Celtics Rumors

Celtics Notes: Niang, Simmons, Bassey, Nicholas

July 23rd, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics got back another floor spacer in the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta, but Georges Niang hasn’t been feeling welcomed by Boston fans, relays Daniel Donabedian of ClutchPoints. In a recent appearance on the OGs podcast (YouTube link), the Massachusetts native discussed his reception since the deal was announced.

“I then get traded for Kristaps Porzingis — which, you know how tough Boston fans are. They don’t give a (expletive) if I’m from Boston or not,” Niang said. “‘You just took our Unicorn and replaced it with a Minivan. Get the (expletive) outta here.’ I’m like public enemy No. 1. They’re like, ‘What is this? This ain’t shiny. It’s got scratches on it, man.”

The reaction may be the result of lingering bitterness over an incident where Niang grabbed Jaylen Brown‘s knee from the bench during the 2023 playoffs (Twitter video link). It may also be related to uncertainty over whether the team intends to keep Niang’s $8.2MM expiring contract as it continues to look for ways to reduce payroll.

“You don’t want to be in Boston losing, that’s for sure,” Niang added. “What can I do this summer? Can I come in, in the best shape that I’m in, and also mentor, and kind of teach, and also learn — because they’ve won championships. And kind of dial all that into one, and focus every day on how can I win the day, and then win games.”

There’s more from Boston:

The Celtics have been mentioned as a possible destination for Ben Simmons, but Matt Vautour of MassLive advises them to look elsewhere for free agent help. Vautour states that although Simmons still has positive aspects to his game, the team wouldn’t be able to count on him staying healthy and signing him would most likely lead to disappointment as it did in Philadelphia and Brooklyn.
Charles Bassey, who made a strong impression with Boston during three Summer League games, is attracting attention from Virtus Bologna, according to Italian media outlet Pianeta Basket. Bassey could receive a training camp invitation, but that’s far from certain as the Celtics sort through their center options.
Drew Nicholas will join the Celtics as executive director of player personnel, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Nicholas was a scout for Brooklyn last season and previously served as director of scouting in Denver.

Hayden Gray Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Celtics

July 21st, 2025 at 7:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie Hayden Gray has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

Gray led Division I in steals last season, averaging 11.2 points, 3.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game in 35 starts for UC San Diego. Gray, a 6’4” guard, shot 47.9 percent overall and 41.8 percent on 3-point attempts. He was a two-year starter for the Tritons.

Gray was a member of the Celtics’ Summer League team and appeared in one game, posting seven points, two assists and two steals in 20 minutes.

“I’ve got pretty good anticipation, reading the ball-handler’s eyes, knowing where they want to go with it,” Gray told Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog. “I take pride in defense. A lot of teams are really focusing on creating more possessions, and I think I can do that by causing turnovers and also just being a floor general, handling the ball, and setting the table for everyone.”

If Gray is waived, he would be in line for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he joins the G League’s Maine Celtics and spends at least 60 days with Boston’s affiliate.

Stein’s Latest: Simmons, CP3, Clippers, Nuggets, Simons, Mavs

July 21st, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

After his Stein Line teammate Jake Fischer reported that the Kings and Knicks look like the top candidates to land Ben Simmons, NBA insider Marc Stein suggests within his latest Substack article that at least a couple more clubs are in the mix for the former No. 1 overall pick.

According to Stein, Simmons has drawn interest from the Celtics since free agency began and has also had some recent conversations with the Suns.

While a couple of those teams could offer Simmons a portion of their mid-level exception, most of them have tax- or apron-related concerns that would make a minimum-salary offer more likely for the former 76er, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Sunday. Phoenix would cross the tax line with even a veteran-minimum signing, New York has used its full taxpayer mid-level exception, and Boston is currently operating slightly above the second tax apron.

Simmons is a three-time All-Star who has made a pair of All-Defensive first teams and was the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in 2021, but he has battled back issues in recent years and has been a tricky fit in lineups that feature any other non-shooters. In 51 total appearances for the Nets and Clippers last season, he averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game.

Here’s more from Stein:

Following up on Lawrence Frank‘s comments on Saturday about the Clippers “strongly, strongly considering” Chris Paul, Stein suggests that most rival front offices view the veteran point guard as “the Clippers’ signee to lose.”
With Jared Dudley and J.J. Barea set to occupy the top two spots on David Adelman‘s bench in Denver, the Nuggets don’t intend to hire an assistant specifically for their third front-of-bench position. Instead, the plan is to rotate assistants in and out of that role depending on game-to-game scouting responsibilities, Stein explains. Ognjen Stojakovic, a holdover from Michael Malone‘s staff who is close with Nikola Jokic, is one coach expected to be in the rotation for that third assistant slot, Stein adds.
League sources confirm to Stein that the Celtics are continuing to explore the trade market for recently acquired guard Anfernee Simons.
The Mavericks will congregate in Canada this fall, according to Stein, who says the team’s training camp will be held in Vancouver, B.C.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Smart, Thomas, Bassey

July 20th, 2025 at 5:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Despite the Sixers‘ lottery luck that landed them prized rookie VJ Edgecombe, the team’s outlook hasn’t changed, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Everything still revolves around the health of Tyrese Maxey and especially Paul George and Joel Embiid.

That plan has already hit a snag with the announcement that George underwent knee surgery following an injury sustained during workouts, an injury that Pompey says has the potential to keep him sidelined through the start of the season, depending on how the rehab process goes.

Pompey adds that the offseason drama, which the Sixers are no stranger to in recent years, also includes a recent ESPN article about Embiid that cast an unnamed member of the roster into suspicion when Embiid claimed to know which teammate had leaked information about a players-only meeting last season.

Team president Daryl Morey is still expressing optimism about the coming season, including George’s ability to not only recover from the injury but also bounce back after a disappointing first season in Philadelphia.

“I know he really wants to show the Philadelphia fans what he can do,” Morey said. “He didn’t feel like he was able to do that last year. So I know he’s very optimistic and excited to get out there and show what he can do.”

We have more from around the Atlantic division:

The Knicks checked in on Marcus Smart‘s availability and desire to join the team after it became clear that he would be bought out by the Wizards, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (via Twitter). Bondy notes that the conversations didn’t move forward, since Smart wanted a clearer pathway to major minutes than the Knicks could offer. Smart ultimately signed with the Lakers on a two-year, $11MM deal with a player option on the second year.
Cam Thomas, who is currently a restricted free agent and attempting to secure a new deal with the Nets or another team, took umbrage at recent comments from The Ringer’s Zach Lowe, writes Net Income for NetsDaily.com. After an aggregator Twitter account relayed Lowe saying that there’s a consensus about Thomas being an “empty calories ball hog,” the guard responded. “F–k you and the consensus,” Thomas wrote to Lowe. “This is most likely the same consensus teams who can’t guard me and send double teams from jump ball.” Net Income notes that this comes after multiple less-than-positive summaries of Thomas’ value had emerged online in recent days, and that Thomas is likely to be particularly sensitive, as it has been speculated that there is little movement toward him receiving the kind of offer he’s looking for.
Charles Bassey had a strong Summer League for the Celtics, who are very thin at center, but according to Brian Robb of MassLive, that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a spot for him on Boston’s roster. In a mailbag article, Robb writes that Bassey’s skill set overlaps with Neemias Queta‘s, and that Bassey’s play as a fifth-year player in Summer League might not be as convincing to the team as to fans. However, it has been widely reported that the Celtics are still pursuing a variety of trades before the season begins, so a deal that sends multiple players out could make room for Bassey to join the team on a guaranteed deal. Barring such a move, it’s more likely that Bassey lands a non-guaranteed training camp invitation, Robb writes.

Fischer’s Latest: Simmons, Brogdon, Kuminga, Celtics

July 20th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings and Knicks appear to be the most likely destinations for Ben Simmons in free agency, Jake Fischer said in a recent Bleacher Report stream (hat tip to BasketNews). Simmons, who played 51 combined games with the Nets and Clippers last season, is one of several prominent veterans who remain unsigned.

“We are still anticipating the Kings to be bringing in another veteran guard, and Ben Simmons is on that list of potential targets, in addition to Russell Westbrook, to Malcolm Brogdon, and I think he’d make an interesting addition there,” Fischer said. “I personally think Ben Simmons would be interesting in Minnesota, but I haven’t heard that they have interest in him.”

Sacramento currently has 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, along with non-guaranteed deals for Keon Ellis ($2.3MM) and Terence Davis ($2.5MM), so there’s flexibility to add an established guard. The Kings are nearly $9.9MM below the first apron.

Simmons, 29, was a rotation player with Brooklyn before being waived in early February, averaging 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 33 games. His role was reduced once he joined the Clippers, but he still offers versatility and defensive upside.

Fischer shared a few more rumors in his stream:

The Bucks likely won’t pursue Brogdon after landing Cole Anthony, but Fischer said there’s still plenty of interest around the league in the veteran guard. Along with the Kings, he names the Pelicans, Timberwolves and Warriors as potential landings spots for Brogdon, who appeared in 24 games with Washington last season.
Fischer doesn’t believe the Warriors have enough interest in Bulls center Nikola Vucevic to make him the main piece in a potential Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade. Vucevic has an expiring contract, and Golden State is expected to fill its need for a stretch five by signing Al Horford. Chicago is among several teams that have expressed interest in Kuminga, but Fischer says the most likely scenario has him remaining with the Warriors on “a short-term agreement.”
The Celtics remain active on the trade market as they try to get their roster younger and cheaper, Fischer adds. He states that Boston had discussions with the Grizzlies recently, but doesn’t provide any other details. He states that rival teams believe the Celtics are trying to unload both Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang.

Celtics Notes: Norris, Gonzalez, Lillard, Scheierman

July 19th, 2025 at 6:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Miles Norris only appeared in three games after signing a two-way contract with the Celtics in early March, so he has tried to make a strong impression during Summer League, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The 25-year-old power forward had 11 points, including four dunks, in Thursday’s win over the Lakers. He said everything has been positive since he came to Boston, and he’s hoping to eventually move into a larger role

“The whole organization, you know, it’s been good to me,” Norris said. “Basketball has been enjoyable since I’ve been here, the environment has been great. So, you know, everyone’s having fun. I’m having a lot of fun. It’s good, I’m just trying to go out there and compete. I’m the two-way now, you know, trying to get work my way. Yeah, I’ve been enjoying it so far.”

Norris spent time with Atlanta and Memphis after going undrafted out of California Santa Barbara in 2023, but the Celtics gave him his first on-court experience. The organizati0n hopes he can develop into an effective three-and-D player, and he’s been instructed to study Michael Porter Jr. and Obi Toppin. He said he benefited from being part of a playoff atmosphere during the spring as the Celtics advanced to the second round.

“The thing I noticed was the preparation, before the court, off the court, you know, guys taking care of their body,” Norris said. “The real professionalism. That’s the biggest thing I’ve seen from the veterans you know. JT (Jayson Tatum), JB (Jaylen Brown), Al (Horford), I (saw) Al every day (last season) working on his body. It’s good to see guys you know, have that longevity, yeah, see how important it is. So I try to take some things from them every day, watch them every day. You know, try to follow them.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

First-round pick Hugo Gonzalez has been his own toughest critic during Summer League, Washburn adds in a separate story. The 19-year-old Real Madrid star could be seen talking to himself in Spanish after a few early errors in Las Vegas. “I’m just trying to have a positive message to my mind after a turnover or missed shot,” he said. “I’m trying to have the mindset of I’ve got to make the best decision on the next play. I try to live with the mistakes. That’s what basketball means.”
Appearing this week on NBA Today, ESPN’s Shams Charania said Damian Lillard gave strong consideration to Boston before returning to the Trail Blazers, per Brian Robb of MassLive. “Over a dozen teams made minimum and mid-level exception offers to Dame,” Charania said. “Two teams in particular, I’m told, that Damian Lillard really considered: Celtics and the Timberwolves. He held calls with both teams at different points, but to be in Portland, back home with his three young kids, was by far the most important factor in his return to the Trail Blazers.” Robb points out that Boston’s offer was limited to the $5.9MM taxpayer MLE and that signing Lillard would have required other moves to get below the second apron.
Baylor Scheierman is trying not to get discouraged by his poor shooting in Summer League, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Last year’s first-round pick is connecting at 27.4% from the field and 20.5% from three-point range. “Just keep shooting,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’ve practiced a lot in my career to get here, shooting-wise. I’ve shot a lot of shots in a game — made a lot of shots in a game. It’s just a slump that I’m in right now. At the end of the day, the only way I’m going to get out of it is to keep shooting.”

Cap Notes: Bulls, Nuggets, Harden, Minott, MLEs

July 18th, 2025 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

When the Bulls traded Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro earlier this month, they had to use a portion of their existing Zach LaVine traded player exception worth $17MM+ to absorb Okoro’s $11MM salary, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Chicago couldn’t simply use Ball’s $10MM outgoing salary for matching purposes due to an injury protection clause in his contract, Smith notes.

The $10MM owed to Ball for the 2025/26 season would be fully guaranteed if he were waived today, but his contract includes an Exhibit 3 (“prior injury exclusion”) clause which would let the team off the hook for the full amount if he suffers a specific injury — presumably, a major one related to his surgically repaired knee.

It sounds as if the NBA required the Bulls to treat Ball’s salary as non-guaranteed due to that Exhibit 3 clause, which means it wouldn’t count for $10MM for outgoing purposes, as we explain in our glossary entry on the trade rules for non-guaranteed salary. That meant another exception had to be used to take on Okoro’s incoming $11MM.

The move will still hard-cap the Bulls at the first tax apron for the 2025/26 league year — instead of using the expanded traded player exception (taking back more than 100% of Ball’s salary), they used a trade exception generated during the previous season. Either move creates a hard cap at the first apron.

Here are a few more cap-related housekeeping notes worth passing along:

The Nuggets used a portion of the traded player exception generated in their Michael Porter Jr./Cameron Johnson swap to acquire Jonas Valanciunas‘ $10.4MM salary from Sacramento, creating a new TPE worth Dario Saric‘s outgoing $5.4MM salary in the process, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reports for Sports Business Classroom. Denver could’ve used Saric’s outgoing salary to legally match Valanciunas’ incoming amount without touching the Porter TPE, but doing so would’ve created a first-apron hard cap. Because the Porter TPE was created after the regular season ended, using it doesn’t result in a hard cap for Denver.
The 2025/26 salaries for Clippers guard James Harden and Celtics guard Josh Minott are now fully guaranteed. Neither Harden nor Minott received a fully guaranteed first-year salary at the time they signed earlier this month, but that was just a technicality so that the Clippers and Celtics could avoid guaranteeing their second-year options for 2026/27. Harden’s $39.2MM salary for ’25/26 became guaranteed after July 11, while Minott’s $2.4MM salary was guaranteed after July 15.
Once Damian Lillard officially signs with Portland, there will be just four NBA teams who still have their entire $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception available and remain far enough below the first tax apron that they could use the entire thing. Those teams are the Wizards, Hornets, Bulls, and Warriors. However, Chicago and Golden State still have to resolve restricted free agency for Josh Giddey and Jonathan Kuminga, respectively, so there’s no guarantee they’ll remain on that list. That will make Washington and Charlotte two teams to watch closely for the rest of the offseason and perhaps into the season, since that MLE flexibility makes them candidates to take on unwanted salary in trades.

Eastern Notes: Sexton, Holland, Anthony, Embiid, Bassey

July 17th, 2025 at 9:09pm CST by Luke Adams

In a wide-ranging interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required), Hornets head coach Charles Lee spoke about the offseason additions to the roster, why he’s comfortable with the team’s frontcourt options, and how he expects LaMelo Ball to take another step forward as a leader next season, among other topics.

Discussing newly acquired veteran guard Collin Sexton, Lee suggested that the 26-year-old’s “fearlessness” and “competitiveness” are traits that stand out and joked that he’ll be expecting different treatment from Sexton during games now that they’re on the same side.

“From afar, he was very competitive. At times he would stare me down during games as the opposing coach or scout coach, and he’s always looking for some fuel to get him going,” Lee said. “So, when he first got here, I made sure to remind them of that, ‘Like, don’t be looking at me crazy like that anymore or your minutes are going to suffer now.’ But it’s great. I’m so glad to have him on our side.

“… I already appreciate so much of what he’s kind of giving to our group,” Lee continued. “Seeing him do group workouts with Melo, them having conversations, I just think is really important for our group to continue to grow. And he’s going to be a big part of that with his work ethic and then also with his competitiveness.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

While Ron Holland has been impressive all around for the Pistons during Summer League play, with averages of 21.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 steals per game in three outings, his three-point shooting has perhaps been the most encouraging part of his performance, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). It’s a small sample, but Holland has knocked down 7-of-15 threes (46.7%) after making just 23.8% as a rookie. “I feel like me and Freddie V have been in the gym, for sure,” Holland said on Sunday, referring to Pistons assistant coach and shooting guru Fred Vinson. “There’s no secret behind that.” Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) also weighs in on Holland’s strong Summer League play, suggesting that the Pistons should be very encouraged by what he has shown.
Cole Anthony‘s new one-year contract with the Bucks is worth the veteran’s minimum, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Anthony will earn $2,667,947 on the deal, while Milwaukee carries a cap hit of $2,296,274.
In a fascinating, in-depth feature, Dotun Akintoye of ESPN gets some candid comments out of Sixers star Joel Embiid, who discussed the media narratives that have followed him around, his altercation with local columnist Marcus Hayes, and his (successful) quest to find out who leaked details about a team meeting last fall, among many other topics.
Big man Charles Bassey has left the Celtics‘ Summer League team, as Souichi Terada of MassLive.com relays. Bassey’s deal with Boston only covered three games in Las Vegas, as he had other summer commitments. The former San Antonio center – who doesn’t yet have a contract in place for 2025/26 – performed well in Vegas, averaging a double-double (15.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG) and shooting 70.4% from the field.

Bucks, Hawks Interested In Horford?

July 14th, 2025 at 9:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors are considered the heavy favorite to sign veteran big man Al Horford if he doesn’t retire. However, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reports that a couple of Eastern Conference teams are interested in his services (hat tip to Brian Robb of Masslive.com).

The Bucks and Hawks, along with the Lakers, have looked into signing the Celtics free agent. Atlanta could hold some intrigue for Horford, since he has a home there.

“Golden State obviously expected him to sign last week, he didn’t [sign],” Spears said on ESPN’s NBA Today. “Lakers, Milwaukee, and Atlanta, I believe are also interested in a nearly 40-year-old guy who also has retirement on the table. He’s still considering retiring, he’s not in any hurry. He’s got a sixth kid coming on the way, he lives in Atlanta and Boston in the offseason. I’m hearing that whether it’s Golden State and a lesser extent to the Lakers, being away from the family that far isn’t going to be in that decision.”

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said earlier this month that it’s “unlikely” Horford returns to Boston, though Stevens did say the team made offers to both him and Luke Kornet (who signed with San Antonio).

Milwaukee’s reported interest is somewhat surprising, considering it has landed Myles Turner in free agency and re-signed big men Bobby Portis and Jericho Sims.

Atlanta would make more sense, considering the offseason departures of Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr. The Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis, but would be relying on youngsters like first-round pick Asa Newell and Mouhamed Gueye for depth purposes behind Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu in the frontcourt.

Luka Garza Discusses Signing With Celtics

July 14th, 2025 at 4:07pm CST by Rory Maher

After playing a limited role for the Pistons and Timberwolves over the course of his first four NBA seasons, former Iowa star Luka Garza admitted he was motivated to sign with the Celtics because he’ll have an opportunity to earn more playing time, according to Brian Robb of MassLive.

“Obviously, the franchise speaks for itself and just the winning and the history,” Garza said. “I’m a big basketball junkie, so obviously the chance to put on that uniform and play for the Celtics is attractive enough. But obviously there’s a lot of opportunity, especially in the frontcourt and with the guys that we have. I think the front office and the coaches believe in me and what I can do, so I just saw that as really good for me at this stage in my career.”

The Celtics traded starting center Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta and lost backup Luke Kornet to San Antonio in free agency, while Al Horford is considered unlikely to return next season. After being stuck behind Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid in Minnesota, Garza could carve out a significant role in the middle for Boston, which only has Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman as fellow big men on standard deals.

“I feel like I learned so much from my time in Minnesota from being around those type of guys, but I think it was time to find that opportunity to get on the floor,” Garza said, per Robb. “I felt like in the limited opportunities I was able to get, I was able to show well and maximize those. But for me it was a priority for me to get somewhere where I could get more of those opportunities.”

While he hasn’t played many NBA minutes to this point in his career, Garza has dominated at the G League level and clearly the Celtics liked his game, otherwise they wouldn’t have given him a two-year deal that’s fully guaranteed.

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