Jaylen Brown Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Hampton, Hart, Thomas, Brown

February 26th, 2023 at 9:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons were interested in R.J. Hampton leading up to the 2020 draft and even held an in-person interview with him, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports in a subscriber-only story.

Hampton, the 24th pick of that draft, wound up in a Pistons uniform this month after getting waived by Orlando. He played five scoreless minutes in his Detroit debut on Saturday but is glad to join GM Troy Weaver’s club.

“Troy’s a great dude,” the Pistons’ newcomer said. “Somebody that’s real, somebody that expects a lot from his players but also knows what it means to develop young guys. That’s something I look forward to, being in an organization that takes the time with players, takes the time to figure out the areas that they’re really good in and weaknesses and coming together and making it all fit. I think he’s great in that aspect and I’m excited about it.”

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Josh Hart admits he had some trepidation about being traded by Portland to the Knicks, wondering how he’d mesh with coach Tom Thibodeau. Hart has been pleasantly surprised, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. “Coming here I didn’t exactly know how Thibs’ system was. But it worked out,” Hart said. He’s averaging 14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists with his new team. Hart holds a $12.96MM option on his contract for next season, which he’s expected to turn down.
Cam Thomas scored 22 points off the bench for the Nets on Sunday in a loss to the Hawks. Thomas is averaging 26.1 points per game this month but coach Jacque Vaughn says he’ll continue to use Thomas as an instant offense reserve, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets.
The Knicks won’t have to deal with the Celtics’ second-leading scorer when the teams square off on Monday. Jaylen Brown is taking the night off for personal reasons, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets.

Celtics Notes: Open Roster Spot, Brown, Griffin, Mazzulla

February 23rd, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

Most of the best options on the buyout market have gone to other teams, but the Celtics plan to find someone to fill their open roster spot, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Whoever gets signed probably won’t play much, but owner Wyc Grousbeck confirms that Boston will have a full roster before the postseason begins.

“We’re looking at buyout candidates and free agents,” he said. “I’d be very surprised if we went into the playoffs with an open roster spot, don’t think that’s going to happen. … All those things are in process, but no, we’re not saving roster spots for a rainy day. We just gotta find the right fit.”

One potential candidate, according to Terada, is veteran swingman Will Barton, who reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards this week. The Celtics may be Barton’s best option to win a ring, although he could seek out a larger role with another team. Terada points to Stanley Johnson and John Wall as other possibilities, along with Juan Toscano-Anderson if he agrees to a buyout with the Jazz.

There’s more from Boston:

The Celtics have been dealing with injuries to their rotation players all season, but they’re fully healthy coming out of the All-Star break, Terada adds in another MassLive story. Jaylen Brown missed the previous four games with a facial fracture, but he’s not on the injury report after playing 25 minutes in the All-Star Game.
Blake Griffin‘s NBA experiences over 12 years enable him to relate to both the stars and role players on the Celtics’ roster, observes Jay King of The Athletic. Griffin is only playing sporadically in his first season in Boston, but he has become a popular leader in the locker room. “As you get older, you have to be somewhat self-aware,” Griffin said. “I don’t even know if self-aware is the right word. Just in touch with reality. Some guys just want to go make as much money as they possibly can. And I don’t fault anybody for any decision that they make, guys have to take care of what they want to take care of. I’ve been fortunate enough to be on some good teams and be in the position I am to be able to make these decisions based on trying to win a championship. So you have to let go of your ego and just be self-aware about your game. But the biggest driving point to me is just winning.”
Having the word “interim” removed from his job title isn’t a big deal for head coach Joe Mazzulla, who tells Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, “The interim tag was never a thing because we’re all interims.”

All-Star Notes: Malone, Tatum, New Draft Format, Irving

February 20th, 2023 at 8:56am CST by Arthur Hill

There were several memorable moments from All-Star Weekend, but not many occurred during Sunday night’s game. Defense has rarely been a priority in the All-Star Game, but there was minimal effort from most players on that end of the court as Team Giannis posted a 184-175 win over Team LeBron.

Among the critics was the Nuggets’ Michael Malone, who guided Team LeBron in his second All-Star coaching appearance (video link from Vic Lombardi of Altitude TV).

“It’s an honor to be here; it’s an honor to be part of a great weekend, great players, but that was the worst basketball game ever played,” Malone said at the postgame press conference. “… I give Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, those guys were, like, competing. Joel was imploring some of the guys to play harder, to try to get some defense in. No one got hurt, they put on a show for the fans, but that is a tough game to sit through, I’m not gonna lie.”

Celtics star Jaylen Brown was also critical of the contest, calling it a glorified “layup line” and saying, “that’s not basketball,” tweets Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.

There’s more from All-Star Weekend:

Jayson Tatum realized midway through the fourth quarter Sunday night that he had a chance to break the All-Star Game scoring record, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Tatum, who finished with 55 points to top Anthony Davis‘ old mark of 52, credits Damian Lillard for pointing out that the record was within reach. Tatum added that he has been hoping to win All-Star MVP honors since the trophy was named in honor of Kobe Bryant. “It’s extremely special to me,” Tatum said. “My first All-Star Game was in Chicago in 2020 when they renamed the MVP after him, and I remember telling myself that someday I got to get one of those.”
The new format of having captains select their teams shortly before game time mostly went smoothly, although Giannis Antetokounmpo mistakenly picked starter Ja Morant while drafting the reserves. Also, Nikola Jokic walked over to Team LeBron before the final pick among starters was made, but he didn’t realize that Lauri Markkanen still hadn’t been selected, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Among the most notable picks in the draft was LeBron James choosing Irving, his former teammate in Cleveland. The Lakers were rumored to be among the top contenders to land Irving after he made his trade request to the Nets. “It’s always good to see him. I’m very proud of him,” James told reporters (video link from Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register). “Very proud of the man that he has become in his life right now.”

Doncic, Irving To Start For Team LeBron

February 19th, 2023 at 7:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are not only Mavericks teammates, they’re also starting together for Team LeBron at the All-Star Game Sunday in Salt Lake City.

LeBron James selected his former Cleveland teammate Irving and Doncic, the league’s leading scorer, during the first captain’s draft conducted on the same night as the All-Star Game. Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid will start up front for Team LeBron. The reserves for LeBron’s team include Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Tyrese Haliburton, Julius Randle, De’Aaron Fox and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Donovan Mitchell and one of the players he was traded for, Lauri Markkanen, will start for Team Giannis. Ja Morant and Jayson Tatum round out the starting lineup. Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo and Domantas Sabonis will be the reserves for Team Giannis.

Celtics Notes: Hauser, Buyout Market, Pritchard, Brown

February 13th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics‘ confidence in Sam Hauser was rewarded Sunday when he poured in 20 points while making his third career start, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Boston could have sought a replacement for Hauser or moved him out of town before the trade deadline, but the organization opted to stick with the second-year forward despite a prolonged shooting slump.

Injuries to other rotation members have given Hauser expanded playing time lately, and he’s capitalizing on the opportunity. Over the past three games, he is shooting 57% from three-point range and averaging 15.3 PPG.

“I know I’m starting because guys are out,” Hauser said. “I get that. But it definitely — it’s definitely really cool for me, personally. You dream of stuff like this when you grow up, being on an NBA team, starting on an NBA team, let alone and it’s kind of happening right now, which is kind of cool. So, personally, it’s pretty cool. Definitely, I’m seeing a little more minutes right now, which is great, too, for confidence-boosting. And some shots are going through and overall just feeling great.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Boston missed out on two potential buyout additions over the weekend when Danny Green agreed to sign with Cleveland and Terrence Ross committed to Phoenix, Robb notes in a separate story. The Celtics were rumored to have interest in both players, and team president Brad Stevens said a decision on an open roster spot will be made soon. “You’ll look at it and you will decide, okay, is there somebody that fits that need and who’s really excited to be here if that’s the case,” Stevens said. “Or is it do you feel like you’ve got that all filled and maybe invest in a younger player. And so we’re going to assess all that over the next few days and try to figure it out.”
Coach Joe Mazzulla isn’t upset about comments from reserve guard Payton Pritchard, who said he had hoped to be traded so he could get more playing time, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Mazzulla sees Pritchard’s frustration as a sign of competitiveness. “I’m happy Payton is expressing himself and the honesty that he speaks with,” he said. “I think it’s important to talk about that stuff because at the end of the day, I trust him completely and regardless of his circumstances, he’s always ready to play.”
Jaylen Brown is out of action with a facial fracture he suffered on Wednesday, but he hasn’t given up hope of playing in the All-Star Game, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Brown said doctors have determined that he won’t need surgery, and he’ll be wearing a mask whenever he returns.

Jaylen Brown Sidelined Due To Facial Fracture

February 10th, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 10: Brown has been diagnosed with a maxillary facial fracture, the Celtics announced in a press release. According to the team, he’ll be reevaluated next week.

FEBRUARY 8: Celtics star Jaylen Brown is expected to miss several games after suffering a facial fracture in tonight’s contest against Philadelphia, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Brown will be examined by specialists on Thursday, but initial expectations are that he may not return until after the All-Star break.

Brown suffered the injury on a collision with teammate Jayson Tatum during the first half (video link from NBC Sports Boston). Both players were chasing an offensive rebound when Tatum’s elbow struck Brown on the left side of his head. He remained on the floor for a while before getting up, and he was immediately taken to the locker room.

Before the second half began, the Celtics announced that Brown had a facial contusion and was done for the night.

Brown, who was named as an Eastern Conference reserve for the All-Star Game last week, is in the midst of a career-best season, averaging 27.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists through 47 games. The Celtics defeated the Sixers to solidify their hold on the top spot in the East, but it could be tough to stay there if Brown is lost for an extended stretch.

2023 NBA All-Star Reserves Announced

February 2nd, 2023 at 6:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The league has announced its 2023 All-Star reserves during a pregame broadcast on TNT, as voted on by NBA head coaches. As usual, the list of 14 selections featured some interesting surprises.

For the Eastern Conference, coaches voted in Sixers center Joel Embiid (the reigning Player of the Month in the East), Heat center Bam Adebayo, Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, and Knicks forward Julius Randle.

Holiday, who is making his second overall All-star appearance this year, last earned an All-Star nod a decade ago while playing for Philadelphia.

Randle will receive a $1.2MM salary bonus as a result of being named an All-Star this season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Marks adds (via Twitter) that Holiday will get a $324K bonus. And as long as he appears in at least 65 contests this year, Brown will earn a $1.55MM bonus after having qualified for the All-Star game, Marks tweets.

Among the most notable omissions in the East were a handful of point guards: the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, the Hawks’ Trae Young, the Cavaliers’ Darius Garland, and the Sixers’ James Harden. Miami swingman Jimmy Butler also missed out. Young, Harden and Butler all made the cut last season.

In the Western Conference, Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, Kings center Domantas Sabonis, Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers forward Paul George, Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. were selected as reserves.

Being named to the All-Star team again this year will earn Sabonis a $1.3MM bonus, per Marks (Twitter link).

Lakers center Anthony Davis, Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Suns guard Devin Booker, and Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon were among the Western Conference snubs.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Markkanen and Jackson are the lone first-time All-Stars among these 14 picks.

All-Star weekend tips off on February 17 in Salt Lake City. Los Angeles power forward LeBron James and Milwaukee power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the captains of their respective conferences, will draft their teams ahead of the 2023 All-Star Game on Sunday, February 19.

And-Ones: Napier, All-Star Bonuses, Trade Proposals, Biggest Needs

January 31st, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Shabazz Napier has signed with Olimpia Milano for the remainder of the season, according to a team press release. Coach Ettore Messina said Napier will be thrown into the fray immediately against Baskonia, Allesandro Maggi of Sportando relays.

“Shabazz Napier had just one team practice, but we will use him, hoping for some minutes in a position where we need them badly,” he said.

Napier last appeared in the NBA during the 2019/20 season, when he played a combined 56 games for Minnesota and Washington.

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Several NBA players could cash in if they’re selected as All-Star reserves, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes. Among that group, the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown will earn a $1.5MM bonus if he’s chosen and also appears in 65 regular season games (he has missed six games so far). The Bucks’ Jrue Holiday will collect $324K if he’s chosen, while the Kings’ Domantas Sabonis will receive $1.3MM if he’s selected. The Knicks’ Julius Randle will get an additional $1.2MM if he gets the nod.
What are some of the bold moves that playoff contenders could make to improve their chances of success? The Ringer’s Michael Pina explores potential trades that could make the Suns, Clippers, Thunder, Lakers and Pelicans better.
The Bulls and Hawks need 3-point shooting. The Nuggets need defensive help and the Warriors require a stretch wing. The Athletic’s staff runs down the biggest need for every team as the trade deadline approaches.

Celtics Notes: Poeltl, Brown, Pritchard, Ford

January 18th, 2023 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics, as previously reported, are interested in Spurs center Jakob Poeltl and have actually maintained that interest for several seasons, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. However, there are some roadblocks that would complicate a Celtics trade for Poeltl.

As Weiss writes, the Spurs’ asking price is one of those obstacles. San Antonio is seeking two first-round picks in exchange for Poeltl (as previously reported), which is the same price the team set for Derrick White a year ago.

The Celtics ultimately acquired White in exchange for a lightly protected first-round pick and a very lightly protected future first-round pick swap, and perhaps the Spurs would accept a similar return for Poeltl, but that would still be a substantial price to pay for a free-agent-to-be who may require a $20MM annual commitment this summer, Weiss observes. Especially when re-signing Grant Williams may also be a priority in Boston.

Additionally, while Poeltl would be an ideal insurance policy in the event of a Robert Williams injury, his role likely wouldn’t be all that significant as long as Williams and Al Horford are both healthy, which is an argument against Boston giving up multiple valuable assets for him.

Ultimately, Weiss thinks the most likely Celtics move at the trade deadline might just involve a second-round pick for a solid bench piece, rather than another major splash involving a first-rounder.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Like Weiss, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston considers whether the Celtics really need to make a trade deadline move and outlines why a deal for someone like Poeltl would be complicated.
Having missed the Celtics’ last three games due to a right adductor injury, Jaylen Brown went through a full practice on Wednesday and could be on the verge of returning to action (Twitter link via team). Brown’s official status for Thursday’s Finals rematch vs. Golden State is TBD, but he hopes to play. “Feeling good. We’ll see how I feel after this (workout) today,” Brown said (Twitter link via Forsberg). “… I think I’m good. So I’ll be looking forward to tomorrow … If I can go, I’m going.”
The Warriors are among the teams that have inquired about the availability of Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, league sources tell Brian Robb of MassLive.com. However, Pritchard’s ability to capably fill a rotation spot in the event of an injury like Brown’s makes Boston somewhat reluctant to move him, Robb notes.
The Celtics have announced the death of former player and coach Chris Ford, who played for the team from 1978-82 and coached in Boston from 1983-95, first as an assistant, then as the head coach. Ford won titles with the team as a player (1981) and as an assistant coach (1984 and 1986), and is also known for making the first three-point shot in NBA history.

Jaylen Brown Out “A Week Or Two” With Adductor Strain

January 12th, 2023 at 6:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Celtics forward Jaylen Brown has suffered a right adductor strain, reports Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Brown has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Nets in Brooklyn, and seems likely to miss additional time.

When asked about just how long Brown might be on the shelf, head coach Joe Mazzulla was optimistic.

“I anticipate [his absence] being pretty short,” Mazzulla offered. “Probably a week or two.”

Mazzulla added that Brown had wanted to suit up for the Nets matchup before being ultimately ruled out.

“I’m not sure what the timeline is,” Mazzulla said. “I know he tried to give it a go today, and wasn’t able to do it. We’ll know more the next couple days, see how he responds.”

The 6’6″ swingman seems poised to be named to his second All-Star team this season, as he and fellow forward Jayson Tatum have led Boston to an East-best 30-12 record. Across 40 healthy games, Brown is averaging 27.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 1.1 SPG. He is also posting a shooting line of .498/.329/.795.