, last played in the NBA during a disappointing 2020/21 season with the Lakers.
Heat Notes: Adebayo, Yurtseven, Jovic, Durant
Though the Heat are still making an effort to trade for a star like Nets forward Kevin Durant or Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, the team could eventually consider pivoting to pursuing a solid veteran like John Collins, Myles Turner, or Harrison Barnes in their frontcourt, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Winderman writes that Miami’s front office has had conversations about potentially including young All-Defensive center Bam Adebayo in a deal for Durant, but not everyone in the Heat brain trust is on board with offloading the 25-year-old big man for the injury-prone 33-year-old veteran.
Winderman adds that the team could trade up to three future first-round selections at present, but could theoretically acquire more to include in a deal if it opted to move other young players like Tyler Herro, Max Strus, Omer Yurtseven, Gabe Vincent, or Nikola Jovic in separate trades with other clubs for additional draft picks.
There’s more out of South Beach:
- The Heat will probably wait to move on to Plan B trade targets until they have exhausted their possibilities for adding Durant or Mitchell, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. According to Chiang, Miami most likely will want to keep its coffers open should another superstar become available via trade.
- Following summer training obligations with their respective national teams, Heat big men Omer Yurtseven and Nikola Jovic will have to hop directly to a training camp with Miami, with possibly as little as a two weeks off in between, notes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- In a separate piece, Winderman wonders if the Heat are hurting themselves as they await a potential Durant deal. With league activities essentially on hold until Durant is moved, Miami finds itself at something of a crossroads. The team currently lacks a true NBA rotational power forward after having let P.J. Tucker walk in free agency and thus far not opting to re-sign Markieff Morris.
Central Notes: I. Mobley, Pistons, Haliburton, Pacers
Cavaliers rookie two-way player Isaiah Mobley, older brother to 2022 All-Rookie Cleveland center Evan Mobley, enjoyed an impressive Summer League turn. Now, the Cleveland front office is optimistic that the elder Mobley can make an impact on the team’s regular season roster as well, writes Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. He finished his first Summer League experience with a 15-point, 10-rebound game against the Hawks.
The Cavaliers, who finished with their first winning record in four years during the 2021/22 season, drafted the 22-year-old power forward out of USC with the No. 49 pick last month and signed him to a two-way contract. Despite an inconsistent jumper, Mobley was able to aid the Cavaliers’ Summer League roster on the court through playmaking in short stints, grabbing boards, and blocking opponents on defense.
“I mean, he’s comfortable with the ball in his hands,” Summer League head coach Mike Gerrity, an assistant under head coach J.B. Bickerstaff during the regular season, said of Mobley. “So we’re trying to put it in his hands at times to allow him to make the plays. And I think when him and [first-round lottery pick] Ochai [Agbaji] are coming into the dribble-handoff, it’s a really lethal combination, especially out here in summer league. And so, he’s growing, and he’s learning, just like the rest of these guys. But just his decision-making, his ability to make passes, make the right reads, and he’s an unselfish player.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- After spending the past three seasons languishing with lottery-bound young rosters, the Pistons‘ front office is buzzing about the team’s exciting core, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Detroit’s two 2022 lottery picks, shooting guard Jaden Ivey and center Jalen Duren, both flashed plenty of promise in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League showcase. “I think we hit a home run,” a team source expressed to Collier. “We positioned ourselves well and [general manager] Troy [Weaver] did a great job of putting guys together on the same timeline… We’ll probably have the youngest team in the league next year, or one of [them], so we have to be careful not to put too much pressure or set expectations. We’ve got great chemistry, and I think we’re going to be in position to make a big jump in wins.” The Pistons project Ivey, the fifth pick out of Purdue, as an ideal backcourt fit alongside 2022 All-Rookie First Team point guard Cade Cunningham.
- Despite the fact that the Suns wound up matching the Pacers‘ maximum offer sheet to Phoenix center Deandre Ayton, Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton appreciated his club’s willingness to pony up the dough for such a high-level player, as he told Alex Golden and Mike Facci in a recent episode of the podcast Setting The Pace (hat tip to James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star for the transcription). “Our front office is aggressive to want to get back in the playoffs,” Haliburton said. “They’re aggressive to compete for championships, as they should be, as any organization should be. And obviously they offered DA that deal and he accepted it. I think it would’ve been beneficial because he’s a great player, but Phoenix obviously matched as they probably should and you just kind of move on from it.”
- The revamped Pacers will boast a young roster with high upside heading into the 2022/23 season. In another piece (subscriber link), Boyd takes a look at the team’s current personnel, speculating about potential starters and the bench rotation. Boyd also notes that current projected veteran starters Buddy Hield and Myles Turner could be traded before the 2023 deadline.