Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Fredette, Clippers, Terry, Oden

June 26th, 2013 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the hiring of Doc Rivers, the positive news keeps coming for Clippers fans. Rivers confirmed to the media today that he has spoken to Chris Paul since joining the franchise, which looks like a good sign for CP3's long-term future in Los Angeles (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com). The Clippers also appear poised to add Alvin Gentry to Rivers' staff, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter). Gentry had been deciding between assistant jobs with the Clippers and Lakers.

Here's more from around the NBA:

Despite reports to the contrary, Sam Amick of USA Today is hearing that the Kings haven't had talks about trading Jimmer Fredette. Amick adds that the new management group is willing to listen to anything, but there's no indication Fredette is being shopped or even discussed in trade talks at this point (Twitter links).
Appearing on KRLD-FM 105.3 in Dallas, Jason Terry said he hopes to wear a Mavericks uniform again before he retires. "You know what, I wear it every night anyway," Terry said (link via Dallas Morning News). "It's my home base. I'm with the Celtics for another two years. I would be more than happy to come back and put the Mavs jersey on and come back and get back on the runway for the Mavericks."
The Cavaliers have hired former Bucks head coach Jim Boylan to be the lead assistant on Mike Brown's staff, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Speaking to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor acknowledged that the Trail Blazers could be a thorn in Minnesota's side as the team attempts to lock up Nikola Pekovic this summer. Re-signing Pekovic remains the club's top priority, as Walters writes.
Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck appeared on WEEI in Boston today to address the departure of Rivers and the next steps for the C's, and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passed along Grousbeck's comments.
In addition to discussing several of the team's own free agents, Heat president Pat Riley confirmed that Miami has interest in Greg Oden, as Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida outlines (via Sulia).

Draft Updates: Wednesday Morning

June 26th, 2013 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA draft just one day away, we're expecting plenty of updates over the next 30 hours or so, leading up to the big night. We'll have plenty of draft-related material of our own going up before tomorrow night, including a new version of our mock draft and a complete draft primer. In the meantime, here's the latest buzz from around the league on Wednesday morning:

According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter), the Celtics have scheduled a few "last-minute" workouts with likely second-round picks, causing some to wonder if they're leaning toward moving Paul Pierce for picks.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford reports that there's a "growing belief" that Cody Zeller is seriously in the mix for the Bobcats at No. 4. According to Ford, GM Rich Cho is pushing for Zeller, but is getting resistance (Twitter links).
The Grizzlies have interest in getting back into the first round by buying a pick, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (via Twitter).
Sam Smith of Bulls.com lists the prospects he believes are on the Bulls' radar for the 20th overall pick.
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Jeff Goodman identifies 10 prospects that scare NBA teams, led by Ben McLemore. Meanwhile, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com tweets that reports of concerns surrounding McLemore's representatives are overblown.
Ken Maguire of the New York Times takes an in-depth look at Giannis Adetokunbo's unlikely journey to become a probable first-round pick.

Stein On McHale, Clips, Celtics, Garnett, Pierce

June 26th, 2013 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com's Marc Stein took to Twitter late last night to pass along some items on the fallout from Doc Rivers' move from the Celtics to the Clippers. Here are the highlights from the ESPN.com scribe (all links go to Twitter):

Rockets head coach Kevin McHale is off-limits for the Celtics in their coaching search, in part because Houston feels McHale is a key component of the team's pitch to unrestricted free agent Dwight Howard.
The Clippers are resigned to the fact that the only way they could land Kevin Garnett now would probably involve KG retiring, sitting out a few months, then unretiring and signing with L.A.
Even in that scenario, it's not clear whether the NBA would approve. As Stein notes, although trades aren't allowed, there appears to be wiggle room via free agency for both Garnett and Paul Pierce. The NBA isn't addressing that possibility now, but certainly would if it became more real.
The Celtics may now be leaning toward keeping Pierce through this week and guaranteeing his full 2013/14 salary, in which case he and KG could start next season in Boston.
Given that possibility, the Celtics are considering two options in their coaching search, according to Stein: Hiring a more established coach if the veterans remain on the roster, or going younger if a full rebuild occurs.

Danny Ainge On Rivers, Garnett, Pierce

June 25th, 2013 at 6:21pm CST by Michael Pina

Earlier today, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge conducted a press conference to address Doc Rivers' departure, as well as the team's immediate future surrounding the likes of Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and how the team will fill its vacant head coaching position.

Ainge told reporters he was ready for the upcoming rebuild, but that he wasn't sure if there would be complete renovation of the team's core players this summer or next, according to a tweet from ESPNBoston's Chris Forsberg.
With regards the team's vacancy at head coach, Ainge said he has yet to contact or communicate with any candidates, tweets CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely.
Blakely also tweeted Ainge's confirmation of earlier reports that the league has mandated the Celtics and Clippers make no trades with one another throughout the 2013/14 season.
According to a tweet from the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, no decision has yet been made on what the team will do with Pierce and Garnett.
Ainge confirmed that the team's star point guard, Rondo, had nothing to do with Rivers wanting to leave for Los Angeles (tweet).
Ainge ruled himself out as an option to replace Rivers as Celtics head coach, according to a Forsberg tweet.

Celtics, Clips Can’t Swap Players Through 2013/14

June 25th, 2013 at 5:20pm CST by Luke Adams

5:20pm: ESPN.com's Marc Stein tweets that the provision also applies to trades involving three or more teams, so no deals involving both the Clippers and Celtics will be allowed next season.

4:11pm: The Celtics and Clippers have officially agreed on compensation and completed a deal that will make Doc Rivers the new head coach in Los Angeles. However, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, the agreement includes one notable detail that hadn't been previously reported. Berger tweets that the Celtics and Clippers have agreed that they can't exchange players until after the 2013/14 season.

We knew that the league was likely to disallow any trade involving Kevin Garnett heading to the Clippers, since the CBA doesn't permit one deal to be contingent on another, and the NBA viewed Garnett as connected to Rivers. Still, the agreement reported by Berger is even more extreme, eliminating the possibility of any deals between the two clubs for at least a year.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that Paul Pierce couldn't still end up on the Clippers. L.A. can't trade for him, but if Pierce is bought out before June 30th, he could theoretically still sign with the Clips as a free agent.

Cavs Rumors: Robinson, Noel, Len, Trades

June 25th, 2013 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

A Houston Chronicle report earlier today indicated that the Rockets were in "advanced talks" on a deal that would see them trade Thomas Robinson, citing the Cavaliers and Spurs as a couple possible trade partners. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, the Cavs are indeed engaged in trade discussions with Houston, working on the logistics of a possible Robinson acquisition while attempting to keep a potential deal with the Mavericks alive. Here's more from Amico:

Multiple league executives believe the Cavs are looking big with the first overall pick, since the team has been trying to acquire a veteran small forward via trade. The No. 1 pick will likely come down to Nerlens Noel vs. Alex Len, according to Amico.
The Cavs have had discussions about trading their second-round picks (Nos. 31 and 33) with the Celtics, Mavericks, and Timberwolves, says Amico. However, when Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities asked a Wolves source about the possibility, he was told, "We did not buy an NBDL team" (Twitter link).
On a conference call earlier today, ESPN.com's Chad Ford talked about the possibility of the Thunder trying to acquire the No. 1 pick, suggesting the team would likely have to give up Serge Ibaka to make it work. According to Amico, the Thunder have made it clear to other teams that they're not interested in moving Ibaka, though they remain willing trade partners.
While a deal with OKC is unlikely, the Cavs are expected to continue to explore trade options involving the No. 1 pick up until the draft. Amico notes that the team may not feel as if any of the bigs in the draft are ideal fits.
The Cavs are also "highly reluctant" to part with any 2014 picks via trade, says Amico.
Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets that he's more convinced than ever the Cavs are trying to move up from No. 19, and says to keep an eye on the Mavs' pick at No. 13.

Doc Rivers To Become Clippers Head Coach

June 25th, 2013 at 3:54pm CST by Michael Pina

3:54pm: The Celtics have issued a press release announcing that they have allowed Rivers to pursue a coaching opportunity with the Clippers, and that Boston will receive a future first-round pick as compensation. With the deal now finalized, GM Danny Ainge will meet with the media at 5:30 central time today, according to a second press release.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have officially announced that Rivers will serve as the team's head coach and senior VP of basketball operations, with a media session scheduled for Wednesday.

2:23pm: Rivers has signed his deal with the Clippers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 1:33pm: A source tells Murphy that Rivers is expected to fly to Los Angeles today and sign his contract with the Clippers tomorrow. The Clips also figure to formally introduce Rivers as their new head coach tomorrow after he inks his deal.

3:50pm: According to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, the NBA has yet to formally approve the Rivers transaction. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com hears that the hold-up is related to Rivers and the Clippers still ironing out the details of the head coach's new contract (Twitter link). I'm guessing that the NBA is fine with the compensation agreement — it's just a matter of the Clippers finalizing the details from their end.

MONDAY, 2:29pm: A league source tells Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link) that the NBA has approved the compensation agreement for Rivers, which will send a first-round pick to the Celtics.

SUNDAY, 5:26pm: Pending league approval, the Clippers and Celtics have reached an agreement that will result in Doc Rivers becoming head coach of the Clippers, writes ESPNBoston reporter Jackie MacMullan. In exchange for letting Rivers out of his current contract with the team, the Celtics will receive an unprotected first round pick in 2015 from Los Angeles.

The Clippers will pick up the remaining three years remaining on Rivers' contract, worth $7MM annually, $21MM total, tweets Los Angeles Times reporter Brad Turner.

In a move unrelated to this deal, the Celtics are also trying to trade longtime franchise player Paul Pierce for a first round pick. If they are unable to to secure a deal before June 30 (the deadline on Pierce's contract that makes his $15.3MM contract guaranteed next season), they'll look to move him this February before the trade deadline.

According to a tweet from ESPNLA.com's Ramona Shelburne, the Clippers were prepared to hire either Byron Scott or Brian Shaw as their head coach, if Boston didn't accept their offer of an unprotected first round pick in 2015.

Celtics To Target Josh Smith If Paul Pierce Traded

June 25th, 2013 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

As we learned earlier today, the Celtics are weighing their options when it comes to Paul Pierce, and would ideally like to send Pierce to a contending team in exchange for a first-round pick. It's not clear yet whether such a scenario will materialize, but if Boston is able to shed Pierce's salary without taking any contracts back, the team already has its next step planned, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Deveney reports that the C's have a sign-and-trade offer ready for Josh Smith, who would be one of the club's top targets in free agency.

If the Celtics hope to shed Pierce's $15.33MM salary without taking any salary back themselves, the team will have to wait until July to officially consummate a deal, since other clubs won't have the cap space necessary for such a move until after July 1st. It's plausible at that point that the Celtics could find such a deal, though I'd be surprised if they were also able to land a first-round pick and send Pierce to a contender.

One potential scenario could involve Pierce being sent to the Cavaliers for a pair of early second-round picks. In that case, Cleveland could land a veteran to go with its young core, and would avoid giving up a first-round pick or taking on long-term salary. Boston, meanwhile, would add a couple prospects, clear salary, and gain a trade exception worth $15.33MM (Pierce's salary) to make a run at Smith. However, Deveney hears from a source that Pierce-to-Cleveland is probably a "long shot," since the Cavs don't want to acquire a player that doesn't want to be there.

Of course, if the Celtics pursue this plan, it would also depend in part on Smith's desire to play in Boston for a salary that fits into that hypothetical trade exception. But given the fact that Smith is unlikely to receive any max-salary offers, and is an old friend and teammate of Rajon Rondo, it's not an outlandish scenario.

The Hawks would also have to be on board with a sign-and-trade, so the C's may have to flip those hypothetical picks acquired for Pierce. Atlanta would be unlikely to take on any unwanted salary either, so Boston wouldn't necessarily be able to unload a player like Courtney Lee or Jason Terry in such a deal. This is all my speculation though — we're still a few significant steps away from a sign-and-trade even being negotiated by the two teams.

Celtics To Target Lower-Profile Coach Candidates

June 25th, 2013 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

With Brian Shaw set to coach the Nuggets and the Grizzlies prepared to formally announce Dave Joerger as their new head coach, only two NBA teams, the 76ers and Celtics, are still without a coach. Like the Sixers, the Celtics intend to take their time making their decision, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, who tweets that Boston may not hire a new head coach until after Summer League play.

Current assistant Jay Larranaga will coach Boston's Summer League squad in Orlando, and he's expected to be one of the candidates for the team's head coaching opening, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, the Celtics will consider a handful of younger, lower-profile candidates for the position. The shift in focus doesn't come a huge surprise, since the team is expected to enter a rebuilding phase, and won't want to pay an elite coach's salary.

Besides Larranaga and Vinny Del Negro, we haven't heard many names surface as potential replacements for Doc Rivers on the Celtics' bench, though that figures to change in the coming weeks. According to Wojnarowski, Rivers has a "strong interest" in bringing Larranaga aboard as an assistant in Los Angeles, so if Larranaga doesn't earn the Celtics' head coaching job, it's unclear whether he'll remain on Boston's staff or land with the Clippers.

Latest On Paul Pierce

June 25th, 2013 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Cavaliers and Bucks are among the teams that have expressed interest in Paul Pierce, the longtime Celtic is unlikely to be sent to either of those clubs if he's traded this week, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Stein reports that the C's have shown an inclination to work with Pierce in an effort to send him to a favorable destination if they make a deal by week's end.

Boston continues to seek a first-rounder for Pierce, so if the team receives an offer from a contending team willing to give up a first-round pick, the 35-year-old could be moved within the next few days. However, if such a deal doesn't materialize, the Celtics are prepared to guarantee Pierce's full $15MM+ salary, since the club believes he'll still have trade value throughout the offseason and up until the 2014 trade deadline. Pierce's contract is currently partially guaranteed for $5MM, but will become fully guaranteed if he's not waived on or before Sunday.

Although the Celtics' decision to let Doc Rivers out of his contract to join the Clippers, in exchange for a first-round pick, may have signaled the start of a rebuilding period, it's still possible that Boston could start the 2013/14 season with Pierce and Kevin Garnett on the roster. According to Stein, the Celtics believe retaining Pierce may help convince KG to stick around without Rivers, rather than retiring or asking for a trade.

It's also possible that Pierce could be dealt this week to a team that intends to buy him out for the cap savings, says Stein. In that scenario, Pierce could end up reuniting with Rivers by signing with the Clippers in July.