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Four Groups Identified As Bidders For Celtics

March 12th, 2025 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Four prospective ownership groups remain involved in bidding for the Celtics and have taken part in management presentations with the team, according to a report from Eben Novy-Williams and Scott Soshnick of Sportico.

Here are those four groups, per Sportico’s reporting:

Steve Pagliuca‘s group: Pagliuca is a current minority stakeholder in the Celtics who has expressed interest throughout the process in assuming majority control of the franchise. Sportico reported on Tuesday that he was a “near certainty” to be involved in the second round of bidding and was considered by some industry sources to be the frontrunner.
The Friedkin Group: Described by Sportico as “a privately held consortium based in Texas,” The Friedkin Group has holdings that include a pair of soccer clubs, AS Roma in Italy and Everton in the English Premier League. Dan Friedkin, the owner and CEO, is reportedly worth $7.5 billion.
Stan Middleman‘s group: Middleman, the president and CEO of Freedom Mortgage, bought a minority stake in MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies in 2023 and has explored pursuing majority control of other sports franchises, including the Cleveland Guardians and Washington Nationals, according to Sportico.
Bill Chisholm‘s group: Chisholm, whose involvement was first reported by Bloomberg, is the co-founder, managing partner, and chief investment officer of Symphony Technology Group, which manages about $10 billion in assets, per Sportico.

The Celtics’ majority ownership group first announced last July that it would be putting control of the franchise up for sale. The plan laid out at that time was to sell a majority share (ie. 51%) of the team in late 2024 or early 2025, with Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck remaining in his current role until the balance of the sale is completed in 2028.

It’s unclear whether or not that’s still the plan, according to Novy-Williams and Soshnick, who note that the messiness of the Timberwolves’ ownership transfer prompted commissioner Adam Silver to suggest that the league may try to avoid sales that play out in multiple stages going forward.

The deadline for potential buyers to submit their initial offers was January 23. A second round of revised bids is reportedly due this Friday.

It’s not yet known whether the four groups involved in the process are fully funded or exactly how much they’re willing to offer for a controlling stake in the defending NBA champions, Novy-Williams and Soshnick write. During the site’s latest round of NBA franchise valuations, Sportico estimated that the Celtics are worth $5.66 billion.

Matisse Thybulle Set To Make Season Debut

March 12th, 2025 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle, who has missed the entire 2024/25 season so far, will be available to play on Wednesday vs. New York, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

Thybulle underwent a procedure in October, just before the start of the regular season, to address inflammation in his right knee. It wasn’t supposed to sideline him for a significant period, but he sustained a bad right ankle sprain in late November during his ramp-up process, which set back his recovery.

Known for his defensive prowess, Thybulle earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team in 2021 and again in 2022 as a member of the Sixers, but failed to develop his offensive game during his time in Philadelphia. He was sent to Portland at the 2023 trade deadline and then re-signed with the Blazers during the 2023 offseason on a three-year, $33MM contract.

Thybulle still isn’t much of a scorer, having averaged 5.9 points per game in 87 total outings as a Blazer. However, the 28-year-old has been a more reliable outside threat since the trade, making 35.8% of 3.6 three-point tries per game in Portland after knocking down just 32.5% of 2.1 attempts per game as a Sixer.

While the Blazers aren’t entirely out of the play-in hunt yet, they’re currently mired in a four-game losing streak that has reduced their postseason chances. They sit 12th in the West and are now five full games back of the No. 10 Mavericks with just 16 left to play.

Whether or not Portland is eliminated from the postseason race in the coming weeks, Thybulle should get an opportunity to compete for rotation minutes and make a case for a spot on next season’s roster. The sixth-year veteran holds an $11.55MM player option that he’ll almost certainly exercise, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Blazers will bring him back for 2025/26, since he could become an offseason trade candidate on that expiring deal.

Bucks Legend, Part Owner Junior Bridgeman Passes Away

March 11th, 2025 at 5:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

6:25pm: Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement on Bridgeman’s passing:

“I am devastated to learn of the sudden passing of Junior Bridgeman. Junior was the ultimate entrepreneur who built on his impactful 12-year NBA playing career by becoming a highly respected and successful business leader. He served as a mentor to generations of NBA players and athletes across sports who were eager to learn from him about what it takes to thrive in the business world.

“Junior was a dedicated member of the NBA family for 50 years – most recently as a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, an investor in NBA Africa and as a player who set the standard for representing the league and our game with class and dignity. We express our heartfelt condolences to Junior’s wife, Doris, their children, Eden, Justin and Ryan, the Bucks organization, and his many friends and admirers in the basketball community.”

5:57pm: Bucks legend and minority owner Junior Bridgeman died after suffering a medical emergency in Louisville on Tuesday, WHAS11.com reports.

Bridgeman, 71, was speaking during an event at the Galt House in downtown Louisville when he collapsed. He was heard telling someone he thought he was having a heart attack.

Bridgeman was a collegiate star at Louisville, leading the Cardinals to the 1975 national championship game. He had a lengthy NBA career, spanning from 1975-87. The Lakers selected him with the eighth overall pick of the draft but he was traded weeks later in the deal that brought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles.

A sixth man for most of his career, Bridgeman averaged 13.6 points in 849 games. Bridgeman spent most of his career with Milwaukee but also had a two-year stint with the Clippers.

Bridgeman became an extremely successful businessman after his playing career, amassing a reported net worth of over $600MM. Bridgeman purchased a 10% stake in the Bucks franchise last September. He paid approximately $340MM for his minority share.

The Bucks organization issued the following statement:

“The Milwaukee Bucks are shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Bucks legend and owner Junior Bridgeman. Junior’s retired No. 2 jersey hangs in Fiserv Forum, serving as a constant remembrance of his outstanding play on the court and his impact on the Bucks’ success. His hard work and perseverance led him to become one of the nation’s top business leaders and, last September, Junior’s professional life came full circle when he returned to the Bucks family as an owner. His memory will always be an inspiration to the Bucks organization. We are heartbroken by Junior’s passing and we send our deepest condolences to his wife, Doris, his children, Eden, Justin, and Ryan, his entire family and all those close to him.”

Hoops Rumors sends its condolences to the Bridgeman family.

Warriors Forward Jonathan Kuminga Expected To Play On Thursday

March 11th, 2025 at 4:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The streaking Warriors will get a key piece back in their rotation this week. Forward Jonathan Kuminga is expected to be active on Thursday night when Golden State hosts the Kings, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reports.

Kuminga has missed the last 31 games because of a significant lateral right ankle sprain he suffered on Jan. 4. Kuminga will have a few more hurdles to clear, including a team practice on Wednesday, before the organization’s medical staff gives the go-ahead for his return to action. He’ll be eased back on a minutes restriction, Slater adds.

Kuminga had been on a scoring binge prior to the injury. He piled up 26, 34, 34 and 20 points in the stretch of games prior to the outing against the Grizzlies, when he came down on Memphis guard Desmond Bane’s foot and rolled his ankle badly.

For the season, Kuminga has averaged 16.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Golden State’s fortunes have turned around since the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade. The Warriors were under .500 through their first 51 games of the season.

They’re now 37-28 and will carry a five-game winning streak into the matchup against Sacramento. They have moved into sixth place in the conference standings, a half-game ahead of equally hot Timberwolves as they try avoid the play-in tournament.

There are also financial implications to his return. Kuminga and the club failed to agree on a rookie scale extension before the October deadline, so he’ll be a restricted free agent after the season.

Revised Bids From Prospective Celtics Owners Due Friday

March 11th, 2025 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

This Friday, March 14, represents the next key deadline in the Celtics‘ sale process, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico, who report that prospective owners have until the end of the day on Friday to submit their revised bids for the franchise.

The deadline for potential buyers to submit their initial offers was January 23. Reports at the time indicated that at least four or five groups were expected to put forth bids. Sportico’s latest update suggests that as many as four groups may still be involved in the process.

The Celtics’ majority ownership group first announced last July 1 that it would be putting control of the franchise up for sale. The plan laid out at that time was to sell a majority share (ie. 51%) of the team in late 2024 or early 2025, with Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck remaining in his current role until the balance of the sale is completed in 2028.

While we don’t know for sure which groups remain involved in the bidding, it has been reported consistently throughout the process that current Celtics minority stakeholder Steve Pagliuca is interested in assuming control of the team. According to Soshnick and Novy-Williams, Pagliuca’s group is a “near certainty” to be among those submitting a revised bid by the end of this week and is considered by some industry sources to be the frontrunner.

Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, was rumored to be one of the parties involved in the bidding process prior to the Jan. 23 deadline, but Lurie denied during his Super Bowl media session that he has interest in taking control of the Celtics or any other NBA team.

Another current minority stakeholder, Robert Hale, expressed interest in becoming majority owner or joining a group in October, and said in the lead-up to the January 23 deadline that he was “still hanging around the hoop.” Mark Bezos, the founding partner of HighPost Capital private equity group and the half-brother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was also rumored to be among the possible bidders.

During the site’s latest round of NBA franchise valuations, Sportico estimated that the Celtics are worth $5.66 billion. According to Soshnick and Novy-Williams, people in the industry are especially curious to see what the final sale price for the Celtics will be since the team doesn’t own its arena (TD Garden) and only has a limited stake (20%) in its regional sports partner, NBC Sports Boston.

Pelicans To Play Two Preseason Games In Australia

March 10th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans will play two preseason games against NBL teams in Melbourne this October, marking the first NBA games in Australia, according to a team press release.

The NBA has played numerous games, preseason and regular season, in Europe. There have also been preseason games in Japan and China, but these games will be on a new continent.

The Pelicans will play Melbourne United on Oct. 3 and South East Melbourne Phoenix in Oct. 5.

“The significance of this announcement for basketball in Australia and the NBL can’t be overstated,” NBL Executive Director Larry Kestelman said. “Hosting an NBA team in Australia has been a long-held dream for everyone at the NBL, and to see this initiative finally come to fruition after a 15-year journey shows that much can be accomplished when you dream big.”

Pelicans executive VP David Griffin indicated that the club will spend a significant portion of their training camp Down Under as well, he told Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link).

“The one thing we will do that will be unprecedented, is we’re gonna do a good portion – maybe not all of – but we’re gonna try be here prior to the games for a good portion of our training camp,” Griffin said. “Our full roster will be in attendance. These games will be really meaningful to us.”

The announcement builds on the NBA and NBL’s prior collaborations that began in 2016. Seven NBL teams have traveled to the U.S. to play 24 preseason games against NBA teams.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trae Young Named Players Of The Week

March 10th, 2025 at 2:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Hawks guard Trae Young have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter).

Gilgeous-Alexander won for the Western Conference, while Young claimed the East’s award. It was the second Player of the Week honor this season for each of them.

The presumed frontrunner for the 2024/25 MVP award after finishing as the runner-up last season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 44.0 points, 6.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.3 blocks on .540/.400/1.000 shooting in victories over Memphis, Houston and Denver last week. He missed one game, which Oklahoma City also won (against Portland).

The 26-year-old superstar leads the league in scoring with a career-best 32.9 PPG on elite efficiency for the West’s No. 1 seed. The Thunder have all but wrapped up the best record in the conference, leading their closest competition — the Lakers and Nuggets — by 12 games.

As for Young, he helped guide Atlanta to a 3-1 record last week, averaging 24.5 PPG, 13.0 APG and 2.8 RPG. He struggled a bit with efficiency, shooting just 39.0% from the field, including 20.0% from three-point range, though he did convert 96.7% of his 7.5 free throw attempts per contest.

The Hawks currently hold a half-game lead on both Orlando and Miami for the No. 7 seed in the East.

Desmond Bane, Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, James Harden, Ivica Zubac, Nikola Jokic and Julius Randle were the other nominees in the West, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Cade Cunningham, Josh Giddey, Coby White, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East (Twitter link).

Mo Bamba Signs 10-Day Deal With Pelicans

March 10th, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Rory Maher

2:00 pm: The deal is official, the Pelicans announced in a press release.

12:23 pm: Free agent center Mohamed Bamba is signing a 10-day contract with the Pelicans, agents Mark Bartelstein and Greer Love tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

As our roster count tracker shows, New Orleans currently has an opening on its 15-man roster, which means no corresponding move will be necessary to add Bamba.

Bamba, 26 was traded from the Clippers to the Jazz ahead of last month’s deadline and was subsequently released by Utah. He has been a free agent since early February.

A former lottery pick, Bamba was unable to carve out a consistent role in his four-plus seasons with Orlando, the team that selected him sixth overall back in 2018. He was traded to the Lakers in February 2023, but only played nine games for the club due to injury.

Bamba signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Philadelphia in the summer of 2023. Last offseason, he inked the same type of deal with the Clippers.

In 28 games with the Clips in 2024/25, Bamba averaged 4.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 block in 12.6 minutes per contest. He posted a shooting slash line of .466/.300/.680 while backing up Ivica Zubac.

As Charania notes, Bamba has been playing for the Pelicans’ G League affiliate — the Birmingham Squadron — since he was cut by the Jazz. He has appeared in four games for the Squadron, averaging 21.0 PPG, 14.5 RPG and 1.8 BPG on .517/.435/.667 shooting in 30.8 MPG.

Bamba will serve as a depth piece in a Pelicans frontcourt that also features Yves Missi, Zion Williamson, Kelly Olynyk and Karlo Matkovic, among others.

P.J. Tucker Signs 10-Day Contract With Knicks

March 10th, 2025 at 12:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

March 10: Tucker’s 10-day deal with the Knicks is now official, per a team press release (Twitter link).

March 8: P.J. Tucker will join the Knicks on a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Tucker talked with several teams over the past week before deciding on New York, Charania adds.

The 39-year-old forward will bring defensive toughness and three-point shooting to the Knicks, who are in a tight race for playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference. He also has a wealth of postseason experience — including a championship with Milwaukee in 2021 — that will be valuable if he winds up getting signed for the rest of the season.

New York has been carrying an open 15-man roster spot all season, so no other move will be necessary to add Tucker. The team is roughly $540K below the second apron, and Tucker’s 10-day deal will carry a cap hit of $119,972, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

Tucker isn’t expected to sign today, but he will at some point during the current road trip, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. The Knicks don’t play again until Monday at Sacramento, and they want to get as many games as possible out of Tucker during the 10 days he’ll be active. If he signs on Monday, he’ll be eligible to appear in five games before the contract expires March 19.

Ian Begley of SNY hears that the Knicks view Tucker as an “integral addition” to a locker room that doesn’t have an experienced veteran of his stature (Twitter link). The team was also looking for someone with an “enforcer mentality,” Begley adds.

Tucker, who hasn’t played yet this season, started off with the Clippers after picking up his $11.54MM player option over the summer. An agreement was reached in early October that he would remain away from the team while his agent worked with the front office to find a trade.

Nothing materialized until February 1 when he was sent to Utah as part of a four-player deal. He was traded again five days later, being shipped to Toronto as part of the five-team Jimmy Butler deal. He remained inactive with the Raptors until he was waived February 28.

The Knicks will be the eighth team for Tucker, who made his NBA debut with Toronto during the 2006/07 season. He has appeared in 883 games with career averages of 6.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists and shooting splits of .425/.366/.750.

Rockets’ Amen Thompson Out At Least 10 Days

March 9th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets second-year forward Amen Thompson is expected to be sidelined for 10-to-14 days due to a left ankle sprain, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

An MRI showed no structural damage, so Thompson will rehab and receive treatment for swelling in the ankle with the hope of returning sometime this month. It’s relatively good news for Houston, as a major sprain would have sidelined him for a much longer period of time.

Thompson injured his left ankle during the fourth quarter of the team’s blowout win over New Orleans on Saturday. The injury occurred as Thompson drove into the lane and attempted a pull-up jumper. His left foot came down on Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic‘s foot when he landed, and he reportedly was seen wearing a walking boot and using crutches as he left the arena.

The fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, Thompson has been enjoying a breakout year for the Rockets. In 60 games (33 starts), the 22-year-old has averaged 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game, with a .553 FG% and strong, versatile defense.

Cam Whitmore and Aaron Holiday are among the players who could see an uptick in playing time while Thompson mends.