Celtics Notes: Tatum, Grousbeck, Chisholm, Training Camp, Simons
In an interview with Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required), Jayson Tatum said the realization that he won’t be able to play for several more months — or possibly the entire season — is sinking in as key dates on the calendar get closer. As the Celtics prepare to open training camp, Tatum is still recovering from the Achilles tear he suffered in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, which marked the first long-term injury of his career.
“At first I was sad, I was devastated,” he said. “I was defeated. I felt like it wasn’t fair. I felt I was doing everything right, I was doing everything they asked of me and giving 110 percent and I never cheated the game since I was a kid, so it felt like I got betrayed from the game. It felt unfair and I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t feel angry but you get to the point where you accept. Now is the tough part because you’ve got media day on Monday and practice on Tuesday and it’s becoming a reality that I won’t be out there to practice and play when the season starts and that’s frustrating to have to live through.”
Washburn notes that 19 weeks have passed since the injury, and Tatum has returned to walking normally. He’s also consulting with players who are going through the same process, such as Tyrese Haliburton, Dejounte Murray and Damian Lillard. Tatum vows that the time away from the court will motivate him whenever he’s able to resume playing.
“It’s a long process,” he said. “At first you don’t feel like yourself because you’re stationary. You’ve got a splint on, you got the boot and then the crutches and a walker and a shower seat. It’s hard to feel like yourself. Once I got out of the boot was the moment I started feeling normal again, you’re putting on a shoe, starting to work out, you’re traveling again and you’re starting to get into better spirits. You are starting to feel like yourself.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Former Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, who is remaining with the organization as alternate governor and CEO, said at a news conference on Thursday that the cost-cutting trades of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis would have been necessary even if the team hadn’t been sold this summer, relays Christopher L. Gasper of The Boston Globe. Grousbeck also reminded reporters that he was part of the committee that created the new collective bargaining agreement that made the moves necessary. At the same event, new owner William Chisholm promised that he’ll try to add to the Celtics’ collection of NBA titles, per Jimmy Golen of The Associated Press. “Let’s do whatever we can to win championships and raise banners, and raise as many as we can,” Chisholm said. “I will do whatever it takes, whatever the Boston Celtics need me to do.”
- Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe offers a preview of training camp, focusing on the battle for playing time at center, Jaylen Brown‘s increased responsibilities and the expectations for Anfernee Simons, whose time in Boston could be short as he enters the final year of his contract.
- Simons’ $26MM salary limits the Celtics’ trade options right now, but opportunities could open up as the season plays out, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Robb suggests that Simons is unlikely to ever get the kind of long-term deal he wants in Boston, so his best outcome would be to get traded to a team willing to invest in him.
Jaylen Brown: Celtics Entering ‘New Era’
Following a summer of change that saw several foundational pieces moved to other teams, Celtics star Jaylen Brown talked about the “new era” for the franchise during a recent live stream, per Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog (Twitter link, hat tip to Real GM).
After several years as title contenders, Boston may fall into the middle of the pack in the East, at least for the upcoming season. The need to escape the second apron made cost-cutting moves inevitable, and the Achilles injury that Jayson Tatum suffered during the playoffs accelerated the process.
The Celtics began the offseason by trading Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta and Jrue Holiday to Portland. Another member of the 2024 title team was lost when Luke Kornet signed with San Antonio, and free agent center Al Horford appears to be headed to Golden State. Additional changes could be on the way as the team has an opportunity to duck below the tax threshold by trimming roughly $12MM more in salary.
“It’s a new era of the Celtics. It feels like a new era,” Brown said. “… Half the team is gone. I wish them the best. I appreciate them. They were great teammates, so it’s kind of sad to see them go. But it’s a new era. Everything has kind of changed and shifted. We’ll see what we’ve got.”
Brown, who underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure in June, also said it has been a “great healing summer,” indicating that he’s no longer bothered by the right knee issues that plagued him late last season and into the playoffs. Doctors said he was dealing with a partially torn right meniscus, and it was determined that surgery rather than rest was the best way to ensure that he’s fully healed by training camp.
Brown and Derrick White will be the team’s only holdover starters when the Celtics’ new season tips off October 22.
Celtics Notes: Brown, Chisholm, Boucher, Hauser
The Celtics appear likely to take a step backward in 2025/26 due to Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury and the loss of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, who were both shipped out in cost-cutting moves. However, Jaylen Brown expressed optimism about the upcoming season in an interview this week on V-103 FM in Atlanta, relays Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe.
“I know Boston, it looks gloomy right now, obviously with JT being out and us kind of ending the year, but it’s a lot to look forward to,” Brown said. “I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end, so I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
Being in his hometown, Brown received a question about possibly joining the Hawks someday. With four years left on his $304MM super-max extension, it’s not a realistic possibility anytime soon, but Brown left the door open. When host Darian Morgan said he’d like to see Brown in a Hawks uniform, the Celtics star replied, “I feel you. I think my grandma would too.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- New majority owner William Chisholm shares Brown’s outlook about the team’s prospects, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Chisholm believes other players will seize the opportunity to replace the stars who are no longer available. “I think they’re going to surprise some people,” Chisholm said. “I think this is a good team and I think we have a really good coach and a really good president of basketball operations. I think Payton Pritchard said it in an interview, that we’re going to surprise some people, and I think there’s real talent here that hasn’t been fully realized.”
- Newly acquired Chris Boucher may be the favorite going into camp to win the starting job at power forward, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Coach Joe Mazzulla’s handling of the four spot should provide an indication of how he plans to approach the season, Robb adds. Using the 6’9″ Boucher alongside Neemias Queta would give the team more size on defense and better rebounding. Another option is to start shooting specialist Sam Hauser, which would satisfy Mazzulla’s tactical reliance on a three-point barrage but would leave the Celtics vulnerable in other areas. Robb mentions Josh Minott as a potential wild card who could wind up earning regular minutes.
- Second apron concerns mean Holiday and Porzingis would likely have been traded even if Tatum hadn’t gotten injured, but some other moves might have played out differently, Robb adds in the same piece. He believes Al Horford or Luke Kornet would have been re-signed if Tatum had been healthy, and the Celtics might have made a stronger effort to add low-cost veteran free agent depth.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks Coaches, 14th Roster Spot, LeBron, Brown
The Knicks have revamped their coaching staff following their run to the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. Installed in the stead of ex-head coach Tom Thibodeau is former two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown, who has brought in many new faces to fill out his bench.
In an interview with Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, USC men’s basketball head coach Eric Musselman weighed in on how he expects Brown to handle the pressures of his new gig. Musselman has several connections to the Knicks’ new-look staff. He worked as the Lakers’ then-D League coach while Brown was coaching L.A.’s NBA team. Musselman also started the career of New York’s fresh defensive coordinator, Brendan O’Connor.
“He is super-detailed, super-organized,” Musselman said of Brown. “That year with the Lakers, his playbook, he wants to make sure it’s color-coded properly. He got a little bit of an NFL, detail-oriented mindset. … I saw it in the meetings in training camp preparation. Perfect color-coded books. And making sure the periods and the commas were in the right places… Training camp, the drills and the precision … that was real detailed as well.”
Musselman added that he believes Brown’s past stints with superstar players in Cleveland and Los Angeles, combined with his run as a Golden State assistant coach that included three championships, has uniquely equipped him for this opportunity.
“I just think his experience of being in Cleveland and who he coached there [LeBron James] and then I think the fact that he coached in L.A. and it’s the Lakers,” Musselman said. “And with the media market in the Bay Area [with the Warriors], even though he was just an assistant, you can kind of sit back and watch how Coach [Steve] Kerr handles pressure and coaching in playoff situations. And he’s at a perfect age [Brown is 55]. He has a lot of things going for him. And if you coached in L.A., that’s about as good a preparation as you can have.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- The Knicks still have to fill a 14th standard roster spot ahead of the regular season. New York has maintained its interest in free agent guards Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet and Ben Simmons to fill that spot, according to Bondy, though he cautions that he has heard “conflicting information” about how genuine the interest in Simmons is.
- With LeBron James‘ future somewhat up in the air, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News breaks down the pros and cons of a potential trade sending the Lakers star to the Knicks. There has been no indication that James will ask to be traded or that the Lakers will consider moving him, so it’s a purely speculative exercise by Winfield.
- Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown‘s father Marselles Brown, a former boxer, was arrested for attempted murder in Las Vegas, per TMZ Sports. The elder Brown got into an argument with a youth football coach over a parking space, and the conflict escalated into a stabbing. NBC News 3 Las Vegas confirms the TMZ Sports report, noting that the conflict apparently started when a passenger in Brown’s SUV hit the door of the coach’s car.
Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Pritchard, Queta, Luis
Joe Mazzulla has the security of a new contract extension, but he’ll be facing the toughest coaching job of his career when the upcoming season tips off, writes Christopher L. Gasper of The Boston Globe.
Since taking over as head coach shortly before the start of the 2022/23 season, Mazzulla has been able to rely on one of the most talented rosters in the league. That’s changed due to an Achilles injury that might sideline Jayson Tatum for the entire season, along with cost-cutting trades that sent out Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis and the loss of Luke Kornet and probably Al Horford in free agency.
The current version of the Celtics isn’t nearly as well equipped for Mazzulla’s preferred approach to the game, which includes a heavy reliance on three-point shots. Gasper states that Mazzulla will have to be flexible and show a willingness to adapt the offense to get the most out of his players.
Former Celtics player and longtime radio analyst Cedric Maxwell tells Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe that Mazzulla’s natural competitiveness will be an asset for the depleted roster.
“Here’s the beauty about all that,” Maxwell said. “Joe Mazzulla’s not going to let them take a step back. Joe Mazzulla is going to use that as fuel to have these guys compete on a nightly basis. We’ve seen teams in the NBA, perhaps not as talented as other teams but at the end, because they played hard every single night, you get your opportunities to win.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are the only certain starters heading into training camp, but Brian Robb of MassLive believes Payton Pritchard should be in that category as well. Robb states in a mailbag column that Pritchard is most likely to join White as a backcourt starter because Anfernee Simons doesn’t appear to be in the team’s long-term plans. The frontcourt may be more flexible, Robb suggests, with Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta starting most of the time, but Chris Boucher being used when Mazzulla wants a double-big starting lineup.
- Queta suffered a minor injury to his right hip area during an exhibition game this week in preparation for EuroBasket, relays Souichi Terada of MassLive. Queta is reportedly fine and will be ready to represent Portugal when the tournament begins.
- RJ Luis got two-way offers from the Celtics and Jazz in June before deciding to sign with Utah, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line said in a recent Bleacher Report livestream (YouTube link; hat tip to Robb). Boston landed Luis as part of a trade involving Georges Niang and draft picks earlier this month. Luis wasn’t able to play for Utah’s Summer League team due to a leg injury.
Celtics Notes: White, Roster Spot, Walsh, Brown, WNBA
Derrick White shared the story of being traded from the Spurs to the Celtics as he launched his new “White Noise” podcast, relays Hayden Bird of The Boston Globe. White has become a fan favorite in Boston and played an important role in the 2024 championship, but he was wasn’t eager to leave San Antonio when the deal was reached at the 2022 deadline.
“Getting traded is never easy. I think it’s probably easier in the offseason, you kind of get time to relax and figure [things] out,” he said. “But getting traded in the season is one of the craziest things that I’ve had to deal with in my NBA career. You’re on a team, you’re committed to them, you’re trying to do everything you can to help them win games, and then one day they’re like, ‘All right, you’re on the Celtics.’ I was hurt, definitely, when [the Spurs] traded me.”
White reacted to the deal by “playing dominoes and drinking” in his hotel room with Spurs trainer and close friend Brandon Bowman. He recalls that several players and coaches joined them, giving White a sendoff party that nearly caused him to miss the flight that the Celtics set up for him. His feelings on Boston changed quickly as the home crowd gave him a standing ovation when he checked into his first game, making him feel like “this is where I’m supposed to be at.”
Also on the podcast, White reacted to the offseason losses of former teammates Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet.
There’s more from Boston:
- The Celtics are likely to keep a roster spot open throughout the season to hold down payroll, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. If they sign a veteran before the season begins, they have the option to waive Jordan Walsh, who only has a $200K guarantee on his $2.2MM salary until opening night, but Robb believes that’s less likely following his strong performance during Summer League.
- In an Instagram interview with The School of Hard Knockz, Jaylen Brown talked about relying on faith to handle the disappointments and high expectations that come with being a professional athlete (hat tip to Meadow Barrow of MassLive). “I’ve dealt with anxiety, even depression,” Brown said. “I’ve been to some very dark places, but I feel like those dark places have allowed my light to shine.”
- A group led by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca has reached an agreement to buy the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and move the franchise to Boston, sources tell Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The group will reportedly pay a record $325MM to the Mohegan Tribe for the team, along with $100MM to build a new practice facility in Boston. The league responded by issuing a statement saying that “relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,” and that “no groups from Boston applied for a team” during the expansion process.
Celtics Notes: Lillard, Starting Lineup, Davison, Gonzalez
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.”
Celtics Notes: Bassey, Chisholm, Gonzalez, Brown
Charles Bassey wasn’t on the Celtics‘ Summer League roster when the week began, but he was one of the stars of Friday’s win over Memphis, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. The free agent big man, who’s playing a rare fifth year in the Las Vegas league, came off the bench to contribute 14 points and 11 rebounds in 18 minutes.
“It was last-minute,” Bassey said. “I got a call from my agent and flew out the next day and started training camp with them. It’s been good, man. It’s been good from training camp to today’s game. The energy has been great, vibing with these guys and coaches, it’s been fun. Everything’s been good.”
A source tells Robb that Boston has expressed interest in Bassey in the past, but now there’s a clear need for size with Kristaps Porzingis traded, Luke Kornet leaving in free agency and Al Horford likely to follow. The Celtics don’t have a proven center on their current roster, which explains why Bassey jumped at the chance for a tryout in Las Vegas.
“Great effort, rebounding, blocking shots, rim protection,” Bassey said of what he can provide. “I bring great defense to the team. I just play my role. I know what a team needs from me and I know what they want from me and I do it every night.”
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens didn’t speculate on Bassey’s chances of making the 15-man roster, Robb adds in a separate piece, but he was impressed with Bassey’s first outing.
“I don’t want to speak for him, what his goals might be,” Stevens said. “He’s a guy that’s probably playing for what’s next. I just think he’s a guy we’ve paid attention to from afar for a long time. We’re watching all these guys all the time and I thought he did a really good job yesterday. He probably was the biggest reason we won the game I thought.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- The sale of the team is expected to be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors when it meets this week in Las Vegas, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Stevens said new owner William Chisholm remains excited about assuming control of the franchise in spite of Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury, which led to the decision to part with some high-priced talent. “He didn’t take over at the easiest of times when you talk about the second apron issues that we talked about the other day, and Tatum’s injury, and everything else,” Stevens said. “But he’s so level-headed and he’s got such a good way about him. I’m really excited to have him around.”
- Stevens was impressed by first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez in his Summer League debut, Himmelsbach adds. Stevens reveals that the Celtics told Gonzalez to take four days off after he helped Real Madrid win the Spanish League title, but he showed up two days later. “I think he really wants to be good,” Stevens said. “You can tell he’s got a good work ethic, a good compete level. There’s a care factor there and, you know, he’s just learning.”
- Tatum’s injury means Jaylen Brown is preparing to be the number one option on offense for the first time in his career, Robb states in another story. Brown discussed the challenge in a livestream with Kyrie Irving, saying, “People haven’t seen me at my best because we have a loaded roster, so sometimes you need to do what needs to be done as a team.”
Celtics’ Zarren Dismisses Brown, White Rumors
As the Celtics work this offseason to move below the restrictive second tax apron, there has been some speculation about the possibility that the team would be willing to trade stars Jaylen Brown and/or Derrick White as part of its roster overhaul.
While most reporting on the subject has indicated that Boston has no desire to move either player and is simply listening in case a potential trade partner makes a massive offer, Celtics vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren believes even those reports have overstated the team’s interest in making a deal involving Brown or White.
“Those two guys are really, really great NBA players, and there hasn’t been anything close to serious about trading them,” Zarren said, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “I’m not sure where all this reporting came from but those guys are key parts of our team, and we’re lucky to have them here.”
Zarren’s comments may not entirely shut down speculation about Brown and White, but if the Celtics were going to move one of them this offseason, it likely would’ve happened before or during the first round of the draft, when lottery picks could have been in play.
Having agreed to separate deals involving Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, Boston no longer faces the same level of urgency to continue shedding salary, though role players like Sam Hauser and newly acquired Anfernee Simons continue to be mentioned as possible trade candidates.
The Raptors were one of the teams that inquired about White, Zach Lowe of The Ringer confirmed on Thursday in an episode of his podcast (hat tip to Brian Robb of MassLive).
“There were reports that the Raptors offered the No. 9 pick for Derrick White,” Lowe said. “I’m told that’s true but that it happened a month and a half ago after Jayson Tatum got hurt, and Boston laughed at that offer and said, ‘We need way more than No. 9 for Derrick White.'”
Charania’s Latest: Durant, Celtics, Giannis
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.”