Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Jennings, Knicks, Antetokounmpo

March 8th, 2015 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Pistons guard Brandon Jennings says he’s three weeks ahead of his recovery schedule and expects to be able to walk without a boot in two weeks, David Mayo of MLive.com tweets. Jennings suffered a torn Achilles tendon in January and will miss the remainder of the season. Jennings is set to earn ~$8.34MM in 2015/16 before hitting the open market. More from the East..

Knicks coach Derek Fisher says the team is considering filling their open roster spot with unsigned second-round pick Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The shooting guard is playing for the Westchester Knicks of the D-League after declining a deal from an Italian team. Fisher hinted that he’d like to see the roster spot filled, but said that it’s a decision that’s up to front office brass.
Keith Schlosser of SNY.tv is worried that Knicks president Phil Jackson won’t be able to add talent to his roster this summer. The Knicks have a good deal of flexibility, but top free agents Marc Gasol and Goran Dragic appear to be unlikely options at this point. LaMarcus Aldridge is a possibility, but how likely such a union is remains to be seen.
Since being traded to the Celtics in February, Isaiah Thomas has averaged 8.7 points scored in the fourth quarter and has taken on the role of a go-to guy, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes.
Khris Middleton, a pending restricted free agent, is going to see a healthy payday this summer, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. The 23-year-old (24 in August) is averaging 12.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 28.2 minutes per contest for the Bucks this season.

Celtics Notes: Olynyk, Rondo, Jerebko

March 8th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by ChrisCrouse

Kelly Olynyk has only accumulated a total of eight points and four rebounds in his two games played since returning from an ankle injury that kept him off the court for over a month, but the 23-year-old’s return to the lineup has helped Boston win both games. The Celtics have a chance to make the playoffs despite heavy roster turnover, as Zach Links of Hoops Rumors examines in his latest poll. The team currently sits two games behind Miami for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Here’s more from Boston:

The Celtics may have won the Rajon Rondo trade, opines Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com. In the transaction, Boston received a first-round pick as well as Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright, and Jae Crowder. Boston acquired another first-rounder when it shipped Wright to the Suns less than a month later. Nelson was traded to Denver for Nate Robinson, who the team subsequently waived, but Crowder has been able to carve out a role on the team. Rondo has struggled in Dallas and re-signing the point guard doesn’t seem like as much of a sure thing as it previously did after he clashed with coach Rick Carlisle.
Boston’s strategy this summer is to swing for the fences and try to hit a home run in free agency and Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald agrees with it. Bulpett recalls the past moves made by President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge and believes if he can land one marquee player in free agency, all the roster turnover will be worth it.
Jonas Jerebko has been a great pickup for the Celtics, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. In seven games since arriving in Boston in the Tayshaun Prince trade, the forward has averaged 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in only 17.0 minutes per game. The team has previously made it clear that it would like to keep Jerebko, who is in the final season of a four-year, $18MM pact, on the roster long-term.

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Atlantic Notes: Thomas, McGee, Valanciunas

March 6th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Will Joseph

Isaiah Thomas, who has thrived since being acquired by the Celtics in a February trade, will continue to come off the bench because Boston coach Brad Stevens is more concerned with how his team finishes games, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. Thomas, who was named Eastern Conference player of the week last week and who has three years and approximately $19.76MM remaining on his contract after this season, prefers to be a starter but his approach remains the same, Blakely added.

“The biggest thing is, he wants to start because he has a lot of pride and works really hard,” Stevens said. “Starting is not the end-all, be-all. And being a part of a team and being a really important part of a team and for a guy with that talent being on the floor at the end of the game, certainly is important. It [starting] may be something he wishes he would do, but I don’t think there’s any question he knows what we think of him. We’ll go from there.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Free agent JaVale McGee has all the physical tools to succeed, but he’s barely played in two years and it’s never been clear if he understands basketball, opines Zach Lowe of Grantland (via Twitter). McGee was on the verge of a deal with the Celtics on Thursday before a dispute over whether the second year of a deal would be a team option or a player option derailed things.
Jonas Valanciunas, whom the Raptors reportedly mulled trading before the deadline, should be Toronto’s go-to scorer in the final quarter of games, opines Eric Koreen of the National Post. The franchise needs to begin transitioning toward featuring the big man more if it hopes to advance in the playoffs, Koreen adds.
Citing the turnaround seasons the Cavs and Hawks are experiencing, Knicks coach Derek Fisher believes his club will be different next season because it will likely have a top-5 draft pick and plenty of cap room, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “Teams that feel like maybe they’re one step away or one piece away, they’ll make a move in the summer,” Fisher said. “We have money to spend and we’re heading for a pretty high [draft] pick so we’re expecting to be different as well.”

Zach Links contributed to this post

Western Notes: Afflalo, Lee, Robinson

March 6th, 2015 at 8:58pm CST by Will Joseph

Arron Afflalo should fill a lot of the void for the Blazers that was created after soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Wesley Matthews‘s season ending injury, Joe Freeman of the Oregonian writes. Afflalo, who has a player option for next season worth $7.75MM, was acquired in a February deal. His skill-set and unselfishness make him a solid replacement for Matthews, Freeman wrote. “I’ll be me,” Afflalo said. “Even before Wes went down, the goal wasn’t for me to come in here and try to be somebody that I wasn’t. Obviously adjusting to a new role is difficult and takes time, but the way I lead, be it vocally or by example, I’ll continue to do that.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Clippers continue to show interest in free agent guard Nate Robinson, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders notes (Twitter link). It was first reported back in January that the Clippers were Robinson’s preferred team, and Los Angeles possessed some level of interest in the diminutive guard.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens says that the Spurs have thrived, in part, because of their roster continuity, according to Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com (Twitter links). “Obviously, there’s going to continue to be some change but I think a lot of these guys are going to be in Celtics uniforms for a while coming, and that’s encouraging,” the coach said.
The Jazz had serious discussions with the Warriors at the trade deadline about acquiring David Lee, according to Spencer Checketts of 1280 The Zone (via Twitter). The Warriors were said to be willing to trade Lee, but they were looking to get assets of value in return.
David Stockton, son of Hall of Famer John Stockton, in his return to the D-League’s Reno Bighorns, Sacramento’s affiliate, scored a season-high 44 points in what Erika Marmolejo of NBA.com called a “statement game.” The Kings previously decided against signing Stockton to another 10-day contract. Stockton was unable to find decent time behind starting guard Ray McCallum and newly acquired veteran Andre Miller, Marmolejo notes.

Zach Links and Eddie Scarito contributed to this post

Atlantic Notes: Prokhorov, Bargnani, Smart

March 5th, 2015 at 10:20pm CST by Will Joseph

Nets CEO Brett Yormark told reporters, including John Brennan of The Record, that he does not “think anything’s gonna happen” and that “we have an ownership group that is very committed,” when asked about rumors of a sale of the team by Mikhail Prokhorov. Yormark also added to the pressures of the Nets, who dropped from the eighth seed to the 10th seed after Wednesday’s loss to the Hornets, by saying he wants the team to “own” New York City.

“This market is very competitive,” Yormark said. “As much as I say we don’t compete against the Knicks or the Garden, we do. That’s the reality of it. I’m opportunistic, right? They’re struggling, and – it’s going to be cyclical. So I want to own this city. That’s critical for us. I think the way you own it is by winning and getting to the playoffs this year.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Andrea Bargnani, who’ll be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and who missed all but two of New York’s first 51 games with leg injuries, has stepped up in scoring for the Knicks with Carmelo Anthony out for the season, Peter Botte of The New York Daily News writes. The veteran big man has averaged 17.8 PPG over his last five contests. Bargnani was a buyout candidate as the March 1st deadline for waived players to still be playoff eligible approached.
Citing Kevin Garnett‘s sharp statistical decline, Andy Vasquez of The Record opines the Nets are a better team since they traded the future Hall of Famer for Thaddeus Young. In his first seven games as a member of the Nets, Young is averaging 12.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per night. Garnett has made four appearances for the Wolves, contributing 8.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 19.3 minutes per game since the swap.
Marcus Smart, who was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for February, is having a growing impact on the Celtics and as a result, Boston coach Brad Stevens’ confidence in the point guard has increased, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes.

Poll: Will The Celtics Make The Playoffs?

March 5th, 2015 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

JaVale McGee and the Celtics were on the verge of a deal that would have taken the big man not only through this season, but through next season as well. With averages of 8.4 PPG and 5.5 RPG across seven seasons, McGee obviously hasn’t reached his potential, but team president Danny Ainge was confident that the 7-footer can do just that in Boston.

“JaVale is a long, athletic guy and we don’t have the type of player, an above-the-rim offensive and defensive player,” Ainge said in an interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Forsberg (on Twitter). “He’s been paid a lot of money in our league, had some injuries, hasn’t lived up to his potential yet and we’re hoping that he can under [Brad Stevens‘] tutelage. I think he’s in a good place, emotionally and mentally, and he really wants to get his career on the right path.”

Well, so much for that. The Celtics were offering McGee’s a team option on the 2015/16 season but his camp was pushing for a player option instead, so the marriage has been called off. Whether McGee can eventually blossom into the kind of difference maker that Ainge was hoping for is debatable, but adding a hyper-athletic big like him would have given the C’s a serious push as they fight to make the cut in the Eastern Conference. Now, barring something unforeseen, they’ll forge ahead without him (While McGee won’t be in the big man rotation, Kelly Olynyk is back in the mix to help support Brandon Bass, Tyler Zeller, and newcomer Jonas Jerebko in the frontcourt.)

The C’s missed out on that splashy addition, but Ainge has been hard at work remaking Boston’s roster, including the deadline deal that brought them guard Isaiah Thomas from the Suns. In his seven games with Boston, Thomas has averaged 20.1 PPG and 5.4 APG, numbers that improved from his first half of the year in Phoenix. His PER in this short sample size has picked up as well and his 21.7 rating is higher than any posting he’s had in a full season.

As of today, Boston sits 2.0 games back of the Hornets for the No. 8 seed with the Pacers and Nets standing in between them. According to John Hollinger’s playoff odds (at ESPN.com), the numbers aren’t in the C’s favor as they have a 13.5% chance of making the postseason. But, the Celtics have found ways to win challenging games, like Wednesday night’s 85-84 victory over the Jazz sealed by Zeller’s buzzer-beating reverse layup. Guided by the inventive Stevens, do you see the Celtics finding their way into the playoffs this season?

Will The Celtics Make The Playoffs?

No 58.20% (472 votes)

Yes 41.80% (339 votes)

Total Votes: 811

No Deal Between Celtics, JaVale McGee

March 5th, 2015 at 2:47pm CST by Zachary Links

2:47pm: Things are dead between the Celtics and McGee and talks will not be revived, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).

2:23pm: In addition to previously mentioned suitors like the Warriors, Mavs, Raptors, and Heat, Wojnarowski writes that the Spurs and Bulls also have expressed interest in McGee.

2:10pm: The Raptors are one of several teams that plan on circling back to McGee, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Toronto GM Masai Ujiri is familiar with McGee from their time together in Denver.

1:42pm: Multiple playoff teams remain interested in McGee, Wojnarowski tweets. He doesn’t want to give up his freedom for next season, however, and he wants a player option for 2015/16 in his contract.

Most contenders called on McGee, Wojnarowski adds (link). It’s easier to list the playoff teams that haven’t called on McGee, Wojnarowski tweets, and that includes the Clippers, Thunder, and Cavs.

1:20pm: There will be no deal between the Celtics and McGee after all, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (on Twitter). The two sides ultimately could not reach agreement on a contract.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) hears that the C’s wanted a team option for the 2015/16 season while McGee’s camp was pushing for a player option.

8:32am: Team president Danny Ainge confirmed that Boston is on the verge of signing McGee, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.

Ainge told Toucher and Rich of The Sports Hub that he’s optimistic about what McGee can bring to the table, according to Ben Rohrbach of WEEI (on Twitter). “He hasn’t lived up to his potential yet, and we’re hoping that he can under Brad Stevens. We think he’s in a good place,” Ainge said.

8:30am: The Celtics are close to signing JaVale McGee, multiple sources told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal would take the big man through next season.

Multiple teams expressed interest in McGee after he was waived by the Sixers, but we haven’t heard much of the Celtics’ potential interest in him. The Mavericks were said to be “seriously interested,” the Warriors expressed serious interest, and the Raptors were weighing things, though they were skittish about crossing the $76.829MM tax line.

If and when McGee joins the Celtics, he’ll be putting on his third uniform of the season and, in fact, his third jersey in about a month. The Nuggets shipped McGee to the Sixers in a deadline deal and rumors of a potential buyout started swirling almost immediately. Both sides denied that they wanted to hammer out a buyout of his contract ($11.25MM in 2014/15 and $12MM in 2015/16), but those talks eventually took place. A buyout wasn’t agreed upon, but just prior to the deadline for playoff eligibility the Sixers waived McGee.

McGee, a B.J. Armstrong client, has averaged 8.4 PPG and 5.5 RPG across seven seasons. He played in six games for Philly, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 10.2 minutes per contest.

While the Celtics were never named specifically as a team with interest in the 27-year-old, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported earlier this week that a third of the league was eyeing McGee.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Jackson, Celtics

March 5th, 2015 at 9:58am CST by Zachary Links

Whether you’re scanning the pages of Hoops Rumors or Pro Football Rumors, one thing is clear: makeovers are very chic right now in the city of Brotherly Love. The Sixers are constantly making deals and the Eagles shipped LeSean McCoy to the Bills, leaving John Smallwood of the Daily News to wonder if the brazen moves will make the local teams soar or sink. Here’s more from the Atlantic..

Years before Phil Jackson arrived, Donnie Walsh was hired as the president of the Knicks and found a similar level of hype around his arrival. While Jackson is taking some heat, Walsh believes that the Zen Master is approaching the franchise’s latest rebuilding project the right way, Peter Botte of the New York Daily News writes. While some have been critical that his coaching skills haven’t or won’t translate into success as a GM, Walsh feels that his player evaluation skills are just as useful on both fronts. When it comes to the salary cap, he believes that Jackson is smart enough to navigate that and he pointed out that having GM Steve Mills on hand is an asset.
In his appearance on The Sports Hub, Celtics president Danny Ainge said that a playoff appearance will make his team more attractive to free agents in the offseason, Ben Rohrbach of The Sports Hub tweets. The Celtics are currently 2.0 games behind the Hornets for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, though they have the Pacers and Nets sandwiched in between.
Recently claimed off waivers by the Sixers, forward Thomas Robinson has a chip on his shoulder and a desire to prove that he can stick somewhere, Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News writes. “I’m tired of getting treated like a rag doll in this league,” Robinson said. “I just want to prove that I belong here. I’m tired of being treated like I’ve been treated in this league.” The former No. 5 overall pick has been traded three times and is now with his fifth team in the Sixers. Robinson has averaged 9.5 PPG and 7.3 RPG in 16.4 minutes of bench play in his four games with the Sixers, a significant increase from his career averages of 4.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG in just over 13 minutes of play.

Atlantic Notes: Olynyk, West, Robinson

March 4th, 2015 at 7:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Thomas Robinson is now playing for his fifth NBA team since being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. Though the Sixers claimed him off of waivers as much for his contract as for his talent, the big man hopes to use his opportunity in Philadelphia to silence critics that have labeled him a draft bust, Chris Mannix of SI.com writes. When asked what he was hoping for in Philly, Robinson said, “A chance, man. I know what I can do. I’m just keeping it simple here; rebound, defend, get to the open spots. Energy and toughness is my game. That’s who I am as a player right now.”

Here’s the latest out of the Atlantic Division:

ESPN.com Insider Chad Ford (subscription required) believes that the Sixers would be the team most likely to use the No. 1 overall pick to select Emmanuel Mudiay instead of Jahlil Okafor, who is the consensus top pick amongst scouts. Ford also thinks that the Magic would select Karl-Anthony Towns over Okafor if given the opportunity, since Towns would slot in better alongside Nikola Vucevic, Orlando’s starting center.
The Raptors were interested in acquiring David West from the Pacers prior to the February trade deadline, but the impending return of Paul George from injury and the wide open Eastern Conference negated any chance of a deal, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com tweets.
Center Kelly Olynyk is expected to make his return to the Celtics‘ lineup tonight after missing over a month with a sprained right ankle, Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com relays. “I don’t know what to expect,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said of Olynyk. “I watched him play 3 on 3 yesterday and he looked good to me. So hopefully he can give us what he gives us and that is a skilled offensive guy and a guy defensively with some savvy.”

Atlantic Notes: Young, Datome, Chris Smith

March 3rd, 2015 at 5:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

Nets GM Billy King wants to keep Thaddeus Young beyond this season and make him a building block for the team, writes Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. Young, who has a player option worth nearly $10.222MM for next season, is seeing fewer minutes per game since the trade to Brooklyn than in any season but his rookie year, but he’s nonetheless glad to be a part of the team’s plan for the future.

“It means a lot,” Young said. “It means that I’m definitely a player that has come into his own and being able to go out there and do a lot of things to help my team win basketball games. Sometimes I can go out there and be a game-changer with the energy I bring to the table.”

There’s more on the Nets amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics seem to want a long-term future with Jonas Jerebko, but while president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said he likes Gigi Datome and that the Celtics aren’t looking to release or arrange a buyout with him, he also said that it’s unclear just how he fits with the team. Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald has the details. The Celtics executive is focused more on player evaluation than wins and losses even as his team sits just a game and a half back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, Bulpett notes.
A season of prolific roster turnover has challenged Celtics coach Brad Stevens, but he’s shined amid the team’s many moves, navigating the club into contention for a playoff spot, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines.
Deron Williams believes all the trade rumors surrounding him and other high-profile Nets before the deadline affected the performance of the team, which has played better since February 19th passed, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com observes.
KB Peja of Kosova has released ex-Knicks guard Chris Smith, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The 27-year-old brother of J.R. Smith signed overseas last month but struggled to make an impact during his brief time playing in southeastern Europe.

Charlie Adams contributed to this post.