Joe Mazzulla

Stein’s Latest: Connaughton, Knicks, Mazzulla, Curry, Mavs

October 20th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Charlotte’s decision to release Spencer Dinwiddie — after signing the veteran guard to a guaranteed minimum-salary contract over the summer — surprised some people around the NBA, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

There was some speculation that the Hornets might waive Pat Connaughton instead, but Stein hears the team decided to keep the veteran wing because he’s popular in the locker room and has championship experience. Another key factor: the Hornets remain cautiously optimistic they might be able to use Connaughton’s $9.4MM expiring contract in a trade before February’s deadline, Stein writes.

Here’s more from Stein:

The Knicks attempted to speak to several employed head coaches when they were looking for a replacement for Tom Thibodeau, but all of their formal requests were denied. According to Stein, there have been rumblings that New York also informally explored the possibility of trying to pursue Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, which obviously went nowhere — a month after the Knicks hired Mike Brown, Mazzulla signed an extension with Boston. While the Celtics vaguely referred to Mazzulla’s agreement as a multiyear extension, Stein hears the 37-year-old likely received a six-year contract.
There’s zero doubt that the Warriors will eventually re-sign Seth Curry — the only question is when, says Stein. While Golden State could technically bring Curry back on November 11, waiting a bit beyond that date would give the Warriors more breathing room below their second apron hard cap, and they are believed to be considering that path, per Stein.
The Mavericks waived NBA veterans Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Dalano Banton and Dennis Smith Jr. on Friday. Their G League affiliate — the Texas Legends — controls the returning rights of Robinson-Earl and Banton, and Dallas expects both players to open the season with the Legends, according to Stein. The Mavs are also optimistic that Smith with play for the Legends, but Stein points out that the former lottery pick’s rights are currently held by the Wisconsin Herd — an NBGL trade between Wisconsin and Texas would need to occur for that to happen. Banton was on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Mavs (Robinson-Earl and Smith were on Exhibit 9s), so he’s the only player of the group who will receive a bonus if he spends at least 60 days with the Legends.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Mazzulla, Battle

October 16th, 2025 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum remains hopeful about his chances of returning from his torn right Achilles before the 2025/26 season ends, but he tells DJ Siddiqi of PokerStrategy.com that there’s no specific timeline or target date in place at this point.

“Nobody’s pressuring me,” Tatum said. “The team, the doctor, the organization, everybody is just like, ‘We want you to be 100% before you come back.'”

While many players who suffer Achilles tears are sidelined for at least a full calendar year, Tatum made it clear that the recovery process isn’t “time-based” and is confident there would be little risk of aggravating the injury if he’s cleared to come back before the one-year mark.

“Time is obviously important, but you have to hit certain benchmarks,” he explained to Siddiqi. “The most important thing is all these tests of your strength, the strength in your calf, the strength in your leg. Getting into the same strength as your left calf or even stronger. For some guys, that takes six, nine, 12 months. Everybody’s just different. But the surgery that I got, the things that we’ve been doing, I feel very, very confident in that surgical site. We won’t have that problem again.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Celtics star Jaylen Brown told head coach Joe Mazzulla that he’ll be OK after exiting Wednesday’s preseason finale with a hamstring injury, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. Brown left in the first quarter and was later ruled out for the rest of the night due to what the team called left hamstring soreness. “Talked to him after, he said he would be fine, but I didn’t get a full update,” Mazzulla told reporters after the game.
When Mazzulla was named the Celtics’ head coach in the fall of 2022, he took over a team with immediate championship expectations. Those expectations remained the same for his first three seasons on the job, but look a little different in 2025/26 as a result of Boston’s offseason roster changes and Tatum’s Achilles injury. Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required) takes a look at how Mazzulla is calibrating his coaching style for the new-look roster. “I think you have to adjust based on the roster that you have and the personalities that you have,” Mazzulla said. “But also the type of personality that you want your team to have. Everyone is different so you have to treat everyone different, but at the same time you have to have a collective personality in what you’re trying to do. You have to be able to spend time and understand what makes each person tick, but your team has to tick at a certain level.”
Ashley Battle – a Celtics scout who also held the title of assistant general manager of the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate – is leaving the organization to join the front office of the Portland Fire in the WNBA, reports Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link). A former WNBA player herself, Battle had been working for the Celtics since 2021.

Celtics Notes: Brown, Mazzulla, Gonzalez, Horford

October 4th, 2025 at 6:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jayson Tatum‘s injury and the departure of several veteran players forced Celtics star Jaylen Brown to take on a larger leadership role, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Brown typically travels during the summer, Washburn notes, but he spent more time in Boston this year in an effort to bond with his new teammates.

“It’s a little bit sad, a lot of the guys I spent a lot of time with, we had such a great group over the last couple of years,” he said. “To see them not be around anymore obviously is going to have an effect on our team, but we have five new players we’ve got to get on board and acclimated into the system. And I’m trying to expedite that chemistry building, that trust building so you guys can see a good product when we get to the floor. But some of that stuff takes time — it doesn’t happen overnight — but I’m looking forward to it.”

Mentoring may not seem like a natural role to anyone who watched Brown closely during his first nine NBA seasons, Washburn adds. Brown often projected a hard exterior, but he said he’s found “a different level of peace” at this point in his career, and Washburn observes that he seems to be smiling and enjoying himself more than in the past.

“I would say a lot of times I felt like I had to operate a certain way to protect myself, and it was kind of the way I felt like I had to be in order not to lose my mind a little bit,” Brown said. “But I feel like I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I’m at peace, and I feel like I can express more of myself to the world in a sense where I just haven’t opened up in the last (several) years. More so showing the world who Jaylen Brown is.”

There’s more from Boston:

Assistant coach Sam Cassell said the start of training camp has been the most difficult he’s seen since he entered the NBA 34 years ago, but head coach Joe Mazzulla disputes that description, Washburn states in a separate story. “Everything in this world today is recency bias,” Mazzulla said. “Every time is this is the best ever. We don’t remember the way we felt last year or two years ago or three years ago. That’s just a classic recency bias of whatever you’re going through right now is the biggest, the best, the most important, the hardest, the easiest. None of that really matters. It depends on where you’re at in the moment.”
Picking up team concepts and strategy has been difficult for first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez because he speaks limited English, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. The former Real Madrid guard said the coaches have been patient as he tries to learn the language. “We’re going really, really deep now in these practices and also in the training camp that we’ve got,” Gonzalez said. “We’re going deep in the details. I think that apart from the basics, they are the most important thing. We’re going into detail on every single situation so that when we are in the game and we’ve got that situation, we can handle it in the best way possible so we can succeed on defense.”
In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of The Boston Globe examines whether the Celtics should have tried harder to keep Al Horford, who will only make about $5.7MM this season with Golden State. Robb points out that Boston was disadvantaged by its need to avoid the repeater tax, which would cause a $5MM contract to cost close to $20MM with penalties factored in.

Chisholm, Grousbeck Plan To Keep Celtics In Title Contention

August 20th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

After the Celtics announced their new ownership structure on Tuesday, majority owner and team governor William Chisholm and alternate governor Wyc Grousbeck talked to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe about their plans for the future.

Chisholm, who headed up the group that purchased the franchise from the Grousbeck family at a valuation of $6.1 billion, said he understands the immediate need to cut costs to escape the second apron and get control of the team’s salary structure. However, he promised that won’t affect his overall vision for the franchise.

“We’re not playing for second; we’re playing for championships and banners,” Chisholm said. “We’re playing for them in the near term, although we obviously had to do some things to get below the second apron. But we’re also playing for them in the medium and long term. The second apron means you can’t do it by just throwing money at the problem. You have to do it with talent, you have to do it with leadership, and with Wyc and with (president of basketball operations Brad Stevens) and (president Rich Gotham) and (coach Joe Mazzulla), I feel like we have the best leaders in the league.”

Chisholm also expressed optimism that the Celtics can exceed expectations this season with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard leading the way. He added that there’s “real talent” on the roster “that hasn’t been fully realized.”

Chisholm also emphasized that his plan to run the team in a close partnership with Grousbeck hasn’t changed. League rules prevented Grousbeck from retaining his position as governor because he owns less than 15% of the franchise, but both men insist that’s a technicality that won’t affect day-to-day operations.

“When it became clear the governor title was not going to be available because of technical reasons, because of math, Bill said, ‘Well, then we’re just not going to use that word around the office.’ So that says a lot about Bill, that he doesn’t care,” Grousbeck said. “He just wants to do the right thing for the team, and I feel the exact same way. We’re shoulder to shoulder.”

They also addressed the decision to give Mazzulla a multiyear extension ahead of what should be his most challenging season as head coach. Grousbeck said they want him “happy and empowered” as he leads a team that’s suddenly in the middle of the pack in the East.

“I’m really excited to see what he does in this kind of environment,” Chisholm added. “I think people will really appreciate what he’s all about. When he doesn’t have the loaded team, what can he do? And I think that’s going to be really interesting, and I have every confidence he’s going to crush it.”

Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Pritchard, Queta, Luis

August 16th, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

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: Tatum, Hauser, Simons, Mazzulla, WNBA

August 9th, 2025 at 8:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s no official injury update on Jayson Tatum, but it was encouraging to see the Celtics star moving around freely during two public appearances this week, writes Matty Wasserman of The Boston Globe. Tatum made a visit to Patriots training camp on Wednesday and followed that by joining coach Joe Mazzulla at the groundbreaking for a new early education center a day later.

Tatum, who underwent surgery after tearing his Achilles in a May 12 playoff game, didn’t take any questions or address his condition, but team president Rich Gotham seemed delighted with his progress.

“He’s gone from walking around in a boot and just kind of wiggling his toes to, as you see him today, he’s walking around a little more freely,” Gotham told reporters. “That’s obviously very encouraging to all of us at the Celtics … These are all little milestones in what has been a pretty grueling process for him. But it’s great to see him out at something like this.”

Gotham refused to speculate on whether Tatum would return to action if he receives medical clearance before the end of the upcoming season. However, he added, “What I know about JT is that he’s going to do everything he can to put us in the position to make a decision.”

There’s more from Boston:

The Celtics trimmed nearly $50MM off their luxury tax bill by trading Georges Niang to Utah, and they appear determined to get below the tax line altogether, cap expert Yossi Gozlan states in his Third Apron column (subscriber link). They’ll be about $12.1MM above the threshold once Chris Boucher officially signs, and Gozlan identifies two potential cost-cutting strategies. One is to trade Sam Hauser‘s $10MM salary and duck below the tax at the deadline by moving minimum-salaried players and replacing them with prorated signings. Another is to send Anfernee Simons ($27.7MM) to a team below the first apron, which would only have to part with $19.2MM in salary in return. That would also put Boston in position to escape the tax with small moves at the deadline.
The multiyear extension for Mazzulla gives the Celtics some stability amid significant roster turnover, observes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Terada adds that Mazzulla is liked and respected by his players, particularly Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe examines the obstacles that Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca is facing in his attempt to buy the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and move the team to Boston. Washburn states that Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is on board with the effort, adding that Boston doesn’t want to wait for the next round of expansion, which might not happen until 2033.

Celtics Sign Joe Mazzulla To Multiyear Extension

August 8th, 2025 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have extended their head coach’s contract, announcing today in a press release that Joe Mazzulla has officially signed a new multiyear deal with the club.

“We are very excited that Joe has agreed to extend with the Celtics,” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in a statement. “He understands the job and has a passion for the Celtics that is only rivaled by our most die-hard fans. He’s worked hard and accomplished amazing things in his first three years as a head coach – including averaging over 60 wins per season and winning the 2024 NBA Championship.

“Joe is a gifted leader who brings a consistent commitment to learning, improving, and maximizing each day we get to compete for the Boston Celtics.”

Mazzulla, who joined the Celtics’ coaching staff in 2019 as an assistant, was unexpectedly thrust into the head coaching role ahead of the 2022/23 season when Ime Udoka was suspended by the club. Udoka never returned to the team, resulting in Mazzulla earning the position on a permanent basis.

Mazzulla has acquitted himself very well in his first three years as the Celtics’ head coach, winning 57, 64, and 61 regular season games for an overall record of 182-64 (.740). He has also guided Boston to a 33-17 record in the playoffs, as well as a 2024 championship.

Mazzulla finished third in Coach of the Year voting in his first year on the job in 2022/23, then ranked fourth a year later.

He’ll face a new challenge in his fourth year in the role, as the Celtics have spent the offseason retooling their roster to cut costs after operating above the second tax apron last season. With Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis no longer on the roster and Jayson Tatum expected to miss most or all of 2025/26 while he recovers from a torn Achilles, Mazzulla will have to find a way to maximize a group that features less talent than his previous rosters.

Celtics Notes: Stevens, Horford, Kornet, Mazzulla, Gonzalez, Tatum, Brown

June 26th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens had a new first-round pick to discuss in Hugo Gonzalez, but there were more pressing issues to address as he met with the media following Wednesday’s draft, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. After agreeing to separate trades this week involving Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, Stevens talked about their contributions to the franchise and whether any more cost-cutting measures might be on the way.

“The biggest thing is there clearly is a need to prioritize regaining our flexibility,” Stevens said. “Maximizing from an assets standpoint what we can. As far as whatever moves those are a part of, those are all separate, hard, and things that you’re going to have to do your best to make sure you’re in the right position. We knew this was coming. We’ve got to prioritize flexibility.”

Parting with Holiday and Porzingis enabled the Celtics to move below the second apron, freeing them up to aggregate salaries in future trades, send out cash in deals and use trade exceptions. They’re projected to save nearly $200MM in luxury tax penalties, but Stevens emphasized that flexibility rather than frugality was the main motivation for trimming salary.

“Our owners are committed to spending,” Stevens said. “There’s a lot of things that go into these moves and a lot of things that are really important. The second apron basketball penalties are real and I’m not sure I understood how real until they were staring me in the face in the last month. I do think that can’t be overstated.”

There’s more from Boston:

Without a reliable center currently on the roster, Stevens said the team hopes to re-sign free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Horford made $9.5MM this season while Kornet played for the league minimum and has a chance to get a significant raise on the open market. “I think the biggest thing is, as you look at the rest of the team and what we’re trying to do, there is no question our priorities would be to bring Al and Luke back,” Stevens said. “Those guys are huge parts of this organization,” Stevens said. “They’re going to have, I’m sure, plenty of options all over the place, and that’s well-deserved, but I think that would be a priority. At the same time, I don’t want to put pressure on them. It’s their call ultimately. But, yeah, we would love to have those guys back.”
Stevens revealed that Joe Mazzulla received a contract extension at some point since he was promoted to head coach two years ago, Robb adds in a separate story. “I keep any of those discussions in house,” Stevens said. “But we’ve got Joe under contract for multiple years right now. So, we certainly want Joe to be around here for a long time.”
Regarding Gonzalez, Stevens confirmed the 19-year-old Real Madrid wing won’t be a draft-and-stash project, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. “Just a big fan of how he plays,” Stevens said. “He’s tough, he’s hard playing, he cuts, he goes after the ball, he competes. He’s got all the intangibles of a winning basketball player. There’s things he can get better at just like everybody else at that age, but competitiveness is at a high level.”
Stevens also provided updates on injured stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, relays Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. Stevens is pleased with Tatum’s progress since undergoing Achilles surgery and emphasized that the team won’t do anything to rush his rehabilitation process. “We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time,” Stevens said. “… It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means in regard to projected timelines. But that will be in consultation with him … and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court he is fully ready, and fully healthy. And that will be the priority.” Brown, who recently had a minimally invasive procedure on his right knee, has already returned to the Celtics’ facility to do some light ball-handling and work around the rim, Stevens adds.

Pacers Notes: Game 4 Loss, Haliburton, Mathurin, Nesmith, Carlisle

June 14th, 2025 at 8:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers were on their way to taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals Friday night when their offense inexplicably hit a wall, writes James Boyd of The Athletic. The crisp passing and constant motion they’ve displayed throughout the series disappeared in the fourth quarter, allowing Oklahoma City to rally for a 111-104 victory and head back home with the series tied.

“We just got too stagnant,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “The ball was not being advanced quickly enough. We weren’t creating problems, and we were up against the clock a lot. So things got very difficult, but you gotta give Oklahoma (City) credit. They made it very difficult.”

The numbers tell an ugly story as Indiana was outscored 31-17 during the final 12 minutes. Tyrese Haliburton, who went 3-of-7, was the only Pacers player to make more than one shot during the fourth quarter as they registered just one assist and committed three turnovers. Ten of their 27 fouls came in the fourth quarter, and they shot just 5-of-18 as a team while missing all eight of their three-point attempts.

“I gotta do a better job of keeping pace in the game,” Haliburton said. “I thought I did a much better job of that last game, especially down the stretch. Keeping pace, getting rebounds and really pushing (the ball). I think we gotta do a better job of when we do get stops, getting out and running. A lot of times in that fourth (quarter), we were fouling too much, taking the ball out, having to kind of run (a set play) versus just random basketball.”

There’s more on the Pacers:

Even with the late struggles, Indiana was positioned for another miracle finish when Bennedict Mathurin went to the foul line trailing by four points with 24 seconds remaining, per Kyle Neddenriep of The Indianapolis Star. Mathurin missed both shots, but got another opportunity a few seconds later with a five-point deficit. He split those attempts, effectively killing any hope of a Pacers comeback. “It’s very tough,” said Mathurin, who had been connecting at 89% from the line throughout the playoffs. “I’ve made those free throws, and I love making tough free throws. The only thing I can do is to knock them down next time.”
During Friday’s broadcast, ABC announcer Mike Breen shared a conversation with Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, who credited Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla for helping him early in his career, relays Brian Robb of MassLive. Nesmith played two seasons in Boston before being traded to Indiana in 2022.
Carlisle has been preparing his players for a lengthy series, which will last 18 days if it goes the full seven games, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. Carlisle believes his team will be mentally ready when play resumes Monday night. “It’s long. It’s arduous. But it’s the greatest opportunity going,” he said. “It’s really hard, and it’s supposed to be hard. This is where we’re going to have to dig in and circle the wagons and come back stronger on Monday. This is a big disappointment, but there’s three games left. This series is going to come down to the basics. … This kind of a challenge is going to have extreme highs and extreme lows. This is a low right now, and we’re going to have to bounce back from it.”

Phil Pressey To Coach Celtics’ G League Team

June 13th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA guard Phil Pressey will be named the head coach of the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Pressey, 34, played college ball at Missouri from 2010-13 and then signed with the Celtics after going undrafted. He appeared in 125 regular season games across two seasons for Boston before spending time with the Sixers and Suns in 2015/16. From 2016-22, he competed in the G League and in various leagues in Spain, Turkey, and Germany.

Pressey averaged 3.2 points and 2.9 assists in 13.6 minutes per game across 148 total NBA appearances, with a .341/.254/.630 shooting line.

A year after ending his playing career, Pressey rejoined the Celtics in 2023 as a player enhancement coach under Joe Mazzulla. He has spent the past two seasons in that role.

Pressey will be replacing Tyler Lashbrook, who was Maine’s head coach in 2024/25 after spending the previous season in Boston as a player development coach. It’s unclear whether Lashbrook will be rejoining the Celtics’ NBA staff or leaving the team for a new opportunity, but he did well in Maine this past season, leading the G League squad to a 21-13 regular season record and an appearance in the NBAGL’s Eastern Conference Finals.

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