Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Making Run At Evans; Deal Unlikely

February 21st, 2013 at 10:41am CST by Luke Adams

As the Celtics continuing to target backcourt help, the club is making a deadline-day run at Tyreke Evans, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). However, a source familiar with the situation tells Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee that Evans won't be moved today (Twitter link).

Jones had reported earlier today (via Twitter) that he was hearing the Kings could revisit trade discussions for Evans, noting that a knee injury earlier this season slowed talks when he could have been moved. It's a little surprising that the Kings are so active, given the team's uncertain ownership situation, but the Seattle group was consulted on yesterday's six-player trade and would presumably also be apprised on any other deals.

It's unclear what sort of package the Celtics could put together for Evans. Players like Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Bass would all be good matches from a salary perspective, but I doubt the Kings would want to take on a long-term contract. Some sort of package of cheaper players on shorter deals, like Fab Melo, Leandro Barbosa, and Jason Collins, may appeal more to Sacramento, if the club is listening to offers.

Celtics Rumors: Pierce, Barbosa, Ainge

February 21st, 2013 at 1:56am CST by Chuck Myron

With the names of Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce all invoked in recent trade chatter, the Celtics could be the most interesting team to keep an eye on Thursday. Following the team's late-night loss to the Lakers, here's the latest on the C's.

A league source told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com on Wednesday that the Celtics have sought at least an All-Star caliber talent in return for Pierce, or a rotation player and a future first-round pick.
Blakely mentioned earlier this week that the Celtics could waive injured Leandro Barbosa if they need extra roster space at some point this season. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe believes the reason they haven't let him go yet is so they can use him as trade ballast, as they did with Marquis Daniels in 2011 (Twitter link).
No player in his tenure as Celtics president of basketball operations has been entirely untouchable, Danny Ainge tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.

Josh Smith Rumors: Wednesday

February 20th, 2013 at 10:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh Smith appears to be the big-name player most likely to be moved before tomorrow's trade deadline, and Tuesday brought plenty of updates and rumors on his potential destination. We rounded up those updates right here, and we'll track today's news here, with any new items added to the top of the page throughout the day:

"Source after source" informs HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy that Smith will be dealt by the deadline (Twitter link).
With the Suns apparently standing pat despite a report classifying them as the frontrunner for Smith, it looks like the Bucks are in the lead for Atlanta's athletic power forward, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. The Bucks are willing to risk losing Smith in free agency, but chances are strong that he'll re-up in Milwaukee for the right price, according to Deveney. Still, Milwaukee won't include John Henson or Larry Sanders in any deal for Smith.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio believes the Nets are the frontrunners, with Milwaukee a darkhorse (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

Smith is open to playing with the Bucks even if Monta Ellis is not around, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link).
Despite a report previously stating that the Nets are “solely focused” on Smith, a league source says that is definitely not the case, according to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld.
The Suns, Bucks, and Nets are currently viewed as the three most likely destinations for Smith, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
A source tells Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today that it's not inconceivable the Hawks hang on to Smith through the deadline. With a huge amount of cap space available this summer, Atlanta could still re-sign the forward to a reasonable contract if another club doesn't make him the max offer he's seeking.

Western Notes: Kings, Garnett, Mavs, Wolves

February 20th, 2013 at 9:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Most around the league are surprised by the Kings' involvement in a cost-cutting deal that sent away Thomas Robinson, the fifth pick of this past June's draft this evening, Grantland's Zach Lowe hears (Twitter link). It's just the fifth time a team has traded a top five pick in his rookie season, ESPN Stats and Info tweets. The Kings weren't expected to be involved in any deals as their ownership situation is resolved, but ultimately they didn't hesitate to jump in at the last moment. Here's more on that trade and from around the West as the hours tick down until tomorrow's 2:00pm Central time deadline:

If Kevin Garnett is traded, it will be to the Clippers or not at all, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes.
The Mavs are making Brandan Wright, Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones available in return for draft picks, but won't compromise future cap space, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (All Twitter links).
J.J. Barea, Luke Ridnour and Derrick Williams are all available from the Wolves, Berger also tweets.
Marcus Morris is averaging 18.4 minutes per game this month for the Rockets, and he was seeking more before the trade that sent him to the Suns, tweets Sam Amick of SI.com.
There's a decent chance the Blazers get involved in serious trade talks, but it would likely be about smaller moves, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune sums up what looks to be a quiet deadline for the Jazz, who aren't interested in trading for anyone on a long-term deal unless they get a core player in return.

Celtics, Nets Have Discussed Paul Pierce

February 20th, 2013 at 5:31pm CST by Zachary Links

5:31pm: A source with ties to the Nets indicates to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld the team is unlikely to acquire Pierce.

4:25pm: The Celtics and Nets have discussed a trade for Celtics star Paul Pierce, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. However, the Celtics want a better package than what Brooklyn is currently offering, according to the sources.

The Nets' offer centered on forward Kris Humphries, guard MarShon Brooks and a first-round draft pick. "The Celtics still highly value Pierce and it wouldn't make sense to trade him for that kind of a package if they're keeping Kevin Garnett," one league source said.

Boston has shown interest in forward Mirza Teletovic and securing another possible first-round pick, but the Nets don't seem willing to pay that kind of price for the 35-year-old guard. Boston had interest in guard C.J. Watson in a separate deal, but GM Billy King & Co. don't want to part with him, sources said.

The Nets and Celtics discussed a deal for Pierce at last year's deadline, but the C's decided to keep him for another playoff run. The veteran is averaging 18 PPG for the Celtics this season while shooting just 41% from the floor, his worst percentage in the past eight seasons.

Celtics Still Pursuing Backcourt Help

February 20th, 2013 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite finalizing their 10-day contract with Terrence Williams, the Celtics are still pursuing a trade for backcourt help, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger reports (via Twitter) that Gerald Henderson is one potential target for the C's.

A blockbuster deal for the Celtics is looking increasingly unlikely, as Paul Pierce is reportedly drawing "lukewarm" interest, while Rajon Rondo has been told he won't be moved and Kevin Garnett would have to waive his no-trade clause. However, a smaller trade is still a possibility.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier today that the Celtics are shopping Fab Melo in search of a deal that would land the team a guard without compromising its rotation. As I noted at the time though, to acquire anyone on even a modest contract, such as Henderson ($3.1MM), Boston would need to include more salary.

“Lukewarm” Interest In Paul Pierce

February 20th, 2013 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Celtics having assured Rajon Rondo that he won't be moved and ending talks with the Clippers involving Kevin Garnett for now, the C's are down to one major trade chip, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com: Paul Pierce. And according to Blakely, interest in Pierce has been "lukewarm" so far.

The supposed lukewarm interest in Pierce doesn't necessarily mean the Celtics won't find a deal they like, involving the longtime Celtic or another player. But general manager Danny Ainge has been downplaying the idea that Boston will make a big move in the next 24 hours, suggesting that a smaller move to bolster the current roster is the more likely path.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier today that the Celtics were shopping Fab Melo in trade talks, and players like Courtney Lee, Brandon Bass, and Jason Terry have also been mentioned as smaller-scale trade candidates. In the meantime, the Celtics finalized a 10-day contract with Terrence Williams to add another healthy body to the roster.

Celtics Sign Terrence Williams

February 20th, 2013 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 1:34pm: The Celtics have officially signed Williams, who received his letter of clearance from China, to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

MONDAY, 12:06pm: The Celtics have agreed to sign Terrence Williams to a 10-day deal, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Because Boston has a pair of open roster spots, no corresponding move will be necessary to clear room for Williams.

Williams, the 11th overall pick in 2009, spent most of this season playing in China for the Guangdong Southern Tigers. The 25-year-old averaged 17.9 PPG in 29 games in the Chinese Basketball Association this season, according to Asia-Basket.com. Mark Deeks of ShamSports reported last week that Donald Sloan had replaced Williams on Guangdong after Williams returned stateside due to a death in the family.

Although he has shown promise in stints with the Nets, Rockets, and Kings in three NBA seasons, Williams has recorded just 7.6 PPG and an 11.4 PER in his career. Williams, who was a camp invitee for the Pistons in the fall, will provide at least short-term depth for a Celtics team that has lost Rajon Rondo, Jared Sullinger, and Leandro Barbosa to season-ending injuries in the last month.

Washburn reported earlier today that the Celtics were close to signing Williams.

Celtics Assure Rajon Rondo He Won’t Be Moved

February 20th, 2013 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

11:30am: League executives continue to call the Celtics about Rondo's availability, according to Sam Amick of Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. However, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com tweets that the C's are unlikely to move Rondo for anything short of Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, or a big package of assets like the one Denver received for Carmelo Anthony. With Rondo out for the year, that's not happening.

11:07am: Agent Bill Duffy tells Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) that Ainge assured Rondo today that he won't be traded.

10:40am: After undergoing ACL surgery earlier this month, Rajon Rondo won't return to the court until the 2013/14 season. However, ESPN.com's Chris Broussard tweeted this morning that rival general managers insist Rondo is available via trade. Within the same tweet, Broussard mentions Josh Smith as a potential Celtics' target, though it's not clear if the ESPN.com scribe is suggesting the C's would consider moving Rondo for Smith.

For his part, Celtics president Danny Ainge insists that the team is unlikely to make any big moves, and certainly won't be giving up Rondo at a discounted rate, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.

"I’m not looking to give up any of our players," Ainge said. "We have a limited roster, and it’s a matter of is it a better fit? Is there a better position need? I don’t really think that there are. So it’s just if we can improve our team. At the same time, I’m not giving Jared Sullinger away just because he’s hurt. It’s a challenge. I’m not trading Rajon Rondo away for discounted dollars because he’s hurt. As an organization we’ve decided not to do that."

While Ainge has downplayed the likelihood of a Celtics trade, rival teams would be surprised if Boston doesn't make a move, according to Bulpett.

"They’re too active," one rival exec told Bulpett. "They’ve been putting a lot of different things out there, and you’d have to think at least one of them is going to come through."

Celtics Shopping Fab Melo In Trade Talks

February 20th, 2013 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

As they survey the trade market in search of backcourt help, the Celtics have made Fab Melo available, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, the Celtics view Melo as a trade chip that would return something of value while allowing the team to hang on to its current rotation players and future draft picks (Twitter links).

Melo, the 22nd overall pick in last June's draft, has seen most of his playing time this season for the D-League's Maine Red Claws, having appeared briefly in just three games for the Celtics. Of the Celtics' 10 remaining healthy bodies (11 once Terrence Williams finalizes his 10-day contract), Melo is the only one that doesn't see at least semi-regular minutes as part of the club's rotation.

In the first year of his rookie contract, Melo is only earning about $1.25MM, so he'd have to be packaged with another player if the Celtics wanted to acquire anyone making much more than the minimum.