Celtics Notes: Tillman, Bench, Second Apron, White
Xavier Tillman not only won his first championship ring with the Celtics last season, he got to play an important role because Kristaps Porzingis missed most of the playoffs with an injury. Appearing on X Spaces, Tillman recalled some of his favorite memories from the title run, including a three-pointer in Game 3 of the NBA Finals that helped Boston pull away, relays Souichi Terada of MassLive.
“I made it and I looked right at the bench because I think Dereck Lively was right behind me when I shot it and he was like, ‘(expletive) no,’” Tillman said. “So when I hit it, I looked right at him and smiled and was like, ‘Yep.’ That was a pretty cool moment because the art and the love and the passion of basketball is all about being competitive. So for me to be able to back up how I was playing and feeling and talking trash, that was an amazing feeling.”
Tillman, who was acquired from Memphis at the trade deadline, re-signed with the Celtics shortly after the start of free agency. He figures to be in the mix for heavy minutes early in the season with Porzingis still sidelined after surgery and Al Horford typically not playing in back-to-back games.
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Tillman is part of a bench unit that may be asked to contribute more this season, Jared Weiss of The Athletic states in a mailbag column. Tillman and Luke Kornet will handle the majority of the center minutes when Horford is resting, and Weiss suggests that Tillman can claim a regular rotation role with a strong start to the season. He notes that Tillman had to adjust after being traded in February and should benefit from having a full offseason in Boston. Weiss also sees possible expanded roles for Jaden Springer and JD Davison, while first-round pick Baylor Scheierman should get an opportunity to play because of his outside shooting.
- In the same piece, Weiss cites sources who say Celtics ownership hopes to keep the core of the roster together for several years, even though it will mean large tax bills and second apron restrictions. He points to the four-year extension for Jrue Holiday as evidence that the organization views its championship window lasting well beyond the upcoming season.
- Derrick White was a late addition to the U.S. Olympic team, but he said it was easy to adapt because he was asked to do virtually everything he does with the Celtics, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “I didn’t know what my role was going to be,” White said. “I was just going to do what I do, compete at a high level and just try to help us any way we can.”
Pistons Notes: Beasley, Open Roster Spot, Draft, In-Season Tournament
Family connections weren’t the most important factor in Malik Beasley‘s free agency decision, but the new Pistons guard said his mother was happy to hear he’s going to play in the city where she grew up, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.
A starter with Milwaukee last season, Beasley accepted a one-year, $6MM offer to join the rebuilding effort in Detroit. He quickly embraced the community and spoke to Sankofa while conducting a youth basketball camp.
“I want to make this year impactful, and coming from a championship team I want to bring that energy to here,” Beasley said. “And as I said before, my family’s from here, so giving back to the community is always helpful and makes me happy. I definitely miss the Detroit basketball, that energy. I want to bring that back. Growing up, every summer my mom used to bring me out here to get roughed up and learn from my cousins. I’ve been here a lot and have a lot of family, so I’m excited.”
Beasley was a priority for new head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, who sought to add outside shooting and veteran leadership to the young roster he inherited. Beasley has appeared in 37 playoff games throughout his career, while most of his new teammates have never gotten close to the postseason. He told Sankofa that he’s already started the teaching process during offseason workouts.
“Just letting them know what it takes,” he said. “It’s going to take effort, getting over screens. If we’re doing a drill right now in the summertime and there’s nobody guarding us and we’re doing the drill to do the drill, stuff like that, I’ll tell them ‘Hey, you’re going to have Jrue Holiday on you, that’s not going to work. Hey, if I’m guarding you right now I would take that from you because you’re doing this.’ Just being there for those guys. They’re teaching me as well. It’s a whole big group and we look forward to getting to where we need to go.”
There’s more from Detroit:
- Despite being the only remaining team with cap room, the Pistons won’t be in a rush to hand out a 15th standard contract, Keith Langlois of NBA.com states in a mailbag column. He expects the team to retain its flexibility in case an opportunity arises to acquire assets by facilitating a trade. Langlois also points out that Wendell Moore, who was acquired from Minnesota during the draft, only has a $2.54MM contract, so it would be relatively easy to open another roster spot if necessary.
- In his first draft with the Pistons, Langdon proved he’s not afraid to take chances, Langlois adds in the same piece. He notes that neither Ron Holland or Bobi Klintman were considered “safe” picks, but Langdon was willing to gamble on their athletic gifts and competitive spirit.
- The Pistons will be seeking their first-ever victory in the in-season tournament when plays begins in November, notes Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News. Last season’s four tournament contests came during the team’s record-setting 28-game losing streak. Detroit is in East Group B this year with Milwaukee, Miami, Indiana and Toronto.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 8/13/2024
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 11 a.m. Central time (noon Eastern). Click here to read the transcript.
Drew Eubanks Signs Two-Year Deal With Jazz
AUGUST 12: Well over a month after the Jazz and Eubanks reached an agreement, they officially finalized their deal over the weekend, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
JULY 1: The Jazz will add free agent center Drew Eubanks on a two-year, $10MM contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Eubanks, 27, spent last season as a backup in Phoenix, where he averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 75 games. He became an unrestricted free agent after turning down a $2.65MM player option for next season.
Eubanks broke into the league in 2018 on a two-way contract with the Spurs. He spent three-and-a-half seasons in San Antonio before being traded to Toronto, then signed with Portland after the Raptors waived him. He joined the Suns as a free agent last summer.
Eubanks will compete for minutes on Utah’s front line with third-year center Walker Kessler and veteran John Collins. The Jazz also selected Duke big man Kyle Filipowski in last week’s draft.
Because his salary for 2024/25 will come in under $8MM, the Jazz have the option of adding Eubanks with their room mid-level exception and keeping their $38MM in cap space, notes Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Olympic Notes: France, Hill, Lue, Spoelstra, Winners & Losers
Team USA has defeated France in the gold medal game in each of the last two Olympics, but the challenge could be more difficult if they meet again in four years, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Both games have been extremely close, and while the U.S. will likely lose several veteran stars by 2028, French basketball appears to be on the rise.
It starts with Victor Wembanyama, who is already a force at age 20 and could be the best player in the world by the next Olympiad. He led France with 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this year and is already looking ahead to his next Olympics opportunity.
“Nobody knows what’s going to happen, but what’s for sure is we’re growing. Basketball is growing here,” Wembanyama said after Saturday’s game. “Nobody is going to take [this experience] from me. I’m learning and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple years.”
France had the top two selections in this year’s NBA draft, Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, neither of whom played in the Olympics. French guard Nolan Traore is projected to go in the 2025 lottery and could be part of a loaded roster in 2028.
Nicolas Batum, who retired from international basketball on Saturday after a long career, believes France is ready to challenge the Americans for Olympic superiority.
“The U.S. is still the best team in the world but we’re getting closer and closer,” he said. “We respect them, but we’re not scared of them. We’ll just go out there and try to beat them.”
There’s more from the Olympics:
- USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill is looking forward to a break after overseeing a fifth straight gold medal, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The U.S. won’t have another major international tournament until the 2027 World Cup in Qatar, so he’ll have some time to think about assembling the next roster. “Over four years, a lot can and will happen,” Hill said. “Now, getting away from it a little bit, just letting things play out and see how guys continue to develop and see what kind of season guys have over the next year or so. And then, at some point, you start that process all over again.”
- Assistants Tyronn Lue and Erik Spoelstra appear to be the favorites to succeed Steve Kerr as Team USA’s head coach, Reynolds adds in the same piece. Kerr committed to coach in the 2023 World Cup and this year’s Olympics when he took over for Gregg Popovich.
- As the Olympics prepare to wrap up, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today picks winners and losers from the men’s basketball competition. Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Team USA are obvious winners, along with France and Serbia for also capturing medals. Zillgitt’s losers are Canada, Germany, Australia and Spain, which all went home empty-handed despite high expectations, along with Nikola Jokic, whom Zillgitt criticizes for not talking to the media during his brilliant performance.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Yabusele, LeBron, Sale
Celtics star Jayson Tatum was often the odd man out in Team USA’s lineups, but he won’t let this year’s Olympic experience affect his availability for international basketball in the future, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Tatum didn’t get off the bench in two of the six U.S. games, including the semifinal matchup with Serbia. He saw 11 minutes in Saturday’s gold medal contest, finishing with two points and three rebounds.
“It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I’m not going to make any decision off emotions,” Tatum said. “If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028 — it is four years from now and I [would have] to take time and think about that. So I’m not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually.”
Tatum’s surprising lack of playing time was one of the few controversies affecting this version of Team USA. He’s among the best players in the world, earning first-team All-NBA honors last season while winning his first championship and appearing in his fifth straight All-Star Game. Coach Steve Kerr explained numerous times that Tatum’s minutes were the result of matchups and having so many talented players on the roster. Tatum said at Saturday’s post-game press conference that he received a lot of feedback from supporters.
“A lot of people text me and reached out and said ‘Make sure this fuels you,’ which I appreciate. There’s a lot of people that care about me,” he said. “I think the tough part is yes, you can use things to fuel you, but I’m still human. … Part of being in the moment, I’ve sacrificed and put a lot into this game and work really, really hard. So in the moment it is tough. You’re not necessarily worried about fueling me for November or [whenever] the season is, but like I said, it’s something I’m going to take away from this and learn from this experience. It’s definitely challenging and humbling at the same time.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Former Celtic Guerschon Yabusele used the Olympics to show that he’s one of the best players outside the NBA, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. He averaged 14 points per game and earned second-team honors while helping France capture the silver medal. Washburn notes that Yabusele was an undersized power forward without a developed shooting touch when he played for Boston from 2017-19, but he has refined his game and gotten into excellent shape during his three seasons with Real Madrid.
- It’s possible that LeBron James could eventually become a part owner of the Celtics, according to Josh Kosman of The New York Post. Boston’s longtime rival is a business partner with Fenway Sports Group and RedBird Capital, who are considering making a bid for the shares being sold by Wyc Grousbeck. James couldn’t be part of an ownership group while he’s an active player, but there’s a chance he’ll be retired by the time the sale is finalized in 2028.
- The Celtics’ value has been estimated at $5.12 billion, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico, who report that the franchise has hired JPMorgan Chase and BDT & MSD to oversee the sale.
Panathinaikos Considers Signing Omer Yurtseven
Former Jazz center Omer Yurtseven is receiving interest from Greek power Panathinaikos, according to a Eurohoops report.
Yurtseven appeared in 48 games for Utah last season, making 12 starts and averaging 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per night while shooting 53.8% from the field. He became a free agent on July 1 when the Jazz waived him, electing not to bring him back for the 2024/25 season on a $2.66MM non-guaranteed salary.
“Getting a very important player like Omer Faruk (Yurtseven) and making that transfer would give us great power, on paper,” Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman said in an interview with Ajanspor. “However, we have concerns about how it will reflect on the court. We are thinking about it, I mean he’s on our radar.”
Panathinaikos is looking for another big man to team with Mathias Lessort, one of the stars of the French team that won the silver medal in the Olympics. Ataman indicated that Yurtseven is talking with several European teams and expressed confidence that he’ll “do very well in Europe.”
The 26-year-old Turkish big man signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Oklahoma City in 2020 and played for the team’s G League affiliate. He got an opportunity with Miami in 2021 and spent two years with the Heat, appearing in 56 games in his first season but being limited to nine games in the second due to ankle surgery. He signed with Utah before the start of last season.
Ataman, who serves as head coach of the Turkish national team, is looking forward to having Yurtseven in Europe whether or not he joins Panathinaikos, because it will help his development for international basketball.
“Omer Faruk is a very important player. If we can participate in the European Championship next year, he will be one of the most important players on our national team,” Ataman said. “That’s why I really want him to play in Europe. Furkan Korkmaz has finally come to Europe. That’s a very good choice for him. This will also reflect positively on our national team. I hope this will happen with Omer Faruk as well.”
Community Shootaround: 2028 U.S. Olympic Team
Mission accomplished for the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, which survived a few small scares and one really big one on its way to a perfect record in this year’s Paris Games. With a fifth straight gold medal, the Americans provided a reminder of their dominance in men’s basketball, although much of the world clearly isn’t far behind.
From the time this year’s roster was assembled, the focus was on NBA legends LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant teaming up for the first time in international competition. All three are well into their 30s and are approaching the end of their basketball careers, but it’s hard to picture the U.S. emerging from France with gold medals if they hadn’t been involved.
Assuming James, Curry and Durant are retired by then, there will be some mighty big sneakers to fill in 2028. They were the team’s top three scorers, with Curry leading the way at 14.8 PPG. James led in rebounds (6.8), assists (8.5) and efficiency (23.5) as coach Steve Kerr leaned heavily on his veterans whenever things got tough.
Apart from those three, most of the roster should still be in the mix for Olympic spots in 2028, assuming good health and continued production. Anthony Edwards could be the NBA’s next superstar by then, and he’ll almost definitely be part of the guard corps. Devin Booker will probably be back, along with Tyrese Haliburton, who should have an expanded role after not playing much this year. Jrue Holiday and late addition Derrick White are less likely to return.
Jayson Tatum didn’t see the playing time he expected, but he could be one of the team’s top forwards in 2028. Big men Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo are all young enough to be back four years from now.
That leaves several open spots and plenty of good candidates to fill them. In the backcourt, it’s easy to picture Ja Morant returning to stardom if he can leave his legal issues and bad injury luck behind. Jalen Brunson should get serious consideration, and Tyrese Maxey is a rising star who will be in his prime by 2028. Other potential candidates include Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Trae Young, LaMelo Ball and Cade Cunningham.
After feeling slighted this year, Jaylen Brown should get an invitation in 2028. He and Tatum will likely be joined by Paolo Banchero if he continues on his current trajectory and Zion Williamson if he can overcome the injuries that have slowed his career. There are plenty of other strong candidates such as Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Evan Mobley.
And who knows how good Cooper Flagg or any of the highly touted rookies in the next two draft classes will become?
We want to get your feedback. If you were picking the 2028 team, what would it look like? Please leave your responses in the space below.
Olympic Notes: Durant, Batum, Wembanyama, Awards
After becoming the first men’s basketball player with four Olympic gold medals, could Kevin Durant stick around long enough to try for a fifth? He hinted at that possibility at Saturday’s post-game press conference when asked about the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.
“Records are meant to be broken,” Durant said. “My goal was always to represent my country, my state, my street, my family name. And help to push the game forward. Since I’ve been there, I’ve done that. We’ve built on the 1992 Dream Team, and I’m glad we managed to carry it over. Regarding L.A., who knows, man? We’ll see.”
Durant is still playing at an All-Star level at age 35, and he’s under contract with the Suns for two more seasons. If he decides to extend his career beyond that, he’ll be the same age that LeBron James is now when the 2028 Olympics roll around.
Durant is one of the most accomplished players in Olympics history and is among eight men who have reached 500 career points. He passed Carmelo Anthony as the men’s all-time leading scorer for Team USA, and he recently eclipsed Lisa Leslie as well.
“For me, it’s about pushing the game forward on the biggest stage, helping USA Basketball,” Durant added. “I didn’t even think about who is the best player. You just try to contribute as much as you can to the big picture.”
There’s more from Paris:
- Nicolas Batum‘s long career with the French national team ended with today’s loss in the gold medal game, according to BasketNews. Appearing on French television, Batum announced his retirement from international competition. “It was my last one with this jersey,” he said. “I spent 15 years playing four World Cups, four EuroBaskets and four Olympics. I did what I had to do: seven medals. I’m happy.”
- Victor Wembanyama savored the chance to compete for a medal on his home soil, Urbonas tweets. The 20-year-old phenom was a crowd favorite throughout the tournament and was at his best in Saturday’s game, finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds. “It’s an incredible experience,” he said. “The anthem is one of my favorite parts. I know I’m only 20, but I don’t know when that will happen again. And it makes me want to cry again. It was just such a chance.”
- Wembanyama was named to the All-Star Five, which recognizes the best players in the Olympics, along with Team USA’s James and Stephen Curry, Germany’s Dennis Schröder and Serbia’s Nikola Jokic, FIBA announced (via Twitter). Making up the second team are Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic, Germany’s Franz Wagner, France’s Guerschon Yabusele and Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. James was selected as Olympics MVP, Wembanyama is the Rising Star, France’s Vincent Collet is the Best Coach and Serbia’s Aleksa Avramovic is the Best Defensive Player.
Heat Notes: Hayward, Christopher, Ware, Larsson, Medal Winners
In an interview with Dan Le Batard (video link), Gordon Hayward reveals that he gave serious consideration to joining the Heat before signing with Boston in 2017. Hayward, who announced his retirement last week, recalls being immediately attracted to Miami after meeting with team officials.
“I basically visited three teams,” he said. “I started with Miami, then did Boston, then finished with Utah, meeting with all those teams. I remember vividly telling my agent after each meeting, like I started with Miami, and I’m like, ‘I want to go to Miami. We don’t even need to do the other meetings.’ Miami is the place I want to be, and he kind of was like, ‘Well, we got to hear everyone out.’”
Hayward wound up accepting a four-year, $127.8MM offer from the Celtics, but he suffered a severe leg injury in his first game that affected the rest of his career. Even though Boston won the bidding war, Hayward never lost his affection for the Heat or the city.
“The Heat have always been a first-class organization, so I was really, really close to signing there,” he added. “I feel like (Erik Spoelstra) is one of the best coaches in the league, and obviously, Pat Riley is legendary in his own right. I was very close. Also, my brother-in-law lives in Miami. My wife would have loved living there and the beach and everything, but ultimately decided to go to Boston.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Josh Christopher is hoping to revive his career with the Heat after winning championship game MVP honors during the Las Vegas Summer League and signing a two-way contract. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald talked to an unidentified scout about the former first-round pick, who was stuck in the G League last season following two uninspiring years in Houston. “He can score. He’s still young. He’s got NBA talent,” the scout said. “You don’t write him off. If he’s going to play in the NBA, he’s going to have a much more limited role [than the shoot-first starring role in summer league]. Can he make threes at a reasonable rate and play within himself and not think he’s a star? He needs to be an off-ball guy. He needs to accept he’s a 3 and D guy. If there’s any role for him, it’s that.”
- The scout was complimentary of the Heat’s two draft picks, Jackson adds. He sees first-rounder Kel’el Ware as possibly “this year’s Dereck Lively” due to his size and ability to block shots, and lists second-rounder Pelle Larsson‘s attributes as “high IQ, decent athlete, good body, can create a shot, can defend, competes.”
- Today marked the first time that Heat teammates received medals for different nations in the same Olympics, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Bam Adebayo was part of gold-medal-winning Team USA, while Nikola Jovic picked up a bronze with Serbia.