Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Rondo, Lewis, Heat, Varejao

March 7th, 2012 at 4:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics look to catch the 76ers in the Atlantic standings, and the Bobcats aim for their first winning streak of the season in tonight's slate of games. But before the evening action gets underway, let's round up the latest odds and ends from around the NBA:

One general manager tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that there's no way Celtics GM Danny Ainge will get equal value in a trade for Rajon Rondo: "There’s a perception that if Doc Rivers, who’s such a player’s coach, has had a hard time with him, my coach is going to have a worse time with him."
Because he reached certain incentives, Wizards forward Rashard Lewis is now owed a guaranteed $13.7MM (of $22.7MM) next season, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses Anthony Carter, Chris Andersen, and other potential targets for the Heat in today's mailbag.
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger presents some under-the-radar trade candidates that he'd target, including Robin Lopez, Austin Daye, and Jordan Farmar.
The lack of production the Cavaliers have received in Anderson Varejao's place while he's been injured shows why the team has been unwilling to trade him, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
In addition to sharing some Jamal Crawford rumors, Chad Ford of ESPN.com addressed a number of other trade topics in his latest chat.
The Nets have no interest in a reunion with John Calipari, as had been suggested, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
Jerome Jordan will rejoin the Knicks after last week's D-League assignment, tweets Duane Rankin of the Erie Times-News.

Five Eastern Contenders To Watch At The Deadline

March 7th, 2012 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

We covered five Western Conference contenders to watch at the trade deadline yesterday, so let's head east today. Here are five likely Eastern Conference playoff clubs who have some decisions to make by next Thursday:

Heat: With virtually all their key players on multiyear contracts, the Heat don't have much flexibility to make moves. That's not necessarily a big deal for Miami though, since they have a championship-caliber roster as is, and don't need to make a huge splash before the deadline. What they would like to do is add one more big man, preferably a true center who can take the pressure off the power forwards like Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem currently playing out of position for the team. I don't see an obvious target for the Heat, unless they were willing to part with one or two rotation pieces. While I'm Miami will explore myriad trade possibilities, the club may ultimately have to shift its focus to buyout candidates after the deadline.
Bulls: Chicago has enough trade assets to shoot for the moon and make a run at Dwight Howard or Pau Gasol, but that's probably a long shot. Still, with Richard Hamilton's health in question, I don't know that this team is much better than the squad that fell to the Heat in last season's Eastern Conference Finals. I think it'd be worthwhile to explore a deal for a shooting guard in case Hamilton can't be relied upon in the postseason, but the price may be steep. Ray Allen would be a great fit, but is there any way the Celtics trade him to a team they could face in the first round? Yesterday, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune mentioned Jamal Crawford as a possible target, but he'd be a rental that would likely cost the Bulls a young player and the Bobcats' first-round draft pick. Bringing Mike James back may be a simpler and less costly insurance policy for Hamilton.
Magic: The most obvious name on this list, the Magic would create a domino effect of activity around the league if they made a definitive decision on Dwight Howard's status. With just a week over until the trade deadline, reports continue to suggest Orlando seeks reinforcements around Howard, rather than offers for the star center. At this point, I'd be surprised if the Magic altered that stance. I think the team feels it's better off taking its chances trying to convince D12 to stay in Orlando, rather than taking 50 cents on the dollar (or worse) to ship him out of town. A trade for Steve Nash or Monta Ellis is an extreme long shot though, so I'll be interested to see if the Magic can turn their few assets of interest into anything that resembles an actual upgrade.
Pacers: They have a top-four record in the East, but I'm not convinced the Pacers are ready to contend for a title quite yet. They're still at least a piece or two away, and I don't expect they'll find that piece in the next week. But Indiana's tremendous amount of cap space makes the team an obvious candidate to take involve itself in a ton of trade talks. Even if the Pacers don't shop for an immediate upgrade to the current roster, they have the flexibility to take on salary to accommodate another team, perhaps acquiring a draft pick or two for their troubles.
Celtics: Much has been written about whether the Celtics are shopping or listening to offers for Rajon Rondo and their Big Three (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen). I wouldn't put it past GM Danny Ainge, who's never shy about pulling the trigger on a major deal, to move one of those four players, but I think it's just as likely that Boston has a relatively quiet deadline. With over $40MM in expiring contracts set to come off the books this summer, the Celtics won't make a move that compromises their future cap flexibility unless they can acquire a core piece in the process. If that deal isn't out there, Boston could make a simpler move, such as trading Brandon Bass in an effort to clear even more cap room for next season.

Odds & Ends: Bulls, Nets, Kings, Hornets, Celtics

March 6th, 2012 at 11:58pm CST by Zachary Links

After a slow start in the early minutes, the Heat had little trouble dealing with the Nets at home. Chris Bosh was back in action tonight and put up 20 points off of 9-14 shooting en route to Miami's 108-78 blowout win. Here's a look at some items from around the Association on this Tuesday night..

With Richard Hamilton set to return soon, Sam Smith of Bulls.com doesn't think the Bulls need to make a deal to fill the veteran's shoes.
Nets general manager Billy King still intends to be active at the March 15 trade deadline even with center Brook Lopez sidelined for the next three weeks, writes Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. Stephenson points out that Mehmet Okur, DeShawn Stevenson, Kris Humphries, Sundiata Gaines, Shelden Williams and the injured Damion James all own expiring contracts.
The Sacramento City Council is expected to approve a plan to give the Kings a new arena and subsequently retain the franchise, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (via Twitter). The meeting is still in progress.
With Emeka Okafor still out indefinitely with a sore left knee, Hornets Coach Monty Williams says there is a good chance center Solomon Jones will be signed for the remainder of the season, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. In ten games with New Orleans, Jones has averaged 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest.
Kevin McHale was literally in the shoes of the Celtics' current Big Three near the end of his Hall of Fame career with the C's, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The Rockets coach told reporters that he believes 2012's Big Three is playing better than himself, Larry Bird, and Robert Parish towards the end of their time in Boston.
Gerald Green is elated to receive another ten-day contract from the Nets, tweets Andy Vasquez of The Record.

Kennedy On Clippers, Allen, Celtics, Crawford

March 6th, 2012 at 7:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's a look at some highlights from tonight's column from Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld..

Over the next week and a half, the Clippers will make a strong push to land a starting shooting guard, according to multiple sources close to the situation. Los Angeles has been in search of a two-guard ever since losing Chauncey Billups for the year. As of right now, Randy Foye and Travis Leslie are the only true shooting guards on the roster and the club has expressed interest in Ray Allen and Jamal Crawford, according to sources.
The Celtics aren’t actively shopping Allen but are listening to offers. It’s unclear what Boston would want in exchange for the 36-year-old, though many teams have expressed interest in him.
Sources say that Crawford will opt-out of the final year of his contract to test free agency this summer and the Trail Blazers may look to move him before the deadline. The Clippers are expressing interest along with the Timberwolves. The Clips tried to sign-and-trade for Crawford over the offseason, but the Hawks didn’t want to take back any contracts.
Other two-guards who could be on the move include the Grizzlies' O.J. Mayo, Courtney Lee of the Rockets, and Anthony Morrow of the Nets. If any of the three guards are made available, the Clippers can be expected to be in the mix. Recently, I broke down the case for New Jersey parting with Morrow.
Sources believe that the Magic will hold onto Dwight Howard past the trade deadline. There are members of the organization who remain optimistic that Howard will re-sign this summer if the right moves are made. The Magic will pursue players like Steve Nash and Monta Ellis before the deadline, but it'll be an uphill battle due to their lack of trade chips outside of Howard.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Rondo, Raptors, Nets

March 6th, 2012 at 5:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Celtics enter tonight's contest against Houston riding a four-game winning streak thanks in no small part to the play of Rajon Rondo. Rondo was nothing short of stellar on Sunday afternoon, finishing with 18 points, 20 assists and 17 rebounds en route to his second triple-double in three games. Here's a look at the C's and the rest of the Atlantic Division..

Zach Lowe of Sports Illustrated took a gander at Rondo in an attempt to quantify the point guard's trade value. Rondo's performance could arguably suffer if he were without Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to spread out defenses, but Lowe wonders if he might benefit working with less shooters and more off-the-dribble help.
With star prospect Jonas Valanciunas thriving in Lithuania, the Raptors should consider moving Andrea Bargnani prior to the trade deadline, writes AJ Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops. In Lithuanian league play the fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft is leading the league in scoring with 16.1 PPG and third in the league with 7.6 RPG in just 22.8 minutes per game.
Nets coach Avery Johnson is disappointed for Brook Lopez as the center will be out of action for at least three weeks with a sprained ankle, writes Colin Stephenson of The Star-Ledger. Lopez remains centerpiece of the team's efforts to trade for Dwight Howard but Stephenson writes that it gives Orlando something more to think about before pulling the trigger.

Kennedy On Crawford, Allen

March 5th, 2012 at 8:50pm CST by Michael Pina

Hoopsworld.com writer Alex Kennedy just sent a couple tweets out that some may find interesting. Here they are:

Minnesota is apparently making a strong push at acquiring Jamal Crawford. With the Trail Blazers beginning to slide out of the playoff picture, the shooting guard has had his name floated in several trade rumors in recent days. It'd be interesting to see what Portland would want from Minnesota. One financial match would be a straight up swap involving Michael Beasley, but apart from them saving about $4MM, not sure why Portland does that deal.
According to a league executive, Boston is not actively shopping Ray Allen, but they are fielding calls. One team that's reportedly shown interest in his services is the Clippers, but it remains to be seen whether they'd be willing to include Eric Bledsoe in the deal, and that's probably who the Celtics are holding out for.

Smith’s Latest: Celtics, DeRozan, Daye, Beaubois

March 5th, 2012 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

After previewing the Bulls' upcoming matchups with Eastern Conference contenders, Sam Smith of Bulls.com checks in on some rumors from around the league. Here are a few highlights from Smith's latest column:

Celtics talk should pick up over the next week and a half, but Smith wonders if, rather than trading Rajon Rondo or the Big Three, GM Danny Ainge could try to move Brandon Bass to clear more cap space for two major free agents this summer.
DeMar DeRozan "isn't as untouchable as once believed," writes Smith. Given DeRozan's lack of improvement this season, that isn't a huge surprise, but I doubt the Raptors would sell low on him.
Austin Daye has played just over six minutes in the Pistons' last eight games, and Smith thinks he could be an intriguing gamble for some team, if Detroit makes him available.
According to Smith, if the Mavericks want to create summer cap space by moving Shawn Marion's contract either during or after the season, packaging him with Rodrigue Beaubois could make it easier to find a taker. The 24-year-old Beaubois has averaged 13.8 points and 2.0 steals per game in four games since the All-Star break.

Aldridge On Sacramento, Scott Brooks, Rondo

March 5th, 2012 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

While the city of Sacramento, the Kings, and the NBA have reached a tentative deal to keep the team in Sacramento, the franchise isn't quite out of the woods yet, as David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. Sacramento city council will vote Tuesday on whether or not to approve the framework of the arena deal, and councilman Robert King Fong is confident they'll get the required votes:

"I think we certainly have enough votes to pass it," Fong said. "I think it would be nice to have more than enough. It would be good optics. But I think we'll pass it."

Here are some other notes from Aldridge's column:

There are some questions about how the Maloof brothers will come up with their contribution to the Sacramento arena. "I don't think anybody expected they had that kind of money," said Jack Robinson, editor of the Sacramento Business Journal. "But we presume that since David Stern was sitting right next to them that the NBA is going to make sure that they have that kind of money… the NBA seems to be satisfied and seems to be putting its weight behind the Maloofs."
It's surprising that the Thunder have yet to extend the contract of coach Scott Brooks, says Aldridge. GM Sam Presti says he hopes Brooks will coach the team for "many, many years," but declined to comment further on the coach's contract status. However, Brooks' agent, Warren LeGarie, suggested that extension talks may not be revisited until after the season.
While acknowledging that he was told Rajon Rondo is "a personality challenge," Aldridge questions the logic of trading the star point guard. Aldridge spoke to one GM who thinks Celtics GM Danny Ainge was only seriously interested in trading Rondo when Chris Paul was on the table, but hasn't delved too deeply into talks since then.

Injuries That Could Affect The Trade Deadline

March 5th, 2012 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

Deron Williams may have scored a franchise-record 57 points en route to a Sunday victory over the Bobcats, but the news out of Charlotte wasn't all good for the Nets. In just his fifth game back from a foot injury, Brook Lopez rolled his ankle badly and left the arena on crutches. There's still no official word from the team on the severity of the injury, but as Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes, it could deal a serious blow to the Nets' hopes of trading for Dwight Howard in the next ten days.

Lopez isn't the only trade candidate who could be on the shelf as the March 15th deadline approaches. Here are a few more players whose injury statuses may affect the deals their respective teams can make in the next week and a half:

Jermaine O'Neal: The Celtics would need to include salary to make any deal of substance, so O'Neal's $6.23MM expiring contract made him a prime candidate to be included in a trade to ensure salaries match. Unfortunately for Boston, O'Neal recently suffered a wrist injury and may undergo season-ending surgery. If he elects for the surgery, there's a chance O'Neal could be waived by the Celtics.
Al Horford: Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group reported last week that the Hawks were still interested in Dwight Howard, perhaps in a deal involving Horford. While such a trade would be a long shot to begin with, Horford's torn pectoral makes it even trickier. Already reluctant to deal Howard, the Magic would probably be even more wary about doing so for a player who is just recently out of a sling.
Anderson Varejao: Varejao will be re-evaluated this week, but it looks like he won't return to the Cavs' lineup until after March 15th. Before the injury, the Cavs said they didn't intend to trade Varejao, though there was some speculation that stance could change by the deadline. With Varejao still out, he'll definitely be remaining in Cleveland.
Jordan Hill: Among the Rockets' numerous former lottery picks on expiring contracts, Hill is the most attractive asset. While that may be faint praise, Hill has been the most productive of the group of four 2009 draftees that also includes Hasheem Thabeet, Jonny Flynn, and Terrence Williams, and his salary ($2.86MM) is very reasonable. However, a sprained MCL has kept Hill out of action for the last couple weeks, and even though he expects to return within the next week, he won't have much time to showcase his health before the deadline.
J.J. Hickson: The Kings are reportedly quite interested in moving Hickson, but they've stumbled upon a roadblock besides his disappointing production this season — he'll miss his third straight game tonight with a hip pointer.
Thabo Sefolosha: Having missed 18 games with a foot injury, Sefolosha is shooting jump shots again, but it doesn't appear he's ready for game action yet. Steve Kyler wrote this morning that the Thunder could try to acquire a replacement if the team feels Sefolosha will miss much more time. The 6'7" wing also represented a potential trade asset for the Thunder, but questions about his health will hurt his value.
Andrea Bargnani: Bargnani seems to be getting closer to returning from a calf injury, and could be back in plenty of time for the trade deadline, but it may not matter either way. As Kyler reported today, the Raptors are getting inquiries on Bargnani, but don't seem interested in dealing him.

Odds & Ends: Rondo, Rockets, Blazers, Mavericks

March 4th, 2012 at 6:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque

After an overtime thriller between New York and Boston and the Heat being held to its second-lowest point total all season against the Lakers, here are some of the topics floating around the league.

Rajon Rondo's stellar game against the Knicks was a display of his value to the Celtics and as a trade asset, writes Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated.
Ric Bucher claims that the Rockets will have a different roster by March 16. (Twitter link)
In addition to Nate McMillan's concern about lack of communication on the court, Mike Tokito of The Oregonian writes that Raymond Felton will soon return to the starting lineup for the Trail Blazers.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas reports that the Mavericks have called up forward/center Sean Williams from the D-League after placing Brandan Wright on the injured list. Wright sustained a concussion against the Hornets on Friday.
A day after Lamar Odom's solid performance off the bench helped the Mavericks beat the Jazz, Eddie Sefko of DallasNews.com believes that the onus is on Lamar to remain consistent for the rest of the season.