Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hornets Notes: Mann, Turnaround, Chasse

June 23rd, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hornets restricted free agent Tre Mann has fully recovered from his back disc herniation, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). Mann has participated in all of Charlotte’s offseason activity and 5-on-5 scrimmages after playing in just 13 games last season.

The Hornets, who hold his Bird rights, must make a $6.96MM qualifying offer in the coming days in order to make Mann a restricted free agent. If Charlotte passes on that QO, the point guard would reach unrestricted free agency and could sign with any team without the Hornets getting the opportunity to match.

Shortly after the season, coach Charles Lee voiced a strong opinion about Mann’s ability to impact the team.

“Tre, he’s a phenomenal player, even better teammate and person,” Lee said. “…He’s just such a great talent. So, to miss him to out there and his skill set was definitely unfortunate. But also, to just have him around on the court, vocally or at practice or teaching guys — because he does have such a high basketball IQ. But, yeah, I think he brings so much value. It’ll be nice to have him back in the mix hopefully next year.”

Mann is at No. 49 on our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents, though we noted that he could certainly outperform that ranking if he’s back to full health.

Here’s more on the Hornets:

The franchise has been spinning its wheels for the better part of a decade. How can the Hornets finally turn things around? Hunter Bailey of the Charlotte Observer takes a closer look at the Pistons, Magic and Timberwolves and how those franchise emerged from trips to the lottery to become playoff contenders, evaluating the lessons that Charlotte could learn from them.
Patrick Chasse has been hired by the Hornets to serve as the new vice president of medical and performance, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports. Lee, a former Celtics assistant, is quite familiar with Chasse. The latter spent the last five years with Boston, most recently as its head athletic trainer/physical therapist. Trent Salo, who was originally hired into that job last July, shifted to a consultant role.
In case you missed it, Josh Green underwent shoulder surgery last week. Get the details here.

Celtics Notes: Holiday, Scheierman, Draft, Peterson

June 21st, 2025 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics‘ efforts to cut salary by moving Jrue Holiday could wind up being tied to a Kevin Durant trade, NBA insider Zach Lowe stated on his most recent podcast (hat tip to Souichi Terada of MassLive). Lowe suggested that Boston could get involved as a facilitator, shipping out Holiday while the Suns send Durant to another team.

“The focus for me is on Jrue Holiday,” Lowe said. “I’ve heard that there have been at least very broad discussions of three-team, Durant-related trades where Jrue Holiday is (included). I think these could be conjured by Phoenix in hopes of getting a deal done, more-or-less, where Jrue Holiday moves somewhere. Just like he was the shrapnel in the (Damian Lillard) trade and ended up in Boston.”

The Celtics acquired Holiday from Portland shortly before the start of the 2023/24 season, just days after Milwaukee sent him to the Trail Blazers in the Lillard deal. Boston gave Holiday a four-year, $135MM extension in April of 2024 in a deal that made sense at the time, but has become burdensome considering the team’s projected tax bill and Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury.

There’s more on the Celtics:

Baylor Scheierman figures to get increased playing time next season regardless of who else is on the roster, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. The 24-year-old shooting guard got off to a rough start during his rookie season, but he provided some hope with a strong performance in March. Robb notes that Scheierman’s offensive versatility should make him a valuable member of the bench unit, and he’ll probably be part of the Summer League team again this year.
The Celtics will likely respond to Tatum’s injury by playing at a faster pace next season, Robb adds in the same piece. He notes that Jaylen Brown has talked about liking to run, while Derrick White should also be effective in an up-tempo system.
The draft could be especially important for the Celtics as they look for low-cost players to fill out their roster, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. With Boston holding picks No. 28 and 32, Washburn talked to ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, who points to Rasheer Fleming of St. Joseph’s and Adou Thiero of Arkansas as prospects who might be available in that range.
During a recent appearance on The Garden Report podcast, two-way player Drew Peterson said he enjoys playing for the Celtics and hopes to return next season in a larger role (hat tip to Ryan Stano of Sports Illustrated). “I love it here. It’s been a couple of years, and I hope to be here for a long time. … I love it here,” Peterson said. “I can’t speak better of how much I love Boston and being in Boston, and the organization, top to bottom, is incredible.”

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Raptors Trade Candidates, Celtics, Sixers

June 20th, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Knicks should be taking notes as they watch the Thunder and Pacers face off in the NBA Finals, according to Kristian Winfield for the New York Daily News, who suggests the two clubs currently fighting for a title have shown the blueprint for a new era of team-building.

For the Knicks, who had their own title aspirations dashed in a hard-fought series with Indiana, depth and flexibility should be two key takeaways when it comes to how the two smaller-market teams have built themselves into the powerhouses they are. Both teams have hit big on the margins. The Thunder picked up Isaiah Joe after he was cut, drafted Aaron Wiggins at No. 55 in 2021, and added Lugentz Dort as an undrafted free agent, while the Pacers drafted Andrew Nembhard in the second round and Ben Sheppard at the end of the first round.

As important as identifying talent is, Winfield writes that the next Knicks coach needs to prioritize developing the role players so that they’re ready when the time comes. With the financial burdens the team faces, getting contributions from players further down the depth chart will be crucial if the team wants to continue making deep playoff runs.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

While they don’t own a first-round pick, the Knicks could find value with the 50th pick in the 2025 NBA draft. James L. Edwards III of the Athletic breaks down some of the candidates New York may consider at that spot, noting that adding an older, more ready-to-contribute prospect could be beneficial for a team that in need of depth. One such name would be Kentucky’s Koby Brea, arguably the best shooter in the draft at 6’6″. Edwards also looks at Micah Peavy (Georgetown), an athletic defender with a questionable shot, Jamir Watkins (Florida State), Kobe Sanders (Nevada), and Dink Pate (Mexico City Capitanes). Pate is only 19 years old and has a rawer skill set, but at 6’8″ with real ball skills, he could be an interesting developmental flier for down the road.
The Raptors‘ desire to make a splash with a big-name addition is no secret. With that in mind, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen goes through the roster to determine who is most likely to be moved. In his opinion, Ochai Agbaji and RJ Barrett are the two players least likely to be back next season. Moving Agbaji would likely be done to avoid going into the luxury tax, while Koreen writes that Barrett’s game is too duplicative with Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram for the team to pay all three. He adds that at least one of Barrett, Ingram, Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, or Jakob Poeltl will be needed in a big deal, though it appears unlikely that Poeltl will be moved.
If the Celtics go into next season without making changes, they’ll be looking at a $500MM commitment, accounting for both salaries and luxury tax penalties, Spotrac’s Keith Smith writes in his offseason preview. With Jayson Tatum out for the season, it’s crucial for Boston to find a way to avoid the second apron, not only to save tax money, but also to ensure future flexibility, including unfreezing the team’s 2032 first-round pick. Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Sam Hauser are the notable names to watch, as two of them will likely need to be moved, and it will be difficult to bring back both Al Horford and Luke Kornet, though they can likely keep one of them.
When it comes to what the Sixers need most for next season, the answer is simple for The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey: a healthy Joel Embiid. Given the money committed to the current roster, even before they make their decision on whether or not to re-sign Quentin Grimes, who is likely to receive a deal between $15-20MM per year, ensuring Embiid’s future availability is paramount for the team’s success going forward.

Trade Rumors: Kings, Holiday, Young, Wizards, Celtics, Wolves

June 20th, 2025 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked during a radio appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (YouTube link) this week about the Kings‘ offseason plans and whether new general manager Scott Perry might make drastic changes to the roster, Sam Amick of The Athletic said Sacramento is exploring “a lot” of possibilities.

“I don’t know how much they’re going to overhaul the roster,” Amick said (hat tip to Brian Robb of MassLive.com). “But I think they are looking at big stuff, I think they’re looking at small stuff. The point guard pursuit is very real. I don’t know where they will land on that front. It’s kind of an ‘If only Jrue Holiday was five years younger’-type thing. I think that type of option has been considered and explored, but is imperfect because of his age.

“If you go younger, a lot of Trae Young rumors. My understanding is that there’s not interest there unless it came attached to a bunch of first-round picks.”

While Holiday has been one of the NBA’s best two-way players for years, the Celtics veteran is entering his age-35 season and is owed $104.4MM over the next three years. Young, meanwhile, is one of the NBA’s top play-makers but isn’t a great defender and lacks positional size. The Hawks guard is owed $46MM in 2025/26 and could become an unrestricted free agent a year from now if he declines a player option worth nearly $49MM.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

The Wizards have explored trading up from No. 6 in the hopes of landing a long-term point guard like Dylan Harper or Jeremiah Fears and have been willing to part with “surprising names” in their conversations about the second overall pick, reports Grant Afseth of RG.org. However, those efforts have been rebuffed, with the Spurs still considered likely to hang onto that No. 2 pick. As Afseth explains, stabilizing the point guard position has become a priority for the rebuilding Wizards, who have also done extensive due diligence on point guard prospects who may be on the board at No. 18.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reiterated that it will be very difficult to convince the Celtics to move either Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this summer. “I’m sure teams are throwing crazy offers for guys like Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but it’ll take a pretty insurmountable package to get those guys out of Boston,” Charania said.
While the Timberwolves are reportedly hoping Suns forward Kevin Durant warms to the idea of playing in Minnesota, current Wolves star Anthony Edwards isn’t actively recruiting his former Olympic teammate, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears and Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today this week (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM).

Draft Notes: Robinson, Flagg, Bailey, Dixon

June 18th, 2025 at 9:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former senior Kentucky forward Jaxson Robinson, who spent the first part of the pre-draft process rehabilitating a right wrist injury that required surgery, has several workouts on his plate this week, reports Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

According to Rankin, Robinson has already worked out for the has workouts on tap with the Lakers, Cavaliers, Celtics and Suns after having already auditioned for the Warriors and Kings.

“Try to knock them all out before the draft,” Robinson said of his workout schedule. “It’s been tough since I’ve been injured, but just getting these last workouts in, trying to get my face in front of people so they can see me again.”

There’s more out ahead of the 2025 draft:

Five-year Villanova star Eric Dixon will have a pre-draft workout with the Suns, Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic. Phoenix holds the Nos. 29 and 52 picks in this year’s draft. An All-American Third Teamer in 2024/25 and Villanova’s all-time leading scorer, Dixon reflected on how he thrived with the Wildcats. “It’s the kind of people that Villanova helps mold,” he said. “Villanova recruits a certain type of guy. They also can mold and make you a certain type of person.”
One-and-done Duke forward Cooper Flagg, a lock to be the No. 1 pick in this month’s draft, touched down in Dallas earlier this week and is conducting a 48-hour visit with the Mavericks, who own that No. 1 selection, notes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscriber link). Given that Flagg is the anticipated top pick, he has no plans to meet with any other team before next week’s draft.
Former Rutgers standout Airious “Ace” Bailey has emerged as the most confounding of this year’s anticipated lottery players, writes Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Bailey has yet to have workouts with any NBA club so far, in a surprising move, although he is set to show off his skills for the Sixers this week. Philadelphia possesses the No. 3 selection.

2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Boston Celtics

June 18th, 2025 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics enjoyed one of the NBA's all-time great seasons in 2023/24, racking up 64 wins and posting the fourth-best single-season net rating in league history in the regular season before winning 16 of 19 playoff games en route to the franchise's 18th championship.

Unsurprisingly, the Celtics decided to essentially run it back in 2024/25, retaining nearly the exact same roster, with one or two minor tweaks around the edges. Boston compiled 61 more regular season wins in 2024/25 and while they finished the year as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the C's would've been the clear betting favorites over the No. 1 Cavaliers if they had met in a postseason series.

And it sure seemed like we were headed for a Celtics/Cavs showdown in the conference finals after no other team in the East finished within 10 games either of them in the regular season. Both clubs breezed through the first round and had plenty of momentum entering round two.

But while the Pacers were in the process of upsetting the Cavs on one side of the Eastern Conference bracket, the Celtics had their own issues with the upstart Knicks, who pulled off a pair of improbable comebacks in Boston to open the conference semifinals. Even after those two losses, the Celtics were still widely expected to take the series, especially after comfortably winning Game 3 in New York, but that early hole they dug came back to haunt them when star forward Jayson Tatum sustained a season-ending Achilles tear near the end of Game 4, another Boston loss.

The Celtics made it a little interesting by winning Game 5 at home, but without Tatum, they didn't have enough firepower to get past the Knicks in Game 6 -- their season ended that night in New York.

Whether or not the Celtics could've pulled off the comeback with a healthy Tatum is a moot point now. There are much bigger issues to worry about in Boston, where the team is facing a financial crunch and can't necessarily assume that its perennial All-NBA first-teamer will be able to play at all next season. Achilles recoveries typically take upwards of a year.

With a new ownership group incoming, there's not necessarily a mandate to slash costs, but it doesn't make sense for a Tatum-less Celtics team to continue operating over the second tax apron in 2025/26. Maintaining a team salary in that range imposes major roster-building restrictions and generates massive tax penalties, and those restrictions and penalties only increase the longer a club stays above the aprons. That's fine for teams with realistic championship aspirations, but the Celtics can't honestly put themselves in that group until Tatum is back to 100%.

The Celtics' Offseason Plan

Getting under the second apron won't be easy for the Celtics. If we assume they retain their nine players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh (who have partial guarantees), then fill out their standard roster using their No. 28 and No. 32 picks, plus one minimum-salary veteran, they'd be at about $231.9MM for 14 players. The second apron projects to come in at around $207.8MM.

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Atlantic Notes: Sharpe, Knueppel, Horford, Kornet, Embiid

June 16th, 2025 at 10:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Day’Ron Sharpe is headed to free agency this summer. The Nets can make the backup big man a restricted free agent by extending him a $5.98MM qualifying offer. Sharpe told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype he’s looking forward to what the summer may bring for his career.

“I’m looking forward to the experience because I don’t know too much about free agency. This is my first year experiencing it. I’m looking forward to learning from it and how to move later on in my career,” he said.

Sharpe believes he can enhance any team’s second unit.

“I think I’m one of the best (backup bigs),” he said. “I’m a humble person, so I don’t like really talking or comparing myself to other people. But when it comes to backup bigs, I think I’m one of the best. I’m trying to continue to prove myself and work hard.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Should the Nets target Duke’s Kon Knueppel with their No. 8 overall pick? Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com believes Knueppel can make up for his limitations by his competitive nature as well as his shot-making and play-making abilities.
There’s a general sense that Al Horford will continue his long career next season but where he’ll wind up in free agency is another matter. High-level playoff contenders are monitoring Horford to see if he would consider leaving Boston, according to Scotto. Another Celtics big man and free agent, Luke Kornet, is expected to have a robust market this summer after his career year. Teams with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception available are expected to pursue him, says Scotto.
The Sixers moved up to the No. 3 spot in the draft lottery but their success next season will be predicated on how well Joel Embiid bounces back from his latest knee surgery, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The team has yet to offer an update on Embiid’s progress since he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on April 9.

Windhorst: Timberwolves Most Aggressive In Pursuit Of Kevin Durant

June 16th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have been the team most aggressively pursuing Kevin Durant in trade talks so far, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said this morning during an appearance on Get Up (Twitter video link). Windhorst notes that Minnesota made a strong push to acquire Durant from the Suns before the February trade deadline to team him with Anthony Edwards, and that effort has been renewed this offseason.

Windhorst identifies the Raptors and Clippers as teams that are “lurking” in the Durant trade saga, with Toronto offering the ninth pick in this year’s draft along with combinations of players in “multiple different scenarios.”

A list of Durant’s preferred destinations leaked over the weekend, with the Spurs, Rockets and Heat said to be the only teams he would considering signing an extension with. However, Windhorst hears that those three teams “have not made offers that have gotten Phoenix excited.” A report on Sunday indicated that the Suns are more focused on maximizing their return in a Durant trade than sending him someplace he wants to go.

Sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) that the Raptors are willing to give up either RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley to upgrade their roster, and several league figures have said they would consider including Jakob Poeltl as well if it means getting Durant in return. Phoenix is reportedly seeking a starting-level center for next season, and the Durant deal might be the best opportunity to acquire one.

Fischer reports that Toronto’s No. 9 selection is being viewed around the league as “perhaps the most likely top-10 pick in the draft to be traded.” He adds that the Raptors would prefer not to move out of the first round completely, so the Suns’ choice at No. 29 could be part of the deal.

Phoenix would love to get Ivica Zubac, Fischer adds, but the Clippers consider him off limits. However, he notes that L.A. has two future first-round picks and some swap rights that it could offer along with Norman Powell, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Derrick Jones.

Fischer doesn’t expect the Grizzlies to get involved in the Durant chase, even though they have a fresh collection of draft assets from Sunday’s Desmond Bane trade. He notes that Memphis was reluctant to pursue Jimmy Butler before the deadline because of fears that he wouldn’t sign an extension, and Durant is probably viewed the same way.

Addressing the Suns’ desire for a center, Fischer states that the team has done background work on Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis in case he’s made available. Fischer also hears that Phoenix would be interested in free agent Myles Turner if he doesn’t re-sign with the Pacers.

Celtics Notes: Centers, Horford, Kornet, Tatum, Draft

June 14th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics should be in the market for center help this summer, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Kristaps Porzingis is a prime candidate to be traded because of his $30.7MM salary for next season, while Al Horford and Luke Kornet are both headed to free agency. There’s no guarantee that Horford, who turned 39 earlier this month, will continue playing as Boston may take a step back from title contention in the wake of Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles tear.

Robb notes that the Celtics will miss Tatum’s rebounding prowess next season, as none of the team’s current options in the middle are particularly strong on the boards. Tatum averaged 8.7 rebounds this year, and Boston was dominated off the glass without him in its Game 6 loss to New York.

Robb adds that the Celtics will have to take back some salary in the expected deals involving Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and possibly others, so that may be an avenue to find help in the middle. Boston would be limited to veteran’s minimum offers in free agency, and Robb suggests that would involve players in the class of Mason Plumlee, Jaxson Hayes or Paul Reed.

There’s more on the Celtics:

Steven Adams‘ new contract in Houston takes a prominent center off the free agent market and could increase the value of Horford and Kornet, Robb adds in a separate piece. Once the top names such as Myles Turner and Naz Reid are off the board, Robb suggests that Horford and Kornet could get offers at the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.7MM) or higher. The Celtics hold Bird rights on both players.
Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins could serve as an inspiration for Tatum as he works his way back from the Achilles injury, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Wilkins ruptured his Achilles in January of 1992 when it was considered a potential career-ending injury, but he was able to return for opening night of the 1992/93 season and averaged 29.9 PPG while finishing fifth in the MVP voting. “That injury is a serious injury,” Wilkins told Washburn. “And Jayson had the same type of injury I had, meaning he had a complete tear because there is no way you could walk off the floor. That’s a devastating injury, but the thing is the work he puts in is going to determine what he gets out of it. I worked twice a day every day for nine months and came back quicker than anybody. But it was my level of commitment and Jayson is a kid that loves the game and I have a lot of respect and am a fan of his. I have no doubt that he’s going to put in the work to get back to the same level he was.”
Justin Quinn of Celtics Wire takes a look at all the players the team has hosted for pre-draft workouts, including prominent names such as Cedric Coward and Drake Powell. Boston has the 28th and 32nd picks in this year’s draft.

Phil Pressey To Coach Celtics’ G League Team

June 13th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA guard Phil Pressey will be named the head coach of the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Pressey, 34, played college ball at Missouri from 2010-13 and then signed with the Celtics after going undrafted. He appeared in 125 regular season games across two seasons for Boston before spending time with the Sixers and Suns in 2015/16. From 2016-22, he competed in the G League and in various leagues in Spain, Turkey, and Germany.

Pressey averaged 3.2 points and 2.9 assists in 13.6 minutes per game across 148 total NBA appearances, with a .341/.254/.630 shooting line.

A year after ending his playing career, Pressey rejoined the Celtics in 2023 as a player enhancement coach under Joe Mazzulla. He has spent the past two seasons in that role.

Pressey will be replacing Tyler Lashbrook, who was Maine’s head coach in 2024/25 after spending the previous season in Boston as a player development coach. It’s unclear whether Lashbrook will be rejoining the Celtics’ NBA staff or leaving the team for a new opportunity, but he did well in Maine this past season, leading the G League squad to a 21-13 regular season record and an appearance in the NBAGL’s Eastern Conference Finals.