Celtics Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Vujacic, Harper, Celtics

September 19th, 2015 at 10:10am CST by Eddie Scarito

One benefit of the Knicks signing Sasha Vujacic is his knowledge of the triangle offense, which he is ready to share with the other members of the team, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “Of course, of course. I was always someone that helped players on the court. We have a lot of rookies and a lot of younger players –- I still consider myself young by the way -– so we have a great mix of guys and I’m looking forward to teaching them and giving them help,” Vujacic told Begley. “I don’t want to be a teacher because we have a coach that will lead us towards something [but] if there’s going to be anything needed for me to show or do I’ll be more than happy to do so.”

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Knicks team president Phil Jackson is looking for the veteran to be a game-changing shooter off the bench for the team this season, Begley adds. “Except for a 10-day contract with the Clippers in 2014, Sasha hasn’t played in the NBA for four years, but at age 31 he still has plenty of game,” Jackson said. “He’s a classic streak-shooter who, when he’s zeroed in, can totally change a game in three minutes. He’ll be a significant force for us coming off the bench.”
Justin Harper‘s one-year deal with the Nets is for the league minimum and is non-guaranteed, Eric Pincus of Basketball insiders relays (Twitter link).
In a look at the Celtics‘ 2015 draftees, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com believes that Jordan Mickey will make the biggest impact this season, noting that at some point, injuries or inconsistent play by those ahead of him on the depth chart will create an opportunity for him to log significant minutes. Blakely also notes that if R.J. Hunter can demonstrate himself to be an adequate defender and shoot with a relatively high level of confidence, he could easily wind up as the biggest steal of this year’s draft.

Eastern Notes: Wade, Bucks, Nicholson, Celtics

September 17th, 2015 at 2:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwyane Wade praised the Heat brass for the job that they did building the roster for the season ahead, and while he acknowledged the somewhat bumpy path he and the team took to his new one-year, $20MM contract, he reiterated his commitment to Miami. Wade made his comments in a variety of venues today, including on 790 The Ticket radio, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald transcribes.

“There’s a business side of everything,” Wade said to 790 The Ticket. “But my heart, and where I always said I wanted to be, was here. I started my career here and I would like to finish it. I came here just happy to be here, just wanting to make this organization proud for drafting me as the fifth pick.”

Wade batted down criticism from local fans that’s extended even to his choice of football jerseys for casual wear, imploring to the 790 The Ticket audience, “Don’t question my loyalty, you all. Do not question my loyalty.” The 11-time All-star will have another chance to back up those words with action when he hits free agency again next summer. See more from the Eastern Conference:

Former Nets assistant GM Bobby Marks and Grizzlies executive vice president of player personnel Ed Stefanski are drawing prominent mention for the Bucks assistant GM job, reports Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times (Twitter link). Milwaukee let go of former assistant GM David Morway this week when team reached an extension with GM John Hammond.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel finds it tough to see where Andrew Nicholson fits in with the Magic as he enters the last season of his rookie scale contract, given that four others who can play power forward are on the roster. Nicholson is eligible for a rookie scale extension this fall, but little, if any, talk has emerged suggesting the Magic will seek to give him one.
It’s a waiting game in Boston, where an opportunity for the Celtics to cash in their trade assets hasn’t materialized and the team’s young players still must prove their worth, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com in his season preview for the team.

All Those Traded Celtics: Where Are They Now?

September 16th, 2015 at 10:29am CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics have made three trades since the 2015/16 season officially began on the NBA calendar on July 1st, a healthy number but a paltry amount in comparison to the 11 they made in 2014/15. Still, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge seems poised to start dealing again before too long, especially given the team has one more fully guaranteed contract than the 15-man regular season roster limit will allow. Ainge’s penchant for deals is well-known, as the 28 players whom he either traded, traded for, or both last season can attest.

Six of those players are still with the Celtics, but the rest are spread all over the globe. A dozen NBA teams — the Clippers, Grizzlies, Kings, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pelicans, Pistons, Rockets, Sixers, Timberwolves, Wizards and Warriors — all have players on their respective rosters who were part of a Celtics trade at some point since July of last year. Others are playing in China, Russia and Turkey. Four remain in free agency. Chris Douglas-Roberts is technically the fifth free agent, but he reportedly agreed just this week to join the Pelicans on a non-guaranteed deal.

Here’s a look at where each player involved in a recent Celtics trade is now:

Joel Anthony (traded from Celtics to Pistons, October 17th, 2014) — re-signed with Pistons in July.
Chris Babb (traded from Celtics to Warriors, July 27th, 2015) — still with Warriors.
Keith Bogans (traded from Celtics to Cavaliers, September 25th, 2014) — currently a free agent.
Will Bynum (traded from Pistons to Celtics, October 17th, 2014) — signed to play in China.
Jae Crowder (traded from Mavericks to Celtics, December 18th, 2014) — re-signed with Celtics in July.
Gigi Datome (traded from Pistons to Celtics, February 19th, 2015) — signed to play in Turkey.
Chris Douglas-Roberts (traded from Clippers to Celtics, January 15th, 2015) — reached agreement with Pelicans in September.
Zoran Dragic (traded from Heat to Celtics, July 27th, 2015) — signed to play in Russia.
Jeff Green (traded from Celtics to Grizzlies, January 12th, 2015) — exercised option in June to remain with Grizzlies.
Kris Humphries (signed-and-traded from Celtics to Wizards, July 19th, 2014) — still with Wizards.
Jonas Jerebko (traded from Pistons to Celtics, February 19th, 2015) — re-signed with Celtics in July.
Perry Jones (traded from Thunder to Celtics, July 14th, 2015) — still with Celtics; eligible for rookie scale extension this fall but also liable to be cut.
David Lee (traded from Warriors to Celtics, July 27th, 2015) — still with Celtics.
John Lucas III (traded from Cavaliers to Celtics, September 25th, 2014) — currently a free agent
Erik Murphy (traded from Cavaliers to Celtics, September 25th, 2014) — currently with Besiktas of Turkey.
Jameer Nelson (traded from Mavericks to Celtics, December 18th, 2014; traded from Celtics to Nuggets, January 13th, 2015) — re-signed with Nuggets in August.
Dwight Powell (traded from Cavaliers to Celtics, September 25th, 2014; traded from Celtics to Mavericks on December 18th, 2014) — still with Mavericks.
Tayshaun Prince (traded from Grizzlies to Celtics, January 12th, 2015; traded from Celtics to Pistons, February 19th, 2015) — signed with Timberwolves in August.
Shavlik Randolph (traded from Suns to Celtics, January 15th, 2015) — signed to play in China.
Austin Rivers (traded from Pelicans to Celtics, January 12th, 2015; traded from Celtics to Clippers, January 15th, 2015) — re-signed with Clippers in July.
Nate Robinson (traded from Nuggets to Celtics, January 15th, 2015) — currently a free agent, thinking about playing in China.
Rajon Rondo (traded from Celtics to Mavericks, December 18th, 2014) — signed with Kings in July.
Isaiah Thomas (traded from Suns to Celtics, February 19th, 2015) — still with Celtics.
Malcolm Thomas (traded from Cavaliers to Celtics, September 25th, 2014) — currently a free agent.
Marcus Thornton (traded from Nets to Celtics, July 10th, 2014; traded from Celtics to Suns, February 19th, 2015) — signed with Rockets in July.
Gerald Wallace (traded from Celtics to Warriors, July 27th, 2015) — flipped to Sixers on July 31st.
Brandan Wright (traded from Mavericks to Celtics,December 18th, 2014; traded from Celtics to Suns on January 9th, 2015) — signed with Grizzlies in July.
Tyler Zeller (traded from Cavaliers to Celtics, July 10th, 2014) — still with Celtics, eligible for rookie scale extension this fall.

Which of the players who isn’t still with the Celtics do you think they should have kept? Leave a comment to tell us.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Kazemi, Thomas

September 15th, 2015 at 7:40pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nets coach Lionel Hollins dismisses the notion that his team is doomed this season after the departure of Deron Williams and with Jarrett Jack expected to be the starting point guard, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “I see it, [and] I laugh,” Hollins said. “What do they do? They go in and take each player’s [statistical] numbers, put them in a group and that puts us at the bottom of the NBA. But that’s in the past. Whatever anybody did good last year is still in the past, and whatever anybody did bad last year is still in the past. Now we’re here, and everybody has to go out and obviously you can’t have the same numbers as an individual. You hope they’d be better. But we still have our core guys. … I’m pleased and I’m excited.”

The team was aware prior to cutting ties with Williams that there would be a potential backlash, Bontemps notes. “We did what we set out to do, and that was to try to get some younger players, change our team a little bit, try to get some athleticism,” Hollins continued. “I thought [GM] Billy [King] did a great job. Now it’s up to us to try to work with and develop these individuals.”

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers have offered Arsalan Kazemi the required one-year tender that will allow the franchise to retain his draft rights, according to Kazemi’s Instagram account (hat tip to Orazio Cauchi of Sportando). Kazemi, 24, was the No. 54 overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas‘ two primary goals for the 2015/16 campaign are for the team to make the playoffs and for him to earn an All-Star nod, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. “First off, team goals, we just want to build from what we did last year,” said Thomas. “We made the playoffs, but we definitely weren’t satisfied. We think we have a better team than we had last year and we have a full season together — it’s only going to make us better. My goal for the team is to make the playoffs and just build from there.” As for his personal goals, Thomas added, “When you achieve your team goals, then your individual success comes. But I definitely feel like I can be an All-Star. I’m not just saying that. I honestly feel that way. With hard work and dedication and just taking my craft serious. And, with the opportunity given with the Boston Celtics, I feel like I can reach that goal.“

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sixers, Nets, Celtics

September 14th, 2015 at 4:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors received the highest offseason grade among Atlantic Division teams from Chris Mannix of SI.com, who gave them a B+ largely for their signing of DeMarre Carroll to a four-year, $58MM deal. Carroll’s pact is one that fills a significant need for Toronto, albeit at a premium, Mannix writes. Mannix gave the Sixers the division’s lowest grade, a C-, for once more failing to make any major additions outside the draft, though Philadelphia just handed out the largest free agent deal of the Sam Hinkie era, signing Kendall Marshall for $8MM over four years. See more from the Atlantic Division:

The non-guaranteed deal that 11-year veteran Dahntay Jones signed with the Nets last week is a one-year arrangement for the minimum salary, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). It has limited injury protection, Pincus adds, which indicates that it’s an Exhibit 9 contract.
The Nets are paying in spades now for ill-fated spending in years past, and the cap flexibility the team is poised to have next summer is unlikely to lead to a star signing, given the unappealing supporting cast that Brooklyn could offer Kevin Durant or another top free agent, opines Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The four-year, $50MM deal that the Nets gave Thaddeus Young and the trade that sent Mason Plumlee to the Trail Blazers weren’t wise moves, Powell also argues.
The Celtics own Brooklyn’s 2016 first-round pick without protection, so they stand to benefit from the Nets’ misfortune, but Boston’s path to a finding a star still remains unclear, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post believes (Facebook link).
Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe updated us on all things Celtics earlier today in our latest installment of The Beat.

The Beat: Adam Himmelsbach On The Celtics

September 14th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Adam Himmelsbach

Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.

We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer about the Cavs. Click here to see all of the previous editions of this series.

Today, we gain insight on the Celtics from Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. You can follow Adam on Twitter at @AdamHimmelsbach, and click here to check out his stories on BostonGlobe.com.

Hoops Rumors: Where does the David Lee trade fit in with Danny Ainge‘s larger strategy of roster building? For as much as the rebuilding process has been about draft picks and young players, why bring in a 32-year-old whose production doesn’t match his outsized salary?

Adam Himmelsbach: Well you have to remember, to acquire Lee and his $15.494MM expiring contract, the Celtics unloaded Gerald Wallace and his also significant $10.106MM expiring deal, and Wallace had essentially been reduced to little more than an extra assistant coach.

The Celtics are hopeful that Lee can flash the form he showed as a two-time All-Star. He is a reliable passer, a post-up threat and a good rebounder. But there is no long-term commitment by the Celtics here, either. They could let his deal expire at season’s end or even use it as a trade chip depending on how the season unfolds.

Hoops Rumors: On top of the Lee trade, the addition of Amir Johnson and retention of Jonas Jerebko seem to signal that the Celtics are serious about supplementing their young players with veterans and making the playoffs this year. What are the team’s expectations for this season?

Adam Himmelsbach: After the Celtics traded Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green and stumbled to a 13-26 start last year, there was a perception that they were in full rebuild mode. But both trades seemed to help team chemistry and Boston was energized by the February arrival of Isaiah Thomas. And thanks to a dismal Eastern Conference, the Celtics were able to secure the No. 7 seed despite a 40-42 record. And, it’s worth noting, the final two wins came against a Cavaliers team that was mostly resting its regulars.

But the playoffs happened, and now the Celtics — and their fan base — will not want to see regression. Boston has absolutely improved its roster since last season, but not to the point where it is likely to leapfrog any of the six teams that finished ahead of it in the Eastern Conference last season. And the Heat appear primed to move past the Celtics, too. So the reality is that this team might have to scuffle for a playoff berth, just like last season.

Hoops Rumors: Why do you think there’s been talk of an extension for Tyler Zeller? Do you think the Celtics see him as a legitimate long-term option as a starting center?

Adam Himmelsbach: Right now it’s nothing more than talk. I spoke to Danny Ainge two weeks ago and he indicated that there would be discussions about extending Zeller and Jared Sullinger. That doesn’t mean either will happen. Having said that, the Celtics like Zeller. He averaged career highs across the board last year and actually had the highest win-share rate on the team. He is a consistent finisher and he is solid in the pick-and-roll, and 7-footers do not grow on trees. And with the salary cap set to balloon after this season when the league’s massive new TV deal kicks in, a deal around $10MM a year for Zeller would probably end up being a bargain. But for the Celtics, the price will have to be right.

Hoops Rumors: What’s the most likely scenario for resolving the team’s roster logjam? With 16 fully guaranteed contracts and only 15 regular season roster spots to go around, do you see the Celtics unloading the extra contract via trade, or will they have to waive somebody and eat one of those salaries?

Adam Himmelsbach: With Ainge at the helm, you can rest assured that trades will be explored. The Celtics had salary cap space this summer for the first time in nearly 20 years, and that allowed them to get creative. They acquired a future second-round pick and forward Perry Jones III from the Thunder essentially just for helping OKC clean up its books. So Boston will give Jones a long look during training camp, but right now the 23-year-old forward is probably the most likely to be cut if a deal can’t be completed.

Hoops Rumors: Isaiah Thomas has said he wants to start, but Marcus Smart is in his way at point guard, and now Terry Rozier‘s there, too. Thomas has three more seasons left on his contract, including this one. Do you think he’ll still be on the Celtics by the time his contract is up?

Adam Himmelsbach: Thomas has an extremely team-friendly contract, as he’ll make less than $7MM per year over the next three seasons, with his salary actually decreasing a bit each year. While Thomas has been vocal about his desire to start, Celtics coach Brad Stevens has made it clear he prefers to have Thomas be a sparkplug off the bench. If the Celtics are mired in a losing skid this season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Thomas get a chance as a starter. As for his long-term future in Boston, it’s impossible to say. The Celtics are not in a position to have “untouchable” players. But the guess here is that yes, he’s here all three years.

Hoops Rumors: What do you think the Celtics learned from the Rajon Rondo trade that could help them the next time they make a major deal?

Adam Himmelsbach: The Celtics will eventually hope to kind of flip the script a bit. With the Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Green trades, they filled Ainge’s treasure chest with assets. It’s possible Boston could have three lottery picks next year. Moving forward, though, the Celtics will look to swap some of those assets for more proven talent, or even to move up in the draft. Of course, this June showed that’s not always easy, as they were rebuffed in their many attempts to trade up and acquire Duke’s Justise Winslow.

Extension Candidate: Tyler Zeller

September 12th, 2015 at 10:47pm CST by ChrisCrouse

With the No. 17 overall pick in the 2012 draft, the Mavs selected Tyler Zeller out of North Carolina. Within an hour, his rights would be traded to the Cavs for three picks that became Jared Cunningham, Bernard James and Jae Crowder. Cleveland trotted him out on the floor for two uninspiring seasons before trading him to Boston in a cap clearing deal that allowed the team to offer a max contract to LeBron James. Zeller hasn’t exactly made either team regret trading him, although Dallas could use a quality starting center right now due to its lack of exciting options and Cleveland was so in need of an interior presence last season, it hurled two first-round picks at Denver to obtain Timofey Mozgov. In both cases, its unlikely Zeller would have received the playing time and touches necessary to develop during his third season in the league. He would have taken a backseat to Tyson Chandler in Dallas and he wouldn’t have taken on a significant role with James and Kevin Love arriving in Cleveland.

Mar 16, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward center Tyler Zeller (44) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. The Boston Celtics won 108-89. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Boston had no such roadblocks to playing time and offensive opportunity and it appears the 25-year-old has found a home. Late last season, Zeller and Marcus Smart were the Celtics least likely to be traded, according to multiple sources who spoke with A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Last month, Blakely wrote that the big man had a better chance than fellow 2012 first-rounders Jared Sullinger and Perry Jones III to end up with a contract extension, and sources told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that chances are 50-50 that Zeller and the team reach an agreement before the deadline this fall.

Zach Lowe of Grantland speculated the team would be happy with an extension with annual salaries up to $12MM, while estimates from ESPN’s Summer Forecast panel suggested annual salaries of $10.6MM would be the going rate for the center. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge is always hesitant to make long-term investments in order to preserve future cap space, but he should be able to offer Zeller an extension in this ballpark and maintain enough flexibility to be a major player in free agency.

The salary cap is projected to rise to $89MM for the 2016/17 campaign. Boston only has slightly more than $43.5MM on the books after this season, though that figure doesn’t include the team options for Smart, James Young and Kelly Olynyk that are almost certain to be exercised provided the trio are still on the roster. Boston also has the non-guaranteed contracts of Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko, and if the C’s waive them anytime before the end of July 3rd, 2016, they could clear $17MM from their commitments.

The Celtics will have to account for possible new contracts for David Lee and Evan Turner, both of whom will be unrestricted free agents, as well as the possible extensions for Jones and Sullinger. If the Celtics want to remain flexible heading into next offseason, they could sign Zeller to a reasonable extension and take their chances on the other four in free agency.

The big man set career highs in points (10.2) and assists (1.4) per game during his third season in the league. He also had his most efficient season as a pro, shooting 54.9% from the field. One area where he could use some work is his rebounding. He had 9.7 rebounds per 36 minutes, which isn’t terrible, but 76 players had better stats last season. Zeller spends all of his minutes at the five. It’s unlikely that he can spend time at the power forward position, which would allow him to play next to another center and a more proficient rebounder. If he wants to see starter’s minutes, he’ll need to improve in this area.

Zeller isn’t going to be the type of player who changes the franchise. He’s not a dominant defender, but he’s been successful at protecting the paint on occasion. Of course, most 7-footers with some mobility will be able to give you that. He runs the floor well and can be crafty on the offensive end, but he can’t be counted on to get crucial buckets late in games. He has certainly improved since coming into the NBA, although some of his success should be credited to coach Brad Stevens. Stevens’ creative pace-and-space offense and conservative defensive schemes have put Zeller in position to succeed.

Environment matters in the NBA. Paying Draymond Green $82MM makes sense for the Warriors because they have other players in place who allow him play his role and not worry about overextending his game. Green wouldn’t be as effective as a main option for a team like the Lakers or Sixers. The same logic applies to Zeller. In the right situation, its justifiable paying him $10-12MM per year. Paying him that kind of salary is a low risk gamble for the Celtics, as they can provide a good situation for the 25-year-old. Zeller has the potential to be an above-average starting center in the NBA, and if he becomes that, an extension at that price point would become a bargain for the franchise.

Atlantic Notes: Calderon, Okafor, Celtics

September 9th, 2015 at 12:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jose Calderon says the strained left Achilles tendon that prematurely ended his 2014/15 season is fully healthy, and the Spanish point guard is a fan of the moves the Knicks made this summer, even though he tried and failed to lure countryman Marc Gasol to the team, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Two seasons still remain on Calderon’s deal, but the 34-year-old added that he hasn’t been concerned that the Knicks might look to unload him this year, in spite of speculation, as Berman relays.

“I was never worried,” Calderon said to Berman. “It doesn’t mean I know for sure, but I was told I wasn’t involved in those trades and people I trust tell me that. And I talked to [coach] Derek [Fisher] during their free-agent meetings so they were keeping me always in the loop.’’

See more from around the Atlantic Division:

No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor isn’t just the first Sixers top-10 pick of the past three years who’s healthy entering training camp, he’s also arguably the first truly foundational player that GM Sam Hinkie has added, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Facebook link).
The majority of ESPN’s Summer Forecast panel believes it’s likely the Celtics will pull off a splashy move this season, but Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com finds it tough to envision the team making a major acquisition, given the difficulty of finding a trade partner and the cap constraints on midseason swaps.
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge has done his due diligence to put the Celtics in position to acquire major talent, but the luck necessary to ultimately snag a marquee name just hasn’t been present, argues Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

Eastern Notes: Beal, Pacers, Celtics

September 6th, 2015 at 6:15pm CST by Will Joseph

Bradley Beal is a very talented player with a lot of upside and one who will receive a maximum deal from a different team if the Wizards don’t sign him to a max extension, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders opines. Hamilton takes into account the expected rise in the league’s salary cap and suggests that Beal is likely worth a large contract because of the league’s current market. Our own Chuck Myron recently examined Beal’s extension candidacy. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported in May that the Wizards were committed to paying him the max, but talks didn’t really begin until mid-July, and the sides apparently met with conflicting desires.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

The Pacers, with depth in the frontcourt, don’t appear to be a good potential trade partner with the Suns for Markieff Morris, who issued a trade demand, Scott Agness of VigilantSports.com writes. The four-year, $32MM extension that Morris signed last fall kicks in for this coming season, but a lack of communication between Morris and the team indicates that the relationship will be extremely difficult to repair. For the Pacers, landing Morris would be worth looking into in exchange for a bench player and a second-round pick, Agness adds, but that package would likely not be enough to reel him in.
The main problem with the Celtics heading into this season, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com writes, is the team lacks an elite star. Forsberg compares this group of Celtics to last year’s Hawks and adds that although Atlanta had a remarkable season without a star, it ultimately ran out of gas without a big-time player.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Celtics, Sixers

September 6th, 2015 at 3:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Andrea Bargnani said his attitude toward winning has changed and he’s no longer focused on individual achievements in an interview with RAI, Italy’s biggest broadcaster, relayed by Robert Windrem of NetsDaily.

Bargnani has been criticized by Knicks president Phil Jackson for not seeming to care enough about the team. In an interview last month, Jackson told ESPN’s Charlie Rosen that Bargnani “was and still is a big tease who seemed like a malingerer.” Jackson added that he didn’t like Bargnani’s lack of intensity on the court and did not like the way Bargnani refused to engage in non-contact activities while he was recovering from an injury. Bargnani, 29, inked a two-year deal with the Nets this offseason. Bargnani has said he will comment about Jackson’s remarks before the season.

Here’s more on the Atlantic Division:

Jared Sullinger, David Lee and James Young are the players on the Celtics who have the most riding on this season, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Sullinger, who was challenged by Boston’s front office to get healthier this offseason, is a no-brainer for this list. Barring a contract extension before the start of this season, Sullinger will be a restricted free agent next summer. I recently examined his case for an extension. Lee has something to prove this season after he lost his starting job with the Warriors last season, Blakely adds. Similarly, Young also has more motivation than many other players entering this season because of the uneven season he had last year, Blakely writes.
Without Joel Embiid, who is expected to miss the entire 2015/16 campaign, the Sixers‘ season will be primarily used to develop Jahlil Okafor and see how he pairs with Nerlens Noel, Shaun Powell of NBA.com writes in a 30 teams in 30 days series.

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