Atlantic Notes: Thomas, Allen, Simmons, Russell
The Celtics‘ decision to trade Isaiah Thomas is drawing anger from some former players on social media, relays Andrew Joseph of USA Today. Caron Butler blasted the deal on Instagram, saying “Celtics traded a guy who played in a game for them a day after his sister died, but y’all expect players to be loyal to the franchise, sure.”
Butler’s post drew a response from ex-Celtic Ray Allen, who alienated many teammates in 2012 when he signed with the Heat. The bitter feelings still linger, as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce excluded Allen from a Celtics reunion in May. “But since the team does it I guess it’s just business,” Allen wrote in response to Butler’s post. “Smh!! It is just a business so when the teams do it there’s no difference when the players do it!!”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Thomas family is taking a different approach to the deal, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Thomas’ father, James, offered thanks to the Celtics for the opportunities they gave Isaiah. “There were good times in Boston,” he said. “They were good to us. They gave my son a chance to play in the NBA. It’s nothing against them. I have only good things to say. I can’t cut them. Hey, every starter that was there this year is gone except one. Maybe they did what was best for Boston, or at least they think they did.”
- After missing all of last season while recovering from a broken foot, the Sixers‘ Ben Simmons has been medically cleared for basketball activities, according to Tom Moore of GateHouse Media (Twitter link). The first overall pick in 2016 reportedly participated in a recent pickup game in Australia.
- After moving from the Lakers to the Nets in an offseason trade, D’Angelo Russell has bigger goals than just helping Brooklyn improve after a 20-win season, writes Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. “I want teams to hate us,” Russell said. “We’ve struggled over the last few years in Brooklyn. Teams are used to coming in and taking nights off. I just want to rebuild that and make it a place where people come and say, ‘alright we got the crowd against us. It’s New York.’”
Cavaliers Notes: Cousins, James, Thomas
Acquiring the Nets’ unprotected first-rounder for 2018 in the Kyrie Irving trade gives the Cavaliers plenty of options, writes Ashish Mathur of AmicoHoops. He adds that several teams have reached out to Cleveland about the availability of the pick since the Irving deal was announced Tuesday. The Nets had the league’s worst record last season at 20-62, and their pick was first overall at the lottery. Boston, which owned the rights to swap picks with Brooklyn, subsequently traded it to Philadelphia. The Nets have upgraded their roster over the offseason, but still seem like a good bet to return to the lottery.
The Cavaliers’ front office is no hurry to move the pick, Mathur adds, speculating it might wait for a player like Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins to become available. If New Orleans gets off to a poor start and decides to move Cousins to avoid losing him in free agency, Mathur suggests a package of Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, Cedi Osman and the Nets’ pick could be enough to get a deal done.
There’s more news out of Cleveland:
- The Cavaliers’ offseason moves should help ease the load on LeBron James and possibly entice him to remain in Cleveland, Mathur adds in the same story. Isaiah Thomas and Derrick Rose will team with James to give the Cavs three skilled penetrators who can create shots for the team’s 3-point specialists. Jae Crowder provides another strong wing defender who can take over James’ responsibilities of guarding top perimeter players.
- The hip injury that Thomas aggravated during the playoffs may be a lingering issue in the early part of the season, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Celtics president Danny Ainge admitted the injury had “some” effect on the decision to deal Thomas, adding, “There’s going to be probably a little bit of a delay for Isaiah as he starts the season this year.” However, Thomas will be checked out thoroughly, and a team source told Vardon that the Cavs don’t believe his physical condition will be an issue.
- James is criticizing fans for burning the jerseys of former players, relays NBA.com. In a series of tweets, James speaks out against Celtics fans for burning Thomas jerseys after he was traded on Tuesday and against Jazz fans for doing the same after Gordon Hayward signed with Boston last month. James, of course, was the subject of mass jersey burning in Cleveland when he signed with the Heat in 2010.
Kyrie Irving Leftovers: Notes, Reactions, More
Tuesday’s massive trade between the Celtics and Cavaliers shook up the NBA during a time in the offseason when the news cycle is typically at its slowest. Like an oasis in the desert, the deal – which features a pair of All-Stars in Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas – has provided NBA observers with a fascinating topic of discussion, just when it seemed as if we’d said nearly all we could say about the roster changes made in June and July.
Of course, we already delved into the blockbuster trade at length on Tuesday night with a discussion post and a cap/roster analysis, but we have plenty more items from around the league to pass along today. Let’s dive in and round up some of the highlights, sorted by Cavs- and Celtics-centric stories…
Cavaliers:
- While some Cavaliers players had hoped Irving would remain with the team, the star point guard had let it be known prior to Tuesday’s deal that he would rather not report to training camp than to begin the season with Cleveland, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. McMenamin also reports that Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert had a desire to add a “big-name” player in an Irving trade — Thomas, the Eastern Conference’s leading scorer in 2016/17, fit that bill, despite questions about his hip.
- Gilbert issued a much more traditional and respectful statement following Irving’s departure than he did when LeBron James left the franchise back in 2010. As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details, Gilbert thanked Irving for his six years in Cleveland and wished him well during the next phase of his career.
- James issued a statement of his own via Twitter on Tuesday night, indicating that he has “nothing but respect” for Irving and calling the point guard a “special talent.”
- In a piece focused on the Cavaliers‘ long-term outlook, ESPN’s Bobby Marks examines how swapping Irving for Thomas and picking up the Nets’ 2018 first-rounder will give Cleveland some options and insurance in the event that LeBron leaves next summer.
- James’ silence on his plans beyond 2018 was a driving force behind the Cavaliers‘ decision to honor Irving’s trade request and plan ahead for the team’s future, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.
Celtics:
- After president of basketball operations Danny Ainge finally used some of his top assets and pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade, the Celtics have signaled that they’re ready to go for it now, not later, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald.
- Thomas’ emotional bond with Celtics fans and his role as the team’s leader made the decision to trade him a very difficult one for Ainge and the franchise, as Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald outlines.
- The Celtics had 16 players on guaranteed contracts prior to the trade, but now have just 14, leaving a potential open spot for their regular season roster. According to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), the Celtics expect many agents to reach out about that opening, but Boston would be comfortable starting the regular season with just 14 players and maintaining some roster flexibility.
- As John Schuhmann of NBA.com observes (via Twitter), the Celtics now have just four players returning from last year’s roster, and fall to 29th in Schuhmann’s team continuity rankings. There’s optimism in Boston that the club’s new-look roster has more talent and upside, but the roster turnover will be a challenge for head coach Brad Stevens, particularly at the start of the season.
The rest:
- ESPN’s Stats & Information department takes a look at some of the stats behind the trade, while ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider link) assigns grades for the swap, handing out an A to the Cavaliers and just a C to the Celtics.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com likes the deal for both teams on the surface, but explores how it could go “terribly wrong” for both the Cavaliers and Celtics.
- Although the Heat were named as one of Irving’s preferred landing spots, the package the Cavaliers received from the Celtics was one that Miami couldn’t possibly match, says Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Even if a Goran Dragic/Justise Winslow package might have intrigued the Cavs, the 2018 Nets pick included by Boston was a “game-changer,” Winderman adds.
Cavs, Celtics Swap Kyrie Irving For Package Including Isaiah Thomas
9:39pm: The trade is official, the Cavs confirmed in a press release. The Celtics also issued an announcement confirming the deal.
6:23pm: The Celtics and Cavaliers have reached an agreement on a deal that will send Irving to Boston in exchange for a package headlined by Thomas, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Brian Windhorst of ESPN first reported (via Twitter) that the two teams were on the verge of a deal.
According to both Charania and Windhorst, the Cavs will receive Crowder, Zizic, and the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick (unprotected) in addition to Thomas. Charania also tweets that Irving will waive his trade kicker so that the deal can be completed. Here is Charania’s full story.
5:47pm: Boston center Ante Zizic is also expected to be part of a potential deal with Cleveland for Irving, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Bobby Marks of ESPN adds (Twitter link) that receiving Thomas, Crowder, and Zizic for Irving would save the Cavs $19MM in taxes. The team’s projected tax bill would lower from $78.4MM to $59.2MM.
5:30pm: The Cavaliers and Celtics are actively discussing trades centered around Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski adds that the two sides are discussing the inclusion of Jae Crowder as well as the addition of future draft picks heading from Boston to Cleveland.
Irving requested a trade from Cleveland last month and included a short list of destination which he would prefer to be dealt to should the team honor his request. Boston was not on that list, but all of the teams—Spurs, Heat, Wolves, and Knicks—with the exception of New York have strong coaching structures in place. The Celtics also have that element with Brad Stevens running the show, so it’s possible Irving would be open to a trade to the New England area.
Of course, Irving does not wield a no-trade clause, meaning the Cavs could ostensibly deal him anywhere they prefer. However, it was previously reported that the team was working with Irving to find a solution that worked for both sides.
Thomas is entering the last season of his contract, one that will pay him just over $6.26MM for the 2017/18 campaign. He should see a massive raise with his next contract, possibly approaching the max, which is something that could negatively impact his trade value.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ex-Cavs GM Suggests Celtics On Irving’s List
In an appearance on ESPN’s “The Jump” on Monday (h/t to CSNNE.com), former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin suggested that the Celtics are on Kyrie Irving’s short list of preferred destinations.
Griffin mentioned Brad Stevens and Gregg Popovich as “really good coaching situations” that Irving covets, as well as Irving’s desire to play with “Gordon Hayward in Boston” or “Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio.”
The Spurs had previously been reported as a team on Irving’s list, but this is the first the public is hearing about the Celtics as a desired destination for the disgruntled point guard. Aside from the Spurs, the Knicks, Heat, and Timberwolves were reported by Chris Haynes as Irving’s top choices for landing spots.
While the Celtics certainly have the assets to land Irving, with a trove of draft picks and Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and other desirable players, Danny Ainge has been reluctant to part with these assets in trades for Paul George and Jimmy Butler, which led to the pair being traded elsewhere for far less than the Celtics could have offered.
Furthermore, if the Celtics were to strike a deal for Irving, he and Isaiah Thomas would make for an awkward fit starting in the backcourt, and a particularly troublesome pairing for Boston on defense, with neither point guard known for his defensive prowess. Irving also has reportedly wanted to be the lead guy on his next team, but Thomas is – and would likely continue to be – the Celtics’ franchise player. More likely, in the improbable event that the teams make a trade involving Irving, Thomas would have to head the other way.
Kyler’s Latest: Bradley, Celtics, Barton, Ariza
While Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony have generated the most discussion as trade candidates in recent weeks, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders suggests in his latest piece that there are a number of players entering contract years who could become the subjects of trade rumors over the course of the 2017/18 season. Kyler took a closer look at a few of those players, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…
- Sources tell Kyler that the Pistons are aware Avery Bradley will be expensive in unrestricted free agency next summer, but will have no problem paying him if he fits in like they hope. As Kyler notes, the Pistons appear more comfortable at this point with a long-term commitment to Bradley than they were with a similar deal for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
- While Isaiah Thomas wants to land a maximum salary contract from the Celtics in 2018, Kyler points to Jrue Holiday and Kyle Lowry as point guards who were believed to be max-salary candidates this summer and ultimately settled for a little less. As Kyler observes, with Thomas and Marcus Smart headed for free agency next offseason, and Terry Rozier not far behind, Boston could explore some backcourt trade options before 2018’s trade deadline.
- There’s a belief that the Nuggets “can and would” pay Will Barton when he reaches unrestricted free agency next summer, but if Denver ends up making a big trade, Barton could be a prime candidate to be included, says Kyler.
- The Rockets‘ stance this offseason has been that Trevor Ariza isn’t available in trades, including to the Knicks in a potential Carmelo Anthony deal, says Kyler.
- The Jazz are taking a wait-and-see approach with Derrick Favors, who could become a trade candidate at this season’s deadline, with his free agency looming. Big men with a skill-set like Favors’ haven’t been valued particularly highly in recent years, which is a double-edged sword for Utah — he may not have much trade value, but he also may not be overly expensive if the club wants to re-sign him.
Eastern Notes: Stone, Oubre, Celtics, Bucks
Julyan Stone‘s agent is hopeful of freeing his client from a European contract so that the point guard can sign with the Hornets, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Charlotte has offered Stone a two-year deal to be its third point guard behind Kemba Walker and Michael Carter-Williams but he first must be released from the contract he signed with Reyer Venezia in the Italian pro league. Stone’s agent, Giovanni Funiciello, told Bonnell that he’s hopeful a compromise can be worked out this week so that Stone can remain in the U.S. and be close to his ailing father.
In other news around the Eastern Conference:
- Wizards majority owner Ted Leonsis hopes that small forward Kelly Oubre develops to the point where he has to pay the 2015 first-round pick “a lot of money,” Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. Leonsis indicated that Oubre was slowed by a knee injury last season and that coach Scott Brooks believes Oubre “can be a difference maker.” The Wizards are expected to pick up Oubre’s fourth-year option for 2018/19 prior to the start of the upcoming season, setting up Oubre for a potential big payday in the summer of 2019.
- All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas is very pleased with the Celtics’ offseason, highlighted by the free agent signing of forward Gordon Hayward, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com tweets. “We added Gordon Hayward, which is an All-Star-caliber player that’s going to help us get to the next level — and that’s the championship,” Thomas told Forsberg.
- Jordan Brady has been named the first head coach of the Bucks’ G League team, the Wisconsin Herd, the Herd announced in a press release. Brady, 34, served as an assistant coach last season for the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s affiliate. He has also been an assistant coach with three other G League organizations.
Isaiah Thomas Expects To Be Ready For Camp
Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas is confident that he will be fully healed from a hip injury in time for training camp, writes Stephen Hewitt of The Boston Herald.
Thomas aggravated a hip strain in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals and was forced to sit out the rest of the playoffs. He chose to let the injury heal without surgery and recently began workouts again after more than two months of rest.
“The hip is great,” Thomas said Saturday as he conducted a youth basketball clinic in Boston. “It’s a real slow rehab process, but it’s getting better and that’s what it’s all about.”
Thomas’ health is important not only to the Celtics’ title chances, but also to his financial future. He is headed toward free agency next summer and will be looking to cash in after making less than $6.3MM for the upcoming season. He has been open in the media about his desire for a maximum contract.
“I deserve it,” he said. “I put the work in, and you can put me down against any guard in the NBA. … My numbers are up there with the best players in the world, and my team is winning. So, I mean, you have to reward that. I’m just going to keep working though. My time is gonna come. I have a lot of faith in God, and I just have to keep working to get better.”
“I don’t really want to comment on that, I don’t know what’s going on over there,” Thomas said. “I know just as much as everybody else knows. If [Irving] leaves, he leaves. If he doesn’t, then we know how good of a team they are, and we know how good of a player he is.”
Atlantic Notes: Thomas, Celtics, Knicks, Carroll
Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas won’t need surgery to fix the right hip injury that forced him out of the playoffs, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Several hip specialists evaluated Thomas, but no course of action could be determined until the swelling lessened. The injury first struck Thomas in mid-March, then was aggravated in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Wizards. “Isaiah is making good progress,” said Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. “He’s out on the court, he’s shooting. He’s full speed ahead on the stationary bike and working in the swimming pool. He’s progressing nicely.” As long as there are no setbacks, Thomas is expected to be ready for training camp.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- For the second straight season, the Celtics appear headed to camp with more than 15 guaranteed contracts, Himmelsbach writes in a separate story. Shane Larkin reached an agreement with Boston last week on a fully guaranteed deal, which brings the total to 16. The roster will have to be trimmed to 15 by the start of the season, not counting a pair of two-way contracts, so the Celtics will either have to make a trade or waive a player with guaranteed money. In the same situation last fall, Boston waived R.J. Hunter and his $1.2MM deal.
- The Knicks are still hoping to find a veteran point guard to team with Ron Baker and rookie Frank Ntilikina, relays ESPN’s Ian Begley. The team believes its best chance to get one is in a potential Carmelo Anthony trade.
- The Nets didn’t require DeMarre Carroll to undergo a physical before completing their trade with the Raptors because they received so much compensation, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Brooklyn picked up Carroll, Toronto’s 2018 first-rounder and an additional 2018 second-rounder, while the Raptors got Justin Hamilton, who has since been waived, and an $11.8MM trade exception. Carroll played 72 games last season after having knee surgery in his first year in Toronto and being limited to 26 games.
- Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov intends to sell up to 49% of the team while keeping ownership of the Barclays Center, writes Mike Ozanian of Forbes. The NBA’s advisory finance committee has approved Prokhorov’s lease terms, but a final OK must come from the league once a seller is found.
Celtics Notes: Pagliuca, Hayward, Bird, Ojeleye
Celtics managing partner Steve Pagliuca promises the team is ready to become a taxpayer again if that’s what it takes to win a title, relays Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Pagliuca says it’s not a guarantee that the franchise will cross the tax threshold next summer when Isaiah Thomas enters free agency, but vows that potential tax penalties won’t affect the decision on Thomas.
Pagliuca adds that cap management is becoming important again after last summer’s spending spree, which factored into the decision to trade Avery Bradley to the Pistons to make room for Gordon Hayward. “There was a time when teams had lots of cap space with the increase in revenues,” Pagliuca said. “Now we’re entering a period where cap management becomes imperative. Now we’re going back to the future, where people had to work hard for cap space.”
There’s more news out of Boston:
- Hayward is denying reports that the controversial delay regarding his choice of the Celtics was related to his article for The Players’ Tribune, writes D.J. Bean of CSNNE. Hayward explained that he was on the phone with his agent, Mark Bartelstein, when the story broke that he was coming to Boston. “At that point in time we decided, look, we have to step away from this,” Hayward said. “I was pretty upset that that had happened. I didn’t feel like I was ready to say, ‘Yes, I want to be a Boston Celtic,’ so I had to take a step back and regroup and I think we talked about it more and more, then finally we put out the article, but I know there was a lot of reports with people saying we were finishing up the article for the Tribune, which is just completely false.”
- Jabari Bird‘s play during summer league has made him a candidate to receive one of Boston’s two-way contracts, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. A 6’6″ shooting guard out of California, Bird was the 56th selection in this year’s draft. He has been given a larger role with some of the Celtics’ top players sidelined and has responded by averaging 13.7 points and shooting 19-of-27 in his last three games.
- The versatility shown by second-rounder Semi Ojeleye could give him a role in Boston this season, Himmelsbach adds in the same piece. A 6’7″ forward out of SMU, Ojeleye shot 40% from 3-point range in Las Vegas and earned praise for his defense from coach Brad Stevens.