Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Washburn On Bucks, Johnson, Wilcox

September 1st, 2013 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

In today's column, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes that much of the Bucks success lies on the capable shoulders of Larry Sanders. The big man inked a four-year, $44MM deal with Milwaukee this offseason that will put him at the center of a very different team than the one that went to the playoffs this past season. “He’s one of the key, if not the key, piece for us moving forward,” GM John Hammond said of Sanders. “Larry is one of the top shot-blockers in our business. And I think he’s only going to get better defensively. We’re really excited to have him part of our organization, moving forward long term.”

In an Eastern Conference where the Celtics and Hawks in rebuilding mode, and the Magic, 76ers, and Bobcats are lottery-bound, teams like the Bucks , Cavs , Pistons, Wizards, and Raptors will have an opportunity to take a step forward, in Washburn's estimation. Here's more from today's column..

The fact that former Hawks forward Ivan Johnson couldn't land a mini mid-level deal despite being a solid 29-year-old rebounder is an indication that it will be a tough market for the remaining free agents looking for more than the minimum. Teams with salary-cap space would much rather invest money in younger players and prospects than veterans while contenders have filled their rosters, leaving only training camp invitations. There's also speculation that teams are wary of the luxury-tax threshold with the increased penalties brought on by the new CBA. The Celtics are one team that has been in the process of shedding salary – like Shavlik Randolph and Terrence Williams – for that reason.
Former Celtics veteran Chris Wilcox is still without a club as September gets underway and he'll have to find a home rather quickly. While he wants to play in the NBA, he's open to other possibilities. “I am open to going overseas,” Wilcox said. “At the same time, I would love to stay here in the NBA. If it’s something that I have to do, then I’ll do it.”
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who was appointed as GM of the Kings' D-League affiliate, could be an NBA GM candidate in the coming years. The retired forward has been in the Sacramento front office the past three seasons and has been considered a rising exec. It's worth noting that Abdur-Rahim stayed in the Sacramento front office in the face of the team’s ownership and coaching change.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Nets, Smith, Wyatt, Celtics

September 1st, 2013 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

J.R. Smith has never been one to shy away from a microphone and this week he gave Knicks beat writers some solid late-August material. Somewhere in between firing shots across the East River at Paul Pierce and the Nets, Smith was asked about Carmelo Anthony's opt out in the summer of 2014. "I don't see him leaving, but I said the same thing in Denver so it's up to him," said Smith. Here's more out of the Atlantic..

Smith told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, that he signed with the Knicks rather than the Nets when he returned from China in February 2012 because “the Nets weren’t good. Now they’re still not good.’’ Meanwhile, Berman's colleague Fred Kerber tweets that the Nets never had any interest in the New Jersey native.
Smith says that he's unsure of whether or not he'll be ready for the Knicks season opener against the Bucks, but Berman (Sulia link) gets the impression that he won't be. Berman expects him to miss a week or two of action.
Don't be surprised if former Temple standout Khalif Wyatt receives a training camp invitation and spends some time with the Sixers during the regular season, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The guard could fill a void on a team in desperate need of a long-range shooter, Pompey writes. Wyatt averaged a team-best 13.8 PPG for Philadelphia in summer league.
Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com breaks down the Celtics' training camp invites.

Chris Babb Accepts Celtics’ Camp Invite

August 30th, 2013 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Iowa State guard Chris Babb has agreed to a training camp deal with the Celtics, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

Babb, 23, went undrafted this past June, but joined the Suns for Summer League play in July. In his senior year at Iowa State, the 6'5" guard averaged 9.1 PPG to go along with 38.2% shooting from three-point range.

Like fellow camp invitees Kammron Taylor and DeShawn Sims, Babb probably isn't a strong bet to make the Celtics' regular-season roster, since the team already has 14 guaranteed contracts on its books, plus Donte Greene's non-guaranteed deal.

Eastern Links: Heat, Henry Bibby, Pistons, Nets

August 30th, 2013 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

As we look forward to the Labor Day weekend, let's round up a few end-of-week items out of the Eastern Conference….

Caron Butler and Lamar Odom are no longer options for the Heat, but neither player was ever a real possibility, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman adds that "there will be other Butler and Odom types that could shake free" over the course of the year for the Heat.
Former Grizzlies assistant Henry Bibby will join Maurice Cheeks' coaching staff with the Pistons, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Making small adjustments to teams that already have a core in place is Joe Dumars' strength, so the Pistons GM should be well-positioned to handle the next stage of the team's development, writes Dan Feldman of PistonPowered (link via Detroit Free Press).
Former Queens prep star Kyle Hunt will work out for the Nets in September, reports Joshua Newman of SNY.tv.
Over at HoopsWorld, Lang Greene's list of potential training-camp logjams includes positional battles for the Celtics, Cavs, Bucks, and Knicks, among other teams.

Kammron Taylor Accepts Celtics’ Camp Invite

August 30th, 2013 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Former Wisconsin guard Kammron Taylor has accepted an invitation to join the Celtics' training camp this fall, agent Keith Kreiter tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Details of the deal aren't known, but if it's just a camp invite, it will be fully non-guaranteed.

Taylor, 29, graduated from Wisconsin in 2007, having averaged 13.3 PPG in his senior year. He has played for a variety of teams overseas since then, including spending last season with Germany's Neckar Riesen Ludwigsburg, with whom he averaged 13.2 PPG. Taylor also was a part of the Timberwolves' Summer League squad last month.

Boston already has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Donte Greene on a non-guaranteed deal, so earning a regular-season roster spot is a long shot for Taylor. It's possible that he and fellow camp signee DeShawn Sims will end up joining the Celtics' D-League affiliate in Maine, though that's just my speculation.

Poll: Most Improved Player In The Atlantic?

August 29th, 2013 at 8:22pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Atlantic Division saw plenty of player movement during this offseason, with teams either adding significant rotation players or dealing them away to create bigger roles for their younger ones. Let's take a look at a few players who could continue to elevate their standing next season:

After sitting out the 2011/12 season to recover from open heart surgery, Jeff Green returned to the Celtics last year as a productive contributor and arguably the team's most important reserve, appearing in 81 games (17 starts) and averaging 12.8 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 27.8 MPG while shooting a career best 46.7% from the field and 38.5% from three. Over the final three months of the season, the former Georgetown Hoya put on a tremendous display of efficient shooting, posting scoring averages of 15.3/17.6/17.1 and never averaging less than 48.8% overall and 41.4% from long distance per month. Green could very well be relied on in a primary scoring role next season following the departures of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry – three of Boston's top five scorers last year.

One of the biggest question marks for the Knicks heading into last season was how Iman Shumpert would fare after returning from an ACL injury suffered during the 2011/12 playoffs. After sitting out the first 37 games, the sophomore swingman returned in mid-January, averaging 6.8 PPG and 1.0 SPG in 22.1 MPG the rest of the way. While those numbers may not stand out very much, Shumpert proved to be an intriguing young player within a playoff atmosphere, going for 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting in a closeout win against the Celtics and 6-for-10 (with an uncanny 5-for-6 performance from long distance) in a comeback attempt that fell short against the Pacers in Game 6 of the Conference semi-finals. Although his shooting numbers appeared to have wildly fluctuated at times during last season (26.4% from the field/ 27.2% from three in February followed by 47.9% from the field/49.9% from three in March), Shumpert has also garnered recognition as a strong defensive player, and there is some belief that his development is strongly tied to how far the Knicks can go this year.

With last year's team leading scorer Jrue Holiday now donning a Pelicans uniform and Jason Richardson still rehabbing from knee surgery, Evan Turner will most likely stand as the 76ers' most experienced guard in their backcourt to start the season. The fourth-year player was actually given an enormous amount of minutes last year and put up some of the best numbers of his career thus far – 13.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, and 36.5% from long range in 35.6 MPG. A few things to keep an eye out for in terms of Turner's offensive development are how much he can increase his scoring average by, how well he can improve from last season's 41.8% overall shooting average, and if he can get to the free throw line at a higher rate.

Another name to keep an eye out for in Philadelphia is Thaddeus Young, who finished the year as the team's second-leading scorer. The 6'8 forward posted 14.8 PPG on an efficient 53.1% from the field along with 7.5 RPG in 34.6 MPG. While 57.4% from the charity stripe leaves a lot left to be desired – especially considering he shot 77.1% in 2011/12 – Young showed a tremendous amount of promise overall as a scorer in March, going for 16.7 PPG on a 58.0% clip.

A very intriguing name to follow north of the border is second-year center Jonas Valanciunas, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2013 Las Vegas Summer league. As a rookie, the 6'11 center delivered 8.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 1.3 BPG for the Raptors last season. In what could reasonably have been a preview of what to continue to expect, Valanciunas averaged 11.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.1 BPG, and 27.1 MPG in March, followed by 14.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.4 BPG, and 31.6 MPG in April. What's even more interesting are his field goal percentages and accuracy from the line over those final two months of the year (62.0%/82.0% and 55.8%/85.2% respectively). With that in mind, the 21-year-old big man figures to have the keys to the starting center position in Toronto.

Of the aforementioned players in the Atlantic Division, who stands to take their game to another level in 2013/14?

Most Improved Player In The Atlantic?

Jonas Valanciunas 40.58% (435 votes)

Jeff Green 30.22% (324 votes)

Iman Shumpert 18.47% (198 votes)

Evan Turner 5.22% (56 votes)

Thaddeus Young 4.20% (45 votes)

Other 1.31% (14 votes)

Total Votes: 1,072

Odds & Ends: Ellis, Pacers, Wilcox, Williams

August 28th, 2013 at 11:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Agent Jeff Fried sure sounded like he wouldn't be working with Monta Ellis anymore when news broke in July that the two were parting ways, as Fried was quoted giving his well-wishes to Ellis and his family. Fried now says those reports were incorrect, telling Shams Charania of RealGM.com that he and Ellis are "together for a lifetime." Fried, of the Peake Management Group, and Happy Walters of Relativity Sports are sharing representation duties for Ellis, according to Charania. We've duly noted the unusual arrangement in the Hoops Rumors Agency Database. Here's more from around the Association:

The Pacers' lease at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis doesn't expire until 2019, but the head of the city agency in charge of managing the arena says it's likely that by the end of the year there will be a new deal that will keep the team in Indy even longer. Jon Murray of the Indianapolis Star has the details.
Veteran center Chris Wilcox remains without a team, and he tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he's still wearing a cast from surgery this summer to repair torn ligaments in his right thumb that he suffered while playing for the Celtics last season (Twitter link).
Former Nets center Jordan Williams has signed with Bilbao Basket of Spain, the team announced on Twitter (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
Stan Van Gundy talks Dwight Howard, identifies Mike D'Antoni as the most innovative coach in the league, and provides insight on the roster construction of his best teams with the Magic in a Q&A with Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com.
The Celtics would be well-advised to shop Rajon Rondo in advance of the trade deadline this year, but Rondo can do plenty to up his value if he displays maturity and leadership this season, HoopsWorld's Moke Hamilton opines.
In an updated version of his story on the Timberwolves' hiring of Milt Newton and Bobby Jackson, Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press notes that the team will promote assistant GM Rob Babcock to vice president of basketball operations.

Odds & Ends: Hawks, Bradley, Bobcats, Stern

August 27th, 2013 at 7:35pm CST by Alex Lee

Here are some odds and ends from around the NBA on Tuesday night:

The Hawks' offseason represents a step forward for the organization, writes Zach Harper of CBS Sports in his detailed offseason review of Atlanta. Harper condemns the former regime's running-in-place approach, and says the Hawks had a solid draft and made the right decision to replace Josh Smith with the much cheaper Paul Millsap. While he expects Atlanta to again end up in that familiar middle-of-the-playoff-pack area, Harper writes that the flexibility and roster construction created by Danny Ferry should give it a different feel.
Avery Bradley has focused on getting bigger and stronger this offseason in an attempt to stay healthy, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston. Bradley says that, due to injuries and the lockout, this offseason has easily been the most productive of his career as a professional. He will certainly have an opportunity to shine on the new-look Celtics' roster.
While success and roster continuity are typically linked in the NBA, the Bobcats are this year's exception, writes John Schuhmann of NBA.com. Charlotte will bring back 11 players that accounted for over 85 percent of the team's total minutes played last year, which is the third highest percentage in the NBA this offseason, The Bobcats have only added Cody Zeller, Anthony Tolliver and Al Jefferson at this point. It is not surprising that first, second and fourth teams on that list are the Heat, Thunder and Spurs, respectively.
In an Insider-only piece, David Thorpe of ESPN points out the burning questions facing each of the teams in the Southeast division this season, adding that the division is stocked with youth and talent as well as, of course, the two-time defending champs.
With Adam Silver set to take over the commissioner's office in February, Jabari Davis of HoopsWorld provides a retrospective look at David Stern's 30 year reign as the NBA's front man.

DeShawn Sims To Join Celtics In Training Camp

August 26th, 2013 at 6:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former University of Michigan power forward DeShawn Sims will be in training camp with the Celtics this fall, the 25-year-old tweets (hat tip to Sportando). Sims was on the Suns summer league team last month, and he spent the past season playing in Lebanon.

Sims went undrafted in 2010 despite notching 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds as senior with the Wolverines. He upped his scoring numbers in parts of two seasons with the Maine Red Claws of the D-League, averaging 19.1 PPG and the same 7.6 RPG. He managed 10.8 PPG and 4.0 PRG in 19.7 minutes per contest with the Suns this summer, enough to convince the Celtics that he deserves a shot.

The Detroit native will compete with newly acquired Donte Greene, who has a non-guaranteed deal, and any other training camp invitees the Celtics sign. Boston already has 14 guaranteed contracts, as our roster counts show, and with the team near the luxury tax line and only obligated to carry 13 players, Sims figures to have an uphill battle to make the team.

Atlantic Rumors: Wilcox, Blalock, D.J. White, Nets

August 25th, 2013 at 8:55am CST by Chuck Myron

Dwane Casey might not be on the most solid of footing with the Raptors, but he's the longest tenured coach in the Atlantic Division, where three of the five clubs will debut first-time NBA bench bosses this season. The expectations on Brad Stevens of the Celtics and Brett Brown of the Sixers could probably accomodate a winning percentage similar to the .385 mark Casey has posted in two seasons with Toronto, but Jason Kidd of the Nets will have to do much better than that right away. Here's the latest out of the Atlantic:

Free agent center Chris Wilcox would like to return to the Celtics, but that's a longshot with Stevens and his staff in place, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, who passes along the news amid an array of topics in his weekly column. The C's attempted to trade Wilcox at the deadline last season before the veteran center vetoed the move, so it appears the team wasn't too high on him even when former coach Doc Rivers was around.
Will Blalock has just 14 NBA games on his resume, all of them during the 2006/07 season. Still, he maintains hope of making it back to the Association, and he's been working out at the Celtics facility this summer, Washburn notes.
D.J. White spent time with the Celtics last season after a stint in China, and he's weighing options that include offers to play in China again, the former Indiana Hoosier told The Associated Press.
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov will dish out $180MM+ in salary and luxury tax for his team, but Brooklyn is still without someone who can hit clutch end-of-game shots, as HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram opines in his NBA AM piece.