Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyler On Draft, Olshey, Harden, Celtics

June 5th, 2012 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

While most mock drafters simply forecast the first 30 picks, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld doesn't stop after the first round — in his latest mock, he predicts all 60 selections, from Anthony Davis at No. 1 to Kris Joseph at No. 60. He also shares a few more items of interest in his NBA AM column and via Twitter. Here are a few highlights:

Amico On Gee, Cavs, Ilyasova, Humphries

June 4th, 2012 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

So far this season, rumors surrounding restricted free agent Alonzo Gee have invariably involved the Suns, who are eyeing the Cavs guard and reportedly considering making him a four-year, $16MM offer. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, however, Phoenix isn't the only team preparing to pursue Gee. The Wizards, Celtics, and Rockets will also have the 25-year-old "high on their wish list," says Amico, adding that the Cavs like Gee and hope to keep him. Here are a few more rumblings from around the league courtesy of Amico….

Offseason Outlook: Boston Celtics

June 4th, 2012 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Guaranteed Contracts

Paul Pierce ($16,790,345)
Rajon Rondo ($11,000,000)
Avery Bradley ($1,630,800)
JaJuan Johnson ($1,120,440)

Options

Brandon Bass ($4,250,000, Player)

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Sean Williams ($915,852)
E'Twaun Moore ($762,195)

Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Kevin Garnett ($22,309,396)
Ray Allen ($15,000,000)
Keyon Dooling ($2,920,320)
Greg Stiemsma ($1,054,389 – QO)
Marquis Daniels ($854,389)
Ryan Hollins ($854,389)
Sasha Pavlovic ($854,389)
Mickael Pietrus ($854,389)
(Jeff Green – $11,139,970)
(Nenad Krstic – $8,314,674)
(Roshown McLeod – $3,772,503)
(Carlos Arroyo – $854,389)
(Dana Barros – $854,389)
(P.J. Brown – $854,389)
(Mark Bryant – $854,389)
(Michael Finley – $854,389)
(Grant Long – $854,389)
(Stephon Marbury – $854,389)
(Shaquille O'Neal – $854,389)
(Michael Olowokandi – $854,389)
(Scot Pollard – $854,389)

Draft Picks

1st Round (21st overall)
1st Round (22nd overall)
2nd Round (51st overall)

Cap Outlook

Guaranteed Salary: $30,541,585
Non-Guaranteed Salary (including options), Cap Holds: $82,400,745
Total (not including draft picks): $112,942,330

Much was made this season of the Celtics' old Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen having one final run together before Boston started its rebuild in the summer. No trades were consummated at the deadline, but the Celtics reportedly discussed a Pierce deal with the Nets and nearly traded Allen to the Grizzlies.

GM Danny Ainge has never been shy about pulling the trigger on a deal he thinks will help the team, even if it won't be a popular move. And with Garnett and Allen facing free agency this summer, there's still a good chance Boston begins the 2012/13 season without the Big Three on its roster. However, the longer the Celtics' season continues, the more convinced I am that this might not be the end for Garnett and Allen in Boston after all.

Garnett, in particular, seems like a reasonable bet to re-sign with the Celtics this summer. He's said in the past that he'd like to retire a Celtic, and his performance this season showed he still has something left in the tank. Allen may be more likely to explore the open market, given all the teams interested in a shooting guard who could target him. But it wouldn't surprise me if both players signed short-term deals to remain in Boston.

Even if KG and Allen are back next season, the team has some flexibility to make roster upgrades around its veterans. The Celtics' amnesty clause will likely remain unused, since the club only has four players on guaranteed contracts for next year. Of those four, only Pierce and Rajon Rondo are owed significant money, and neither are amnesty candidates. But if we assume both Garnett ($21MM+) and Allen ($10MM) will receive paycuts on this year's salaries, the Celtics could have some cap space to work with even without taking advantage of the amnesty clause. In that case, a big man like Chris Kaman seems like a logical target.

If the Celtics do decide to bring back their veterans, it will be interesting to see how they use their pair of first-round draft picks, at No. 21 and 22 overall. The draft class is deep enough that Boston could select a pair of players there and hope that one or both turn into useful contributors. There are plenty of other options though. The team could try to package both picks to move up in the first round, or it could move one or both picks for a veteran player that could be added to the rotation immediately.

Earlier this season, it appeared the Celtics weren't quite a talented enough team to compete in the East with the current roster, but a second-half surge and a deep playoff run have proven that isn't the case. With the Bulls expected to be short-handed again next season due to Derrick Rose's ACL recovery, there's no reason a Celtics team that makes a modest upgrade or two shouldn't contend in the East again.

While it's possible Ainge decides to blow up the roster this summer, it wouldn't surprise me if he puts off major roster changes for at least another year. If Garnett and Allen are willing to sign one- or two-year deals, the Celtics would once again have the opportunity to claim a huge chunk of cap space when those new contracts expired. Ainge is anything but predictable, so there's no guarantee that's the direction he'll choose, but based on how they've played this season, the Celtics may not want to break up the old Big Three quite yet.

Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.

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East Finals Notes: Bosh, Wade, Celtics, Heat

June 3rd, 2012 at 2:46pm CST by Michael Pina

As the Eastern Conference Finals hits its fourth game tonight, the Celtics and Heat are continuing to make adjustments and counter reactions to one another's personnel and strategic decisions. Here are a few notes detailing just how important the game is, and how each team will try to grab momentum heading into Tuesday night's Game 5.

Money Time: Upcoming Free Agents In The Playoffs

June 2nd, 2012 at 1:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

Three of the four conference finalists should return next season with their rosters largely intact, as the Thunder, Heat and Spurs all have at least eight players with fully guaranteed contracts for next season. By contrast, the Celtics only have four such players, so this week's Money Time has a heavy Boston influence. This week, we'll expand our look at free agents in the playoffs to include players with option years and non-guaranteed deals for 2012/13, and next week we'll wrap it up by identifying the free agents who've had the best and worst postseasons overall.

Winners:

Kevin Garnett, Celtics: His scoring keeps improving with each round of the playoffs, from 18.7 points per game in the first round, to 19.7 PPG in the second, to 21.7 PPG against the Heat. His 9.7 RPG has helped the Celtics, a woeful rebounding team in the regular season, record just three fewer rebounds than the Heat for the entire series. Yesterday Steve Aschburner of NBA.com suggested Garnett might retire this summer, but if he does, he'd be leaving a lot of money on the table from the Celtics, Nets or anyone else in need of a game-changer at power forward.

Keyon Dooling, Celtics: Seeing increased playing time with Avery Bradley out and Ray Allen hobbled, Dooling helped the Celtics clamp down defensively against the Heat in Game 3. Yet his greatest impact has been on offense, as his 6-for-10 shooting from Game 7 against the Sixers through the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals has kept defenses honest and helped replace the second-unit scoring lost with Allen back in the starting lineup. He probably won't get another $2.246MM payday like he got this year, but his recent performance has shown his value as a part of a backcourt rotation.

Gary Neal, Spurs (non-guaranteed deal): His 3-for-11 in Game 3 against the Thunder notwithstanding, Neal has been a subtle offensive weapon for the Spurs as they've trounced their way through the playoffs. He's the team's sixth leading scorer in the postseason despite playing just 15.2 MPG. That's in large measure because he's nailed 14 of 28 attempts from beyond the arc during the playoffs, but he's more than just a spot-up shooter, as his 20-for-37 rate on two-pointers demonstrates. He's miscast as a backup point guard, but there's no reason to expect the Spurs won't bring him back, especially since his non-guaranteed deal is only for the minimum salary.

Losers

Nazr Mohammed, Thunder: As much as Kendrick Perkins has struggled against the Spurs, it's a little curious why Mohammed has played less than five minutes the entire series. He played in all five games of the conference semifinals against the big bodies of the Lakers, but coach Scott Brooks has gone away from him against the more perimeter-oriented Spurs. Mohammed, shooting 50% in limited action this postseason, could be Oklahoma City's best offensive option inside, and as an ex-Spur, he might know a defensive trick or two that could stymie Duncan. Still, it seems unlikely the Thunder will re-sign Mohammed this summer, and the chances he equals the $3.75MM he made this year are just as remote.

Ronny Turiaf, Heat (player option): Turiaf has started all three games, but he's received fewer minutes than anyone else in the Heat's rotation against the Celtics so far. He's 4-for-5 from the floor against Boston and 10-for-18 in the playoffs overall, but his offense is not why the Heat picked him up midseason. The opposing starter at center in this series is Garnett, and while he hasn't done all his scoring against Turiaf, coach Erik Spoelstra's lack of confidence in his big man is likely to be reflected in the way NBA executives would regard Turiaf as a free agent in the offseason. He'd be wise to take his $1.146MM for next season and stay with the Heat.

Greg Stiemsma, Celtics (non-guaranteed deal): He's had his moments, like his 5-for-5, 10-point game against the Sixers in the second round, but Stiemsma has largely fallen out of the rotation in the playoffs. He's averaging just 8.5 MPG in the postseason, and just 7.0 MPG against the Heat. When the Celtics have used a backup center, Ryan Hollins has most often been the guy. Still, Stiemsma has the team's best postseason defensive rating, per Basketball-Reference.com. Since he's due only the minimum salary if the Celtics guarantee his contract next season, he's a decent candidate to be back in green next year.

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Odds & Ends: Warriors, Garnett, Roy, Hornets

June 1st, 2012 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, David Lee, and Andrew Bogut penciled into their 2012/13 starting lineup, the Warriors seem to be prioritizing a small forward to fill out their starting lineup this offseason. However, Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com argues that the Warriors have bigger needs to address. According to Steinmetz, Richard Jefferson and Dorell Wright are capable of handling the three spot, and Golden State should prioritize the acquisition of a point guard and a big body up front before pursuing a small forward.

Here are a few more Friday afternoon notes, including updates on a Celtics veteran, a former Blazer, and trade possibilities for the Sixers….

Draft Updates: Celtics, Lillard, Zeller, Leonard

May 29th, 2012 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

We're just a little over 24 hours away from tomorrow night's draft lottery, aka the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. While fans of the Bobcats, Wizards, Cavaliers, Hornets, and the rest of the lottery teams hold their breath, let's round up a few of today's draft-related items:

The Celtics may be trying to package their two first-round picks to move up in the draft, tweets SI.com's Zach Lowe.
Damian Lillard appears to be a likely top-10 pick, writes ESPN.com's Chad Ford in an Insider-only piece that also touches on Terrence Ross, Arnett Moultrie, Fab Melo, and a number of other prospects.
Ford also fielded draft questions in his weekly ESPN.com chat earlier this afternoon.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio identifies his picks for the sleepers of this year's draft class.
Seven-footers Tyler Zeller and Meyers Leonard highlighted the participants at the Trail Blazers' first draft workout today, and interim Kaleb Canales had compliments for both players, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com writes.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Jordan Hill

May 28th, 2012 at 10:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

A little more than two months ago, Jordan Hill seemed like he might be on his way out of the league. He was buried on the Lakers bench after a midseason trade from the Rockets, passed over for backup minutes at power forward and center in favor of Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts.

Yet as the Thunder built an 18-point lead against the Lakers in a game during the last week of the regular season, Lakers coach Mike Brown summoned Hill off the bench, and the former eighth overall pick responded with 15 rebounds, six of them on the offensive end, to go along with 14 points in 35 minutes as L.A. came back to win in double overtime. From then on, Hill was the primary backup for both Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, averaging 4.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game in the playoffs. His offensive rebounding percentage of 18.9 is the best in the postseason so far. Suddenly, Hill is back on the radar for teams looking to improve their frontcourt depth and second-chance points.

The Lakers seem to be interested in bringing him back, but they'll have some limitations on how much they can give him, thanks to his former team. The Rockets, when they held his rights, declined the $3,632,527 team option on his contract for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer. According to Larry Coon's CBA FAQ, a team can't decline an option for a player on his rookie contract, like Hill, and attempt to re-sign him for the next season at a salary greater than the value of his option. That holds true for a team that inherits such a player's rights via trade, as the Lakers have done with Hill. According to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld, the most Hill could get from the Lakers this summer is $20.9MM over five years, with a first-year salary matching that $3.6MM option. Another team could sign him for as much as $21.4MM over four years, but I don't think anyone is willing to pay quite that much for him.

If Hill leaves the Lakers, he could be an option for the Celtics, who had the worst offensive rebounding percentage of any team in the league this season and were riddled with injuries to frontcourt players. The Warriors, 29th in offensive rebounding, figure to improve with a healthy Andrew Bogut, so they might not pursue Hill. The Mavs, 28th in that category, could go after him as a complementary piece once they figure out what to do with the rest of their many offseason priorities. It's possible that a relatively proficient offensive rebounding team, like the Pistons, could see a bargain in a 25-year-old Hill and give him another shot as a starter. The most likely scenario involves Hill signing for a salary near that $3.6MM option amount. Whether that happens with the Lakers or not hinges largely on what the team does with Gasol and Bynum. If they're both back, I'd expect Hill to be back, too, since he allows the Lakers to go to their bench without much dropoff on the offensive glass, one of the team's hallmarks.

Odds & Ends: Motiejunas, Bradley, Draft, Frye

May 25th, 2012 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Friday afternoon's odds and ends:

Donatas Motiejunas, Houston's 20th overall pick in 2011, spoke to Jakub Wojczynski of Przeglad Sportowy about his future and his plan to join the Rockets. While Motiejunas cautioned that it's "not 100%" he'll be in the NBA next season, he seems like a good bet to sign this summer.
Doc Rivers and the Celtics confirmed today that Avery Bradley will undergo shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the playoffs (Twitter link).
Hornets coach Monty Williams tells John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune that he doesn't think this draft class is as deep as advertised. "I don’t think you’re going to find a [Manu] Ginobili at 52," Williams said. "The last few weeks I’ve had a chance to look at all these young guys on tape and I’m not jaded by the hoopla as everybody else is. I think there are good players, but I don’t see this deep draft."
One GM told ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) that he'd have "no concerns" drafting Perry Jones III in the top five.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com discusses trade candidates Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol in his "Friday 5" feature.
Channing Frye's availability for the start of next season is in doubt as the Suns forward rehabs a shoulder injury, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Sam Smith fields plenty of Bulls questions in his latest mailbag for Bulls.com.

Odds & Ends: Ainge, Gasol, Bird Rights, Shaw

May 21st, 2012 at 11:23pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's been a busy night both on and off the court in the NBA, as the Lakers appear to be on their way to elimination at the hands of the Thunder, while the Magic are making wholesale management changes. Here's the rest of the late-night story:

The Blazers have not asked for permission from the Celtics to speak with Danny Ainge about their GM opening, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets.
The Rockets remain interested in trading for Pau Gasol, salary cap guru Larry Coon says, via Twitter.
Coon also believes the union will not prevail in its quest to secure Bird rights for players who were claimed off waivers (Twitter link).
Pacers assistant Brian Shaw is drawing interest for head coaching positions elsewhere, but the Pacers place a high value on him, Chris Mannix of SI.com notes (Twitter link).
Jason Fleming of HoopsWorld profiles the top five vote-getters for Executive of the Year.