Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Waive Two-Way Forward Miles Norris

August 10th, 2025 at 4:28pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Celtics have waived Miles Norris, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). He was on a two-way deal.

Norris played three games for the Celtics last season, in which time he averaged 2.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 11.7 minutes per game.

The former UC Santa Barbara standout, who went undrafted in 2023, spent most of the 2024/25 season in the G League, playing for the Memphis Hustle until March and then appearing in several games for the Maine Celtics down the stretch after signing his two-way deal with Boston.

In total, he averaged 16.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 30.5 minutes per game across 44 total outings for the Grizzlies’ and Celtics’ G League affiliates.

The Celtics currently have Max Shulga and the recently acquired RJ Luis on two-way contracts. No. 46 overall pick Amari Williams looks like the top candidate to fill the team’s newly opened third slot.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Hauser, Simons, Mazzulla, WNBA

August 9th, 2025 at 8:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s no official injury update on Jayson Tatum, but it was encouraging to see the Celtics star moving around freely during two public appearances this week, writes Matty Wasserman of The Boston Globe. Tatum made a visit to Patriots training camp on Wednesday and followed that by joining coach Joe Mazzulla at the groundbreaking for a new early education center a day later.

Tatum, who underwent surgery after tearing his Achilles in a May 12 playoff game, didn’t take any questions or address his condition, but team president Rich Gotham seemed delighted with his progress.

“He’s gone from walking around in a boot and just kind of wiggling his toes to, as you see him today, he’s walking around a little more freely,” Gotham told reporters. “That’s obviously very encouraging to all of us at the Celtics … These are all little milestones in what has been a pretty grueling process for him. But it’s great to see him out at something like this.”

Gotham refused to speculate on whether Tatum would return to action if he receives medical clearance before the end of the upcoming season. However, he added, “What I know about JT is that he’s going to do everything he can to put us in the position to make a decision.”

There’s more from Boston:

The Celtics trimmed nearly $50MM off their luxury tax bill by trading Georges Niang to Utah, and they appear determined to get below the tax line altogether, cap expert Yossi Gozlan states in his Third Apron column (subscriber link). They’ll be about $12.1MM above the threshold once Chris Boucher officially signs, and Gozlan identifies two potential cost-cutting strategies. One is to trade Sam Hauser‘s $10MM salary and duck below the tax at the deadline by moving minimum-salaried players and replacing them with prorated signings. Another is to send Anfernee Simons ($27.7MM) to a team below the first apron, which would only have to part with $19.2MM in salary in return. That would also put Boston in position to escape the tax with small moves at the deadline.
The multiyear extension for Mazzulla gives the Celtics some stability amid significant roster turnover, observes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Terada adds that Mazzulla is liked and respected by his players, particularly Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe examines the obstacles that Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca is facing in his attempt to buy the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and move the team to Boston. Washburn states that Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is on board with the effort, adding that Boston doesn’t want to wait for the next round of expansion, which might not happen until 2033.

Look Ahead At Potential 2026 Free Agents

August 8th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

Free agency is not the headline event it once was in the NBA, as a large portion of the top players on the market tend to extend, like Luka Doncic did last weekend with the Lakers, or move in trades rather than signing with new teams. However, there are still likely to be talented players available and ready to contribute to new situations, as Zach Harper details for The Athletic.

Teams like the Lakers, Clippers, and Heat have made an effort to keep their flexibility for next year, write Tim Bontemps and Kevin Pelton for ESPN. However, those teams are also expected to try to maintain cap space for 2027, a summer in which multiple MVPs – Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic – could potentially reach the market, though of course neither is guaranteed to be available.

The Celtics will also likely look to retool their roster next summer after trading away key contributors in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis for salary cap relief, as they seek to rebuild their roster into a contender around Tatum once he has recovered from his Achilles tear.

Trae Young, with a $48.9MM player option for the 2026/27 season, has the potential to be one of the top names on the board, and while Harper expresses confidence that an extension with the Hawks will get done, there have been rumors that it’s far from a certainty, and that next season could serve as an evaluation period for the Hawks’ core under a new head of basketball operations.

Other high-end veterans with player options for ’26/27 include James Harden (Clippers), Zach LaVine (Kings), Draymond Green (Warriors), Austin Reaves (Lakers), Andrew Wiggins (Heat), Fred VanVleet (Rockets), and Bradley Beal (Clippers). Harper considers Harden, Green, and Reaves very likely to remain with their current teams, and VanVleet also relatively likely to stay, though the Rockets have some level of flexibility in regard to the future of their roster.

Then there are the unrestricted free agents. As of this moment, LeBron James (Lakers) and Kevin Durant (Rockets) represent the cream of the crop, but there are other talented players such as Porzingis (Hawks), Anfernee Simons (Celtics), Coby White (Bulls), and others who are sure to garner suitors.

For what it’s worth, Durant has been widely expected to extend with Houston, but James is ineligible to be extended prior to free agency and White’s salary is so modest relative to his value that he’s considered likely to wait until he can get a bigger payday on the free agent market.

One interesting inflection point will be players on team options, such as Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort on the Thunder, and Bogdan Bogdanovic and Brook Lopez on the Clippers. The Thunder, particularly, could have some tough decisions to make on their role players soon as lucrative extensions take effect for stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams.

Celtics Sign Joe Mazzulla To Multiyear Extension

August 8th, 2025 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have extended their head coach’s contract, announcing today in a press release that Joe Mazzulla has officially signed a new multiyear deal with the club.

“We are very excited that Joe has agreed to extend with the Celtics,” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in a statement. “He understands the job and has a passion for the Celtics that is only rivaled by our most die-hard fans. He’s worked hard and accomplished amazing things in his first three years as a head coach – including averaging over 60 wins per season and winning the 2024 NBA Championship.

“Joe is a gifted leader who brings a consistent commitment to learning, improving, and maximizing each day we get to compete for the Boston Celtics.”

Mazzulla, who joined the Celtics’ coaching staff in 2019 as an assistant, was unexpectedly thrust into the head coaching role ahead of the 2022/23 season when Ime Udoka was suspended by the club. Udoka never returned to the team, resulting in Mazzulla earning the position on a permanent basis.

Mazzulla has acquitted himself very well in his first three years as the Celtics’ head coach, winning 57, 64, and 61 regular season games for an overall record of 182-64 (.740). He has also guided Boston to a 33-17 record in the playoffs, as well as a 2024 championship.

Mazzulla finished third in Coach of the Year voting in his first year on the job in 2022/23, then ranked fourth a year later.

He’ll face a new challenge in his fourth year in the role, as the Celtics have spent the offseason retooling their roster to cut costs after operating above the second tax apron last season. With Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis no longer on the roster and Jayson Tatum expected to miss most or all of 2025/26 while he recovers from a torn Achilles, Mazzulla will have to find a way to maximize a group that features less talent than his previous rosters.

Fischer’s Latest: RFAs, Warriors, White, Young, Celtics

August 7th, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Rory Maher

During Thursday’s Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer reiterated multiple times that he expects the four primary restricted free agents — Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Quentin Grimes (Sixers) and Cam Thomas (Nets) — to continue to be in contract standoffs with their respective teams for some time.

“Again, we are still in a holding pattern with all these restricted free agents, and we are — at this juncture — expecting all those situations to linger deeper into August and get into September as well,” Fischer said. “Don’t expect a resolution for Jonathan Kuminga, for Josh Giddey, for Quentin Grimes, for Cam Thomas, anytime soon.”

According to Fischer, the Warriors haven’t shown any interest in what the Kings and Suns have offered in sign-and-trade scenarios for Kuminga. But they also don’t want to lose the former lottery pick for nothing in return.

“Jonathan Kuminga’s side, I believe, right now, would be willing to take a two-plus-one with a player option three-year deal,” Fischer said. “I think that Jonathan Kuminga’s side would take this one-plus-one situation with Golden State — this two-year, $45MM offer that’s been on the table — if he were to get a player option in year two.

“But I was told yesterday from various sources that Golden State is going to be holding firm … that second year is going to be a team option. And that’s kinda where this staring contest is at.”

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Warriors currently have only nine players signed to standard contracts, with the Kuminga stalemate continuing to hold up their other offseason business. Fischer suggested that Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II are likely to be signed after Kuminga’s situation is resolved. Malcolm Brogdon and Seth Curry remain on Golden State’s radar as well, according to Fischer, with Javonte Green another player mentioned.
The Bulls are monitoring Coby White‘s upcoming free agency, Fischer said. White will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026, and Fischer noted that there has been talk of White wanting a contract that exceeds $30MM annually. That expectation may be factoring into the calculation of Chicago playing a level of hardball with Giddey’s restricted free agency.
Thomas looks the most likely of the four RFAs to accept his qualifying offer, Fischer confirmed. The high-scoring guard views himself as a $30MM+ per year player, but the Nets haven’t approached that figure and have only offered him short-term deals to this point, Fischer said.
While Fischer confirmed the latest reports on Trae Young‘s disappointment at the lack of an extension offer from the Hawks, he said that it was also somewhat expected by Young’s camp. Fischer called this season an opportunity for Young to maximize a roster built to complement his game, as well as an opportunity for the new front office to evaluate the players on the roster. If Young is able to maximize the team’s potential and earn All-NBA honors, he’d be eligible for a much more lucrative extension, and he also has a 2026/27 player option he could decline to enter free agency next year as possibly the top free agent on the board.
Prior to dealing him to the Jazz, the Celtics had talks with the Grizzlies during Summer League about a deal that would send Georges Niang to Memphis, according to Fischer, who said a rumored framework of Anfernee Simons for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was never discussed. Fischer noted that before RJ Luis signed a two-way deal with the Jazz, he was considering signing with the Celtics. The Jazz are expected to keep Niang as a veteran leader. Fischer also said that he’s not as confident that Simons gets traded before the season starts as he was that Niang would be dealt.
Fischer confirmed that Bennedict Mathurin is on track to receive a bigger role this season with the Pacers due to Tyrese Haliburton‘s injury, and that Mathurin is also hoping to secure a deal that would pay him $20-30MM per year. Fischer added that many of the unsigned rookie scale extension candidates likely won’t finalize new deals until the October deadline.

Eli Cohen contributed to this post.

Celtics’ Sale Expected To Close Within Two Weeks

August 7th, 2025 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

The sale of the Celtics to an ownership group headed up by William Chisholm is expected to close either late next week or early the following week, three sources familiar with the process tell Kurt Badenhausen and Scott Soshnick of Sportico.

The purchase requires the approval of the NBA’s Board of Governors, but that group doesn’t have to meet in person for a formal meeting, according to Badenhausen and Soshnick, who note that the vote can be conducted remotely.

Chisholm reached an agreement back in March to buy the Celtics from the Grousbeck family in two stages. Chisholm is purchasing a controlling interest in the franchise for a valuation of $6.1 billion and will take over from Wyc Grousbeck after the 2027/28 season when he and his group buy the rest of the club for a valuation of $7.3 billion.

While Chisholm is the lead investor in the Celtics, he’ll be joined by a number of minority shareholders, including ArcelorMittal CEO Aditya Mittal, who will be the second-largest stakeholder in the franchise and could become the team’s alternate governor. In addition to Chisholm and Mittal, the new Celtics ownership group will include current minority stakeholder Robert Hale, Bruce A. Beal Jr., and private equity firm Sixth Street.

After paying nearly $53MM in luxury tax penalties and operating over the second tax apron last season, the Celtics have made a concerted effort to cut costs this summer, with star forward Jayson Tatum expected to miss most or all of 2025/26 due to a torn Achilles.

Boston has moved Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Georges Niang (who was initially acquired in the Porzingis deal) in financially motivated trades and has reduced what would’ve been a record-setting tax payroll (salary and tax penalties) from $540MM to a projected $239MM, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Checking In On Unsigned 2025 NBA Draft Picks

August 7th, 2025 at 7:49am CST by Luke Adams

As our tracker shows, 51 of the 59 players selected in the 2025 draft in June have signed their first NBA contracts. That group includes all 30 first-round picks getting rookie scale contracts, 11 second-round picks signing standard contracts, and 10 more second-rounders receiving two-way deals.

On top of those 51 players, two more will reportedly remain overseas for the 2025/26 season, with Bucks second-rounder Bogoljub Markovic rejoining Mega Basket in Serbia and Cavaliers second-rounder Saliou Niang signing with Virtus Bologna in Italy.

That leaves just six players from the 2025 draft class whose ’25/26 plans remain up in the air. Those players are as follows:

Boston Celtics: Amari Williams
New York Knicks: Mohamed Diawara
Golden State Warriors: Alex Toohey
Utah Jazz: John Tonje
Golden State Warriors: Will Richard
Memphis Grizzlies: Jahmai Mashack

Let’s start with Williams, the only top-50 pick who doesn’t have a deal in place. Former ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony reported on draft night that the No. 46 overall pick would be signing a two-way contract with the Celtics, and that still looks like a possibility.

Boston doesn’t have a two-way opening, but Miles Norris is a carry-over from last season and it’s unclear whether the team has legitimate interest in retaining RJ Luis after acquiring him from Utah on Wednesday or if he was simply a placeholder to make the deal work. Either player could be waived to open up a spot for Williams.

As Wednesday’s Georges Niang deal showed, however, the Celtics continue to explore their options on the trade market and may make a real effort to duck below the luxury tax line. In that scenario, signing Williams to a standard contract that pays him the rookie minimum might make some sense, since it would allow the C’s to keep their costs as low as possible for their 14th man.

The Knicks have somewhat similar cap considerations to evaluate with Diawara. They’re currently carrying 12 players on standard contracts and they don’t have enough room below a second-apron hard cap to add two more players on veteran minimum deals. That means their 14th man figures to be a player on a rookie-minimum contract.

Diawara is a candidate to be that 14th man, but he’s not the only one — 2023 second-rounder James Nnaji is another possibility. If Diawara isn’t signed to a standard contract, he’ll likely end up on a two-way deal, given that the Knicks have three open slots and his former team in France announced last month that he was leaving for the NBA.

The Warriors have a pair of two-way openings that Toohey and Richard could end up filling, but they’ll probably keep their options open until Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency is resolved. Depending on what happens with Kuminga, Golden State may want to add either Toohey or Richard to its 15-man roster on a rookie minimum contract in order to maximize its cap flexibility below a hard cap or to avoid crossing over into first or second tax apron territory.

Before trading Luis to Boston on Wednesday, the Jazz just had one open two-way slot, with Tonje and two-way restricted free agent Oscar Tshiebwe both candidates to fill it. With Luis out of the picture, Utah could sign both players to two-way contracts without having to waive anyone, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the plan.

As for the Grizzlies and Mashack, he looks like the most obvious candidate to fill Memphis’ lone two-way opening. But it’s worth noting that there’s often at least one player per draft class who ends up being a domestic draft-and-stash, spending his rookie season in the G League without signing an NBA or two-way contract. We’ll see if the Grizzlies want to try to go that route with Mashack or if he simply ends up on a two-way deal.

Celtics Trade Georges Niang, Two Picks To Jazz

August 6th, 2025 at 5:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

August 6: The move is now official, per the Celtics (via Twitter).

The second-rounders headed to the Jazz in the deal are either the Celtics’ or Magic’s 2027 pick (whichever is most favorable) and either the Celtics’ or Cavaliers’ 2031 pick (whichever is most favorable), per Jake Fischer (Twitter link).

August 5: The Celtics are trading Georges Niang and two future second-round picks to the Jazz for rookie RJ Luis Jr., ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Utah is utilizing part of the $26.6MM trade exception created in last month’s three-team trade in which Utah dealt John Collins to the Clippers, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

It’s another salary dump for the Celtics, allowing them to move well below the second tax apron.

Niang was acquired by Boston from the Hawks in the three-team Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster this offseason. The 6’7″ forward has an expiring $8.2MM contract for next season.

Niang has been on the move quite a bit this year. He began last season with Cleveland and played 51 games for the Cavaliers, all but one off the bench, before getting dealt to Atlanta in February. Niang appeared in 28 games with the Hawks, including two starts. Overall, he averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.5 minutes per night last season.

Niang will provide Utah with another floor-stretching big off the bench. He’s a career 39.9% shooter on three-point tries.

It will be his second stint with the Jazz, whom he played with from 2017-21. They’re looking at him as someone who can play a rotation role and bring veteran leadership to their young core, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. The two sides have spoken, according to Jones, and Niang is happy and excited to be back in Utah.

Luis, an undrafted rookie out of St. John’s, was signed to a two-way contract, so he’ll fill the Celtics’ open two-way slot. Boston reached an agreement with free agent forward Chris Boucher to take Niang’s spot on the 15-man roster.

According to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), the Celtics shed approximately $5oMM off their luxury tax bill with the Niang trade. They’re now just $1.7MM above the first apron and $9.4MM above the luxury tax line. They also created a $8.2MM trade exception.

Atlantic Notes: Pritchard, Bridges, Knicks, Nets

August 6th, 2025 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics‘ biggest transactions this offseason – including trades that sent Jrue Holiday to Portland and Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta – have been more about reducing the team’s payroll as opposed to upgrading the roster. Still, despite those summer moves and the fact that Jayson Tatum will be sidelined with a torn Achilles, reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard remains confident in the team’s ability to compete.

“We’re definitely trying to be a playoff team. We’re trying to win a championship,” Pritchard said on the Celtics Talk Podcast with Chris Forsberg (story via Logan Reardon of NBC Sports Boston). “It’s not even about playoffs, we have one standard in Boston and it’s to win a championship. Everybody in that locker room will have the goal of competing for a championship. And we will do everything in our power necessary to go for that. That’s what (the fans) should know.”

Pritchard went on to acknowledge that it “definitely sucks” to lose players like Holiday, Porzingis, and Luke Kornet, adding that he’ll especially miss Holiday, who was “like a big brother.” Still, the Celtics guard is optimistic that other players will step up and play well in increased roles — Pritchard himself, who averaged a career-high 28.4 minutes per game last season, is among the players who will likely take on more responsibilities in 2025/26.

“I feel like everybody should be excited,” Pritchard said. “There’s a lot of opportunities across the board. For me, personally, I’m excited every year. Because it’s an opportunity to prove myself again, to show that I can take another step. And that’s my goal every year. I’m definitely hungry and motivated this year, been working really hard. So I’m excited.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Despite the fact that Mikal Bridges accepted a little less than he could have received on his four-year, $150MM contract extension, the Knicks project to be a second-apron team next season if they re-sign Mitchell Robinson, Yossi Gozlan writes for The Third Apron (Substack link). Within his look at the Knicks’ cap situation, Gozlan notes that Bridges’ unusual 5.69% trade kicker would put him in line to receive a bonus of about $6.17MM if he’s traded during the 2026 offseason — it would be almost the exact amount he gave up as part of his extension agreement (his max extension would have been worth roughly $156.17MM).
In a mailbag for The Athletic, James L. Edwards III explores Robinson’s contract situation and the timing of Bridges’ extension, among other topics. Edwards also explains why he wouldn’t be a fan of even a minimum-salary investment in free agent guard Ben Simmons and confirms that the Knicks – along with many other teams around the league – have been monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s situation in Milwaukee throughout the offseason.
After ending up at No. 8 in this year’s draft lottery, the Nets appear likely to tank again in 2025/26 in the hopes of landing a higher first-round pick. Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link) discusses the potential pitfalls of that approach, noting that teams who prioritize draft positioning for multiple years risk creating culture issues. “A lot of these teams that try to bottom out by tanking like Brooklyn is doing, they think there’s no consequences,” one agent told Lewis. “You risk eroding the environment you’re trying to create. That’s what happened in Philadelphia.”

Contract Details: Bridges, Springer, Two-Ways

August 5th, 2025 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

Mikal Bridges‘ new four-year contract extension with the Knicks will start at $33,482,145 in 2026/27, Hoops Rumors has learned. Bridges’ maximum first-year salary on a veteran extension would have been $34,860,000, so his actual deal will come in about $1.38MM below that.

Bridges will earn $36,160,714 in 2027/28 and $38,839,285 in ’28/29, with a ’29/30 player option worth $41,517,856, for a total of exactly $150MM.

Interestingly, while most trade kickers are worth either the maximum allowable 15% or a round number like 5% or 10%, the trade kicker on Bridges’ deal comes in at 5.69%.

Here are more details on recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Jaden Springer‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Pelicans includes Exhibit 9 language but not an Exhibit 10 clause, Hoops Rumors has learned. Those terms Springer will be competing for a 15-man roster spot in training camp and likely doesn’t plan on joining New Orleans’ G League affiliate if he’s waived before opening night.
The two-way contracts recently signed by Enrique Freeman with the Timberwolves and Daeqwon Plowden with the Kings are both just for one year, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Freeman got the maximum allowable $85,000 partial guarantee and will have 50% of his $636,435 salary guaranteed if he remains under contract through opening night, while Plowden received a $75K partial guarantee.
Max Shulga‘s two-way contract with the Celtics also just covers one season, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. That’s notable, since a handful of second-rounders drafted ahead of him signed two-year two-way deals. The No. 57 overall pick, who got a partial guarantee worth $85,300, will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2026.