Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

D-League Moves: Bazemore, Tyler, Melo

January 2nd, 2013 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

We'll track Wednesday's D-League assignments and recalls right here:

The Warriors have once again recalled Kent Bazemore and Jeremy Tyler from the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team announced today in a press release. Golden State has taken advantage of its nearby D-League affiliate to shuttle Bazemore and Tyler between Santa Cruz and the NBA team, as each player has already had four D-League assignments this season.
The Celtics have recalled Fab Melo from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Melo has spent most of the season with the Maine Red Claws, with his most recent stint having begun on December 12th. Melo, one of two players selected in the first round last June by the Celtics, had a particularly impressive pair of games for the Red Claws last week, posting a triple-double on December 22nd (15 points, 16 rebounds, 14 blocks), and then recording 32 points, nine rebounds, and nine blocks on December 26th. Melo is currently day-to-day with a mild concussion, and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com speculates that the big man was recalled to ensure that he's treated by the Celtics' training staff (Twitter link).

Odds & Ends: Gelabale, Celtics, D-Will, Favors

January 1st, 2013 at 11:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Amare Stoudemire began his season on the same day we all started a new year, scoring six points off the bench in his 2012/13 debut for the Knicks. Here's more from around the league on the first day of a year the Mayans never counted on.

While the Wolves recently took a look at Mickael Gelabale and decided to sign Lazar Hayward instead, another, unidentified team has also considered signing the former Sonics small forward, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
There's mistrust between long-tenured Celtics and the team's newer acquisitions, says Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, who echoes Kevin Garnett's uncertainty about whether this year's version of the C's is capable of turning it on for the playoffs.
Deron Williams admits his shot is still off-kilter from the effects of surgery on his right wrist he underwent in 2011, and he feels as frustrated as he's ever been in his life, as Newsday's Roderick Boone chronicles. "I've had stretches [before] where one or two games, I had off-games," Williams said. "Never like this. I've never been consistently playing this bad."
The Jazz aren't jumping into a move that would free up more playing time for Derrick Favors, but Favors isn't discouraged when he sees fellow power forward Paul Millsap on the floor down the stretch, as Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune observes.
Shaun Powell of Sports On Earth examines teams that are near the bottom of the standings and seem destined to stay there for years to come, given their cap situations.
Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group recounts the rapid ascent of the Clippers and Warriors.
He spent most of 2012 spearheading the launch of Hoops Rumors as the site's lead writer, but his work with our sister website, MLB Trade Rumors, earned Luke Adams an honorable mention on the list of the year's most influential Canadians in baseball, as compiled by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.

Odds & Ends: Nets, D-Will, Heat, Iguodala

December 31st, 2012 at 6:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets are looking to win their third straight game under P.J. Carlesimo tonight in San Antonio, and whether or not they can pull it out, the team appears to be in no rush to begin searching for a replacement for Carlesimo. Chris Broussard of ESPN.com echoes what we've heard over the last couple days, writing that the interim head coach will get a "legit shot" to finish the 2012/13 season. Phil Jackson remains Brooklyn's "dream hire," but the club recognizes that it's difficult to hire an established coach to take over mid-season (all Twitter links). As the Nets and Spurs play one of the final games of 2012, we'll take a look at a few Monday evening odds and ends:

According to Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops, Deron Williams is "a Ferrari with engine problems" at the moment, which is particularly troublesome after the Nets signed Williams to a five-year, maximum-salary contract over the summer. D-Will says Avery Johnson's dismissal was a big wake-up call for the team as a sign of "what happens when you lose" (Twitter link via Rod Boone of Newsday), so we'll see if the point guard's performance improves in the coming weeks.
Asked about the possibility of the Heat signing Kenyon Martin, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel suggests it's hard to argue that he wouldn't be an upgrade.
Despite being in a potential contract year, Andre Iguodala hasn't had to think about trade rumors this season, which has been a relief, as he tells Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.
The Celtics still have plenty of time to turn things around, and the impending return of Avery Bradley should provide a boost, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.

Aldridge On Nets, Phil Jackson, Cousins

December 31st, 2012 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

It may be New Year's Eve, but that doesn't mean TNT's David Aldridge is taking a break from his weekly Morning Tip piece on NBA.com. In this week's column, Aldridge recaps the top 10 stories of 2012, including the Lakers' coaching carousel, the Dwightmare, and LeBron James' first NBA championship. He also dishes a few rumors on the Nets' coaching search and DeMarcus Cousins' availability, so let's check out the highlights:

According to Aldridge, the Nets thought that Avery Johnson carried his desire for a contract extension too far, considering plenty of other respected coaches around the league began coaching in the final year of their respective contracts without extensions.
While the Nets are saying P.J. Carlesimo will get a shot to prove he deserves to be the team's permanent head coach, Phil Jackson is still expected to get the first call if and when Brooklyn begins a coaching search in earnest. "It's Phil," a league coaching source tells Aldridge. "That's coming straight from Russia."
Kings GM Geoff Petrie insists that Cousins is not on the trade block in Sacramento: "He's not going anywhere. You can lay that to rest. Some of that stuff lives in its own reality." However, Aldridge hears from sources that the Kings are ready to consider moving the volatile big man for "a package of less talented, perhaps, but more emotionally grounded players."
Some members of the Kings were surprised when Cousins was reinstated and showed up for practice so soon after being suspended, and weren't overly moved by his attempt to apologize. "When he apologized to the team, two players stood up and said 'we've heard this bull(bleep) before,'" a source tells Aldridge. "'You're either going to be with us, or you're not. We don't want to hear any more excuses.'"
Examining teams with rumored interest in Cousins, Aldridge makes note of some potential roadblocks: The Celtics would be reluctant to part with Avery Bradley in any trade, the Pistons wouldn't be eager to pair Cousins with Andre Drummond, who Aldridge says "has his own growing up to do," and the Wizards likely wouldn't want to take on someone of questionable character after clearing the roster of that sort of player within the last year.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, 76ers, Martin, Nets

December 30th, 2012 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

While the Nets' poor showing in December may have cost head coach Avery Johnson his job, another Atlantic Division team has been struggling this month as well. The Celtics have lost six of their last eight games, including their last two contests by a combined 47 points. Boston's only two wins in that span have come against the league's second-worst team (the Cavaliers) and those reeling Nets, in Johnson's second-last game. As we wait to see if the C's can get on the right track tonight against the 10-19 Kings, let's take a look at a few Atlantic-related links….

It's not clear whether the Celtics will still explore the free agent market, since even signing a player to a minimum-salary contract could adversely affect the team's cap situation, as Danny Ainge tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. "We have restraints because of the [luxury tax] apron," Ainge said, presumably referring to Boston's hard cap. "And it puts limitations on us and I don’t want to get our backs against the wall where it limits us even more for significant progress in any sort of transaction that may come available later. So we’re trying to patient."
John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Enquirer believes that free agent big man Kenyon Martin would be a good addition to the Sixers' roster, and at least one unnamed Philadelphia player agrees: "His attitude has been an issue for him in certain places. But one thing you know is that he's going to play hard all the time, and he's going to bring emotion. I think he'd help us more than he would hurt."
The Nets' roster as constructed isn't championship-caliber, says Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News, adding that owner Mikhail Prokhorov "has a Chevy on his hands in Brooklyn that he believes to be a Rolls-Royce."

Kings Rumors: Petrie, Relocation, Cousins

December 30th, 2012 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

Last night, we heard from Sam Amick of USA Today that there's a growing belief in some circles that Geoff Petrie, the NBA's longest-tenured GM, won't be back with the Kings next season. Additionally, the decision to reinstate DeMarcus Cousins two days into his "indefinite" suspension was made unilaterally by ownership, against the wishes of the front office. Amick, a former Kings beat writer, has passed along even more rumblings out of Sacramento, so we'll round them up right here:

Even if the Maloofs were to offer Petrie a new deal, one source close to the 64-year-old says he's "99.9% sure [Petrie] wouldn't take it," since he wants to retire soon.
According to Amick, the Maloofs continue to discuss the possibility of relocation with several cities, and have let it be known that they believe bidding should start at $500MM. Amick calls that figure "astounding," noting that the last two NBA teams to be sold, the Hornets and Grizzlies, were in the $330-380MM range.
Amick hears from multiple sources close to the situation that a trade to the Wizards would be considered ideal for Cousins and new agent Dan Fegan, since it would reunite the big man with Kentucky teammate and Fegan client John Wall.
Amick writes that the Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, and Celtics have shown interest in gambling on Cousins in the past, though it's not clear whether all those teams would still have interest now. We heard yesterday from ESPN.com's Marc Stein that the Pistons and Celtics, at least, are still thought to be very interested.
It was "strongly suggested" to Cousins that he see a psychologist, a request he declined, which was his prerogative — the NBA's collective bargaining agreement doesn't allow players to be forced into mental health counseling, as Amick explains.
Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes that Petrie's refusal to meet with the media regarding Cousins' suspension speaks to his increasingly strained relationship with the Maloofs. According to Voisin, the Kings should resolve their front office issues before the trade deadline, and hang on to Cousins.

Eastern Notes: Cousins, Nets, Hibbert

December 29th, 2012 at 5:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons reportedly have plenty of interest in DeMarcus Cousins, but Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News believes GM Joe Dumars has cooled on Cousins as Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond have developed (Twitter link). In another tweet, Goodwill asserts that Detroit won't be dealing any picks and thinks that the Celtics could offer Rajon Rondo in what would be the most attractive trade package for Sacramento. With that aside, here are a few more links we've gathered up out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun believes the Raptors would have to bite if the Kings offered Cousins for Andrea Bargnani, but he's not optimistic Cousins can overcome his volatile personality (Twitter links).
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post dissects Mikhail Prokhorov's remarks to reporters on Friday, concluding that the Nets owner is sold on Phil Jackson and would entertain keeping P.J. Carlesimo for the rest of the season if he can't get the Zen Master of Jeff Van Gundy immediately.
Roy Hibbert got off to a disconcerting start this season after signing a four-year deal for the maximum in the offseason, but his play has picked up of late, as HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham chronicles.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes the Magic, at 12-16, have little chance of landing a high lottery pick, and writes that the team should set its sights on making the playoffs instead. Schmitz also speculates that Stan Van Gundy's next coaching job will be on the West Coast, and doesn't foresee Phil Jackson taking the Nets job.
In a Q&A with The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer, Cavaliers guard Shaun Livingston discusses the career-altering injury he suffered six years ago, being cut by the Rockets, and playing alongside Kyrie Irving.

Pistons, Celtics Interested In DeMarcus Cousins

December 29th, 2012 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Celtics and Pistons have both made it known that they are highly interested in Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins if he becomes available, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein expects to see many more to inquire between now and the February trade deadline.

Cousins has had a tumultuous year in Sacramento to say the least. The center was suspended from the team after a run-in with head coach Keith Smart but was quickly reinstated. Cousins also dropped agent John Greig in favor of Dan Fegan. Fegan doesn't have the greatest history with the Kings' front office, leading some to speculate that the move is a precursor to a trade request.

This isn't the first time we've heard that Boston and Detroit are possible fits for Cousins, but it is the first word of them directly expressing interest. For their part, the Kings say they're not pushing Cousins out of the door, but they are reportedly listening to offers.

Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Johnson, Brooks

December 28th, 2012 at 10:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

While much of the attention across the NBA has been focused on the struggles of the Nets, they're not the only Atlantic Division team performing below expectations this year. The prevailing wisdom entering the season was that the Atlantic would be the league's toughest division, but entering tonight, only the Knicks had a winning record. Here's more from what might be called the NBA's most disappointing division so far.

The Knicks, who are at the 15-man roster limit, aren't in the market for another point guard in the wake of Raymond Felton's injury, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
On Thursday, Avery Johnson thought he and Nets GM Billy King were going to talk about the team's plans for January 15th, when Kris Humphries becomes eligible to be dealt. Instead, King told Johnson he was fired, as Stefan Bondy recounts via Twitter.
It's unclear how long P.J. Carlesimo will remain interim coach of the Nets, but his presence likely means more minutes for MarShon Brooks, TNT's David Aldridge tweets. Brooks' name has come up as a trade candidate, and he was reportedly among the most disgruntled players in the team's locker room under Johnson.
Doc Rivers' ability to withstand a pair of sub-.500 seasons before the Celtics went after talent and won the title in 2008 skewed expectations for coaches in similar positions, like Mike D'Antoni with the Knicks and Avery Johnson with the Nets, opines Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
Speaking on CSNNE.com's SportsNet Central, Chris Mannix of SI.com advocates a Pau Gasol deal for the Celtics. Boston has had interest in the Lakers big man in the past, but appears to have cooled on him since.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, King, Rivers, Lowry

December 28th, 2012 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets' firing of Avery Johnson and search for a new coach has been the major post-Christmas story in the NBA, with the latest reports linking Brooklyn to top Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson. There's plenty going on around the rest of the Atlantic Division though, so let's round up a few Friday links related to the Nets and their division rivals:

In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh puts forth some options for fixing the Nets, including trading for a major frontcourt piece, standing pat, or blowing up the roster.
ESPN.com's 5-on-5 panel, which includes Sean Highkin of Hoops Rumors, isn't entirely in agreement on whether the Nets should become buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.
With Johnson gone in Brooklyn, Dave D'Alessandro of the Star-Ledger wonders about GM Billy King's job security.
Although we've seen a couple unexpected early-season coaching changes from teams believed to be contenders, don't expect the Celtics to be next. Unsurprisingly, team president Danny Ainge tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that Doc Rivers' job is completely secure, despite Boston's recent struggles.
As he prepares to return from a bicep injury, Kyle Lowry says he's okay with coming off the bench for the Raptors, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.