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Celtics Notes: Lillard, Starting Lineup, Davison, Gonzalez

July 26th, 2025 at 6:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics were reported as a potential landing spot for Damian Lillard after he was waived and stretched by Milwaukee, but Lillard never gave serious thought to joining anyone but the Trail Blazers, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. At an introductory press conference this week in Portland, Lillard expressed his excitement over returning to his former team and mentioned a recruiting effort by Jrue Holiday.

“As soon as I was waived and obviously [Jrue] knows that I live here and built my home here and stuff,” Lillard said. “He sent me the eyeball emoji. I kind of knew already like — I already knew where I was pivoting to when he sent it but I didn’t want to say nothing too soon, so here we are.”

Although Lillard isn’t expected to play this season while recovering from a torn Achilles, he could have been an intriguing long-term investment for Boston once Jayson Tatum returns from his own Achilles injury. However, Robb points out that the Celtics couldn’t have come close to matching the three-year, $42MM deal Lillard got from the Blazers. They are currently limited to the $5.685MM taxpayer mid-level exception, and using that exception would have required other moves to get far enough below the second apron.

There’s more from Boston:

  • In a mailbag column, Robb projects Neemias Queta to be the Celtics’ starting center on opening night if the current roster remains in place. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are the only certain members of the starting five, and Robb expects the other two positions to come down to decisions between Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons, and between Sam Hauser and Georges Niang with Josh Minott as a possible wild card.
  • This week’s release of JD Davison was a result of him not showing sufficient NBA potential during his three years with the organization, Robb adds in the same piece. He puts the chances of Ben Simmons being signed to fill the open roster spot at “10-20%,” stating that the former No. 1 overall pick will likely get better financial offers elsewhere.
  • Spanish basketball legend Rudy Fernandez offers a ringing endorsement of Celtics’ first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez, per Zack Cox of The Boston Herald. Fernandez watched the 19-year-old shooting guard develop from a young prospect into a regular contributor with Real Madrid. “I always tried to instill in him the idea of committing to improving the team whenever he’s on the floor, and he’s done that perfectly,” Fernandez said. “He’s got the physical tools, good hands, a strong understanding of the game on both ends, and he’s a solid standstill shooter. Maybe he could improve his movement shooting, especially coming off screens, but he’s the type of player who gets better every day.”
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Stein’s Latest: Simmons, CP3, Clippers, Nuggets, Simons, Mavs

July 21st, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

After his Stein Line teammate Jake Fischer reported that the Kings and Knicks look like the top candidates to land Ben Simmons, NBA insider Marc Stein suggests within his latest Substack article that at least a couple more clubs are in the mix for the former No. 1 overall pick.

According to Stein, Simmons has drawn interest from the Celtics since free agency began and has also had some recent conversations with the Suns.

While a couple of those teams could offer Simmons a portion of their mid-level exception, most of them have tax- or apron-related concerns that would make a minimum-salary offer more likely for the former 76er, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Sunday. Phoenix would cross the tax line with even a veteran-minimum signing, New York has used its full taxpayer mid-level exception, and Boston is currently operating slightly above the second tax apron.

Simmons is a three-time All-Star who has made a pair of All-Defensive first teams and was the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in 2021, but he has battled back issues in recent years and has been a tricky fit in lineups that feature any other non-shooters. In 51 total appearances for the Nets and Clippers last season, he averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game.

Here’s more from Stein:

  • Following up on Lawrence Frank‘s comments on Saturday about the Clippers “strongly, strongly considering” Chris Paul, Stein suggests that most rival front offices view the veteran point guard as “the Clippers’ signee to lose.”
  • With Jared Dudley and J.J. Barea set to occupy the top two spots on David Adelman‘s bench in Denver, the Nuggets don’t intend to hire an assistant specifically for their third front-of-bench position. Instead, the plan is to rotate assistants in and out of that role depending on game-to-game scouting responsibilities, Stein explains. Ognjen Stojakovic, a holdover from Michael Malone‘s staff who is close with Nikola Jokic, is one coach expected to be in the rotation for that third assistant slot, Stein adds.
  • League sources confirm to Stein that the Celtics are continuing to explore the trade market for recently acquired guard Anfernee Simons.
  • The Mavericks will congregate in Canada this fall, according to Stein, who says the team’s training camp will be held in Vancouver, B.C.
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Fischer’s Latest: Simmons, Brogdon, Kuminga, Celtics

July 20th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings and Knicks appear to be the most likely destinations for Ben Simmons in free agency, Jake Fischer said in a recent Bleacher Report stream (hat tip to BasketNews). Simmons, who played 51 combined games with the Nets and Clippers last season, is one of several prominent veterans who remain unsigned.

“We are still anticipating the Kings to be bringing in another veteran guard, and Ben Simmons is on that list of potential targets, in addition to Russell Westbrook, to Malcolm Brogdon, and I think he’d make an interesting addition there,” Fischer said. “I personally think Ben Simmons would be interesting in Minnesota, but I haven’t heard that they have interest in him.”

Sacramento currently has 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, along with non-guaranteed deals for Keon Ellis ($2.3MM) and Terence Davis ($2.5MM), so there’s flexibility to add an established guard. The Kings are nearly $9.9MM below the first apron.

Simmons, 29, was a rotation player with Brooklyn before being waived in early February, averaging 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 33 games. His role was reduced once he joined the Clippers, but he still offers versatility and defensive upside.

Fischer shared a few more rumors in his stream:

  • The Bucks likely won’t pursue Brogdon after landing Cole Anthony, but Fischer said there’s still plenty of interest around the league in the veteran guard. Along with the Kings, he names the Pelicans, Timberwolves and Warriors as potential landings spots for Brogdon, who appeared in 24 games with Washington last season.
  • Fischer doesn’t believe the Warriors have enough interest in Bulls center Nikola Vucevic to make him the main piece in a potential Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade. Vucevic has an expiring contract, and Golden State is expected to fill its need for a stretch five by signing Al Horford. Chicago is among several teams that have expressed interest in Kuminga, but Fischer says the most likely scenario has him remaining with the Warriors on “a short-term agreement.”
  • The Celtics remain active on the trade market as they try to get their roster younger and cheaper, Fischer adds. He states that Boston had discussions with the Grizzlies recently, but doesn’t provide any other details. He states that rival teams believe the Celtics are trying to unload both Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang.
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Atlantic Notes: Simons, M. Brown, Knicks, Edgecombe

July 11th, 2025 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics moved forward with their Jrue Holiday/Anfernee Simons swap earlier this week, completing the trade with Portland as a straight-up, one-for-one swap after exploring ways to expand the deal during the July moratorium. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Boston is committed to having Simons on its roster to open the season.

“I have talked to other teams who have said the Celtics are actively trying to trade Anfernee Simons,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Wednesday’s episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link). “Whether they can or not (remains to be seen).”

Swapping out Holiday’s $32.4MM cap hit for Simons’ $27.7MM figure will help the Celtics operate below the second tax apron in 2025/26. However, as Windhorst and his ESPN colleagues Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps went on to speculate, the club may be looking to cut costs more significantly in what will essentially be a “gap year.” Getting out of the luxury tax entirely would be a step toward resetting the repeater tax clock.

A team operating above the cap but below the tax aprons would only have to send out about $19.2MM in matching salary to legally acquire Simons and his expiring contract.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • During his introductory press conference as the Knicks‘ head coach this week, Mike Brown said he’s not bothered by the fact that the team is essentially in championship-or-bust mode as he takes over the job. “Nobody has any bigger expectations than I do. My expectations are high,” Brown said, per Chris Herring of ESPN. “This is the Knicks and Madison Square Garden. It’s iconic. … I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it.”
  • While a lack of reliable depth was an issue for the Knicks last season, Brown lauded president of basketball operations Leon Rose for continuing to add more talent to the roster after the team signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, as Zach Braziller of The New York Post relays. “Jordan, the things that he can do, especially offensively,” Brown said. “He’s a veteran guy. I know he’s hungry to win. He can score at all three levels. You’re excited with that coming to the table. He’s also a better play-maker than he’s given credit (for). I’m looking forward to seeing some of that, too, because I’m huge when it comes to touching the paint and looking to spray that basketball out to get your teammates easy shots. And then Guerschon, an unbelievable young man. His size, his versatility, he can play the four, the five, maybe some three, who knows?”
  • No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe missed the Sixers‘ first game of the Las Vegas Summer League on Thursday after being diagnosed with a left thumb sprain. He’s still taking part in on-court workouts and will have the injury reevaluated on Saturday, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
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Blazers, Celtics Finalize Holiday, Simons Trade Without Draft Picks

July 7th, 2025 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers and Celtics have officially completed their trade sending Jrue Holiday to Portland and Anfernee Simons to Boston, according to a press release from the Blazers.

However, the terms are slightly different than what was reported last month. Portland had originally agreed to send the Knicks’ 2030 second-round pick and the Blazers’ own 2031 second-rounder to Boston, but those draft assets are no longer in the deal, which is now a straight one-for-one player swap.

Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian hears from a source that a review of Holiday’s medicals prompted the Blazers to alter the initial terms of the agreement.

There wasn’t enough concern on Portland’s end to nix the deal entirely, Fentress explains, adding that the veteran guard is considered healthy and is working out this summer in preparation for training camp in the fall.

As a result of taking back more salary than they’re sending out in the trade, the Trail Blazers are now hard-capped at the first tax apron for the rest of the 2025/26 league year.

The Celtics, meanwhile, have officially completed both of their major offseason trades on Monday, having also finalized the three-team deal sending Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta.

You can read more about the Holiday/Simons swap in our original report on the deal.

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Celtics Explore Flipping Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang

June 27th, 2025 at 7:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Neither Anfernee Simons nor Georges Niang is technically a member of the Celtics yet, as the deals sending them to Boston won’t become official until July. However, the Celtics have explored the idea of flipping Simons to a new team, according to Jay King of The Athletic, who reports that Niang is also a candidate to be moved before the 2025/26 season.

Brian Robb of MassLive.com has published a similar report, citing sources who say Boston is expected to remain active in the trade market and will explore its options with players like Simons and Niang.

As both King and Robb explain, a desire to retain free agent centers Al Horford and Luke Kornet is one reason why the Celtics are motivated to continue making moves to create more cap flexibility.

After agreeing to send out Jrue Holiday to Portland in a deal for Simons and Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta in a trade for Niang, Boston projects to operate a little below the second tax apron, but would almost certainly have to go back above that threshold in order to re-sign Horford and Kornet.

The Celtics also appear hopeful about the possibility of moving below the luxury tax line entirely, writes King, since that would be a first step toward taking the team out of repeater taxpayer territory for future seasons (two years out of the tax are required to reset the repeater clock).

Getting below the tax line would require shedding at least $15MM-ish in additional salary, and more than that in order to re-sign Horford and Kornet.

As King observes, it likely wouldn’t be difficult to move off Sam Hauser, whose $10MM salary for 2025/26 would neatly fit into a team’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception. However, the Celtics have been more focused on scenarios that would allow them to hang onto the sharpshooting wing.

A trade involving Jaylen Brown or Derrick White could provide an avenue to significant cap savings, but multiple reports have suggested the Celtics would need to be blown away to consider moving either player. VP of basketball operations Mike Zarren told reporters on Thursday “there hasn’t been anything close to serious about trading” Brown or White, adding that “those guys are key parts of our team, and we’re lucky to have them here.”

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Charania’s Latest: Durant, Celtics, Giannis

June 26th, 2025 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant will become eligible to sign an extension in July and there’s an expectation that he and the Rockets are going to explore that possibility once the trade sending him from Phoenix to Houston is official, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Thursday’s episode of First Take (YouTube link).

“The goal right now for Kevin Durant and the Rockets is for him to retire in Houston,” Charania said. “They’re going to eventually, this offseason, discuss a contract extension and figure out where that lands.”

Durant, who will turn 37 in September, will make roughly $54.7MM during the final year of his current contract in 2025/26. Once he’s traded to Houston, he’ll be immediately eligible to sign a two-year extension worth up to about $122MM.

If he were to wait six months, he could get up to nearly $124MM on that two-year deal — the first-year max salary would be the same, but he could get an 8% raise for year two instead of 5%.

Given the minimal difference between those two hypothetical extensions, I’d expect the Rockets and Durant to try to get something done before the regular season begins rather than waiting until January.

Here are a couple more items of interest from Charania:

  • Although they reportedly spoke to teams with lottery picks ahead of Wednesday’s first round, the Celtics were “not close” to trading Jaylen Brown, Charania said on ESPN’s First Take (YouTube link). Charania reiterated that Boston isn’t looking to move Brown or Derrick White and would only consider it if it an offer “blows them out of the water.” While Sam Hauser and Anfernee Simons are still trade candidates to monitor, Charania suggests that the brunt of the Celtics’ cost-cutting moves are already done, with Jrue Holiday headed to Portland and Kristaps Porzingis going to Atlanta.
  • After reporting in mid-May that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is “open-minded” about considering possible options for his future outside of Milwaukee, Charania said on ESPN’s Get Up on Thursday (YouTube link) that that’s still the case, even though the two-time MVP hasn’t requested a trade to this point. “He’s going to remain open-minded,” Charania said (hat tip to RealGM). “I don’t think his future is necessarily tied to this week, to free agency week. It’s going to be a process where you see how this team looks into July – well into July, potentially – and then ultimately he will see how the Bucks look and how the chess pieces look across the league and ultimately have some form of a resolution.”
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Celtics Notes: Tatum, Simons, Sale, Roster, Brown, White

June 25th, 2025 at 12:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Celtics forward Torrey Craig has provided an update on recovering All-Star forward Jayson Tatum. In an interview with CLNS Boston’s Bobby Manning and Noa Dalzell on their show “The Garden Report” (YouTube video link), Craig spoke about Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles surgery.

Tatum is currently four weeks into his rehabilitation, having torn the tendon in Game 4 of an eventual second round playoff series loss to New York.

“(I) see him smiling and laughing and joking around,” Craig said. “I just look forward to his recovery, the progress he’s making, and it’s always good to see him in good spirits.”

Craig, 34, is an unrestricted free agent this summer. With Tatum on the shelf through much or all of 2025/26, he may be an option the team considers on another minimum-salary contract as it looks to fill out its wing depth.

There’s more out of Boston:

  • The Celtics’ newest guard, Anfernee Simons, asked to be traded away from Portland even ahead of the 2024/25 season, a source informs Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). According to Washburn’s source, Simons – an Orlando-area native – had been interested the Magic. Orlando addressed its scoring guard needs with its blockbuster deal for Desmond Bane earlier this summer, but Simons eventually got the change of scenery he sought.
  • Although the Celtics have yet to officially be sold to new majority owner William Chisholm, the club’s impending sale is still on track to be approved and finalized in the not-too-distant future, sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).
  • Thanks to their deals of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics are now below the NBA’s punitive second luxury tax apron. Brian Robb of MassLive takes a look at potential next steps for Boston following those deals.
  • During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” (YouTube video link), NBA insider Brian Windhorst confirmed colleague Shams Charania’s report that the Celtics are getting calls about stars Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Windhorst suggested that Boston’s decision on whether or not to move those players may happen sooner rather than later. “There are teams in the top 10 (of tonight’s draft) who are making offers,” Windhorst said. “And you’d potentially be able to get replacement players and a draft pick. I don’t know if Brad Stevens and his staff is in love with one of these top guys. Maybe they are. But that’s what is on the table. … I say at midnight, Jaylen Brown is still a Celtic and Derrick White is still a Celtic, and they run it back, and they get ready to go in ’26/27.”
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Trade Rumors: Brown, White, Holiday, Hawks, NAW, Collins

June 25th, 2025 at 8:06am CST by Luke Adams

After having agreed to trades that send out Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics have moved below the second tax apron. However, they may not be done dealing yet. Appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Tuesday night (YouTube link), Shams Charania reported that Boston is fielding calls from teams with interest in Jaylen Brown and/or Derrick White.

According to Charania, the Celtics’ preference is still to hang onto Brown and White, and they’ve set “high price thresholds” for both players. But they’re also not entirely shutting down inquiries on those guys, so it remains possible that there will be a team willing to meet Boston’s high asking price.

“At minimum,” Charania says, the Celtics are still a strong candidate to make additional deals involving role players who are a little less valuable than Brown and White. Charania specifically identifies Sam Hauser and Anfernee Simons as players who might fit that bill.

Simons technically isn’t even a Celtic yet, so the agreed-upon deal involving him and Jrue Holiday could be expanded to include more pieces and send Simons to a third team before it’s officially finalized. Even if that trade is completed as currently constructed, Simons could be flipped to another team immediately — his salary simply couldn’t be aggregated with another player’s salary for two months after he’s traded.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

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Reaction To Jrue Holiday-Anfernee Simons Trade

June 24th, 2025 at 8:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics pulled off a tremendous swap by not only getting off of Jrue Holiday‘s contract but also getting draft capital in return, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines.

Holiday has three years and $104.4MM left on his deal and it was fair to wonder whether the Celtics would have to attach a first-round pick or two to deal him, Hollinger writes. Instead, they’ll receive Anfernee Simons and two second-rounders from the Trail Blazers.

Boston could extend Simons’ deal — he’s got one year left on his contract, Hollinger notes. It’s also quite possible Simons could be flipped for a player with a lower cap hit as Boston looks to continue shedding salary. The Celtics reached an agreement on another cost-cutting deal on Tuesday, dealing Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks in a three-team deal that will drop them under the second tax apron.

On the flip side, Hollinger believes this is a baffling move for Portland. The Blazers could have spent another year acquiring young talent and developing players. Instead, they’re trading one of their key sources of offense and handing the point guard duties to Scoot Henderson, who has struggled through his first two seasons.

Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian believes top executive Joe Cronin and coach Chauncy Billups are now in a must-win situation with an ownership change looming (Twitter link). The acquisition of Holiday could help the team reach the postseason and his long-term contract is irrelevant to the current regime, Fentress suggests, since Cronin and Billups might not survive an ownership change if the franchise endures another losing campaign.

The Trail Blazers don’t view themselves as a rebuilding team anymore, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who notes that making the postseason was a stated goal when Cronin and Billups received contract extensions after the team won 23 of its last 41 games.

According to Highkin, Holiday is the type of player that Billups has pined for since Damian Lillard was dealt. Holiday is not only a tough, defensive-minded guard but will provide much needed leadership in the locker room.

Highkin also points out that Cronin effectively picked Henderson over Lillard two years ago by drafting him with the No. 3 overall pick and is now choosing Henderson over Simons. Additionally, Highkin believes Holiday will be more willing to come off the bench behind Henderson than Simons would have been during his walk year, though Fentress (Twitter link) expects Holiday to end up in the starting lineup.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com has a source who claims Holiday is upset about being sent to Portland.

“If he winds up staying there, I’m sure he’ll be the professional he’s always been and make a positive contribution,” that source told Bulpett. “But he’s not happy with this deal. I’ll be surprised if Portland doesn’t move him on if they can, because right now he does not want to go there. I’m sure if he has to go to Portland, he’ll end up going and it’ll be OK, but right now they want to be somewhere else. But with that contract, it’s not going to be that easy.”

The idea that the Blazers would give up multiple draft picks to acquire Holiday only to try to trade him to another team doesn’t really pass the smell test, nor does it align with the reporting in the past 24 hours. We’ll see if any other reports corroborate the claim that Holiday is unhappy about the deal, but for now, the comments from Bulpett’s source can probably be taken with a grain of salt.

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