Nets To Acquire Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce
SUNDAY, 12:52pm: The trade can't be made official until July 12th because of a hang-up related to Kris Joseph, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Players typically can't be traded within three months of signing a free agent contract, and Joseph signed with the Nets on April 12th, so presumably that's the reasoning.
FRIDAY, 9:11am: Chris Broussard of ESPN.com has the full breakdown of the trade, via Twitter:
The Nets will receive Garnett, Pierce, and Terry. The Celtics will receive Humphries, Wallace, Brooks, Joseph, Bogans, and 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks. The '14 pick will be the Hawks or Nets selection, whichever is worse. The '16 and '18 picks will be unprotected. The Celtics also have the ability to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn in 2017.
Based on these pieces, Bogans figures to get a 2013/14 salary of more than $2MM in the sign-and-trade part of the deal, by my math, which works out nicely for him.
7:41am: According to Josh Newman of SNYNets.com, Evans has been informed he won't be included in the deal, but MarShon Brooks will be sent to the Celtics instead. Because Brooks' salary is smaller than Evans, that would mean a larger starting salary for Bogans in the sign-and-trade portion of the deal, unless Shengelia is involved in the final agreement.
Meanwhile, Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Nets GM Billy King, head coach Jason Kidd, and point guard Deron Williams all reached out during the draft to pitch him on the trade.
FRIDAY, 12:53am: Because Bogans needs to be signed-and-traded, no deal between Brooklyn and Boston can be made official until July 10th, but the agreement appears on track to be approved by all involved parties.
By my math, if Shengelia is not in the trade, Bogans will need to be signed to a starting salary of $1,731,294 in order for the Nets to send out as much outgoing money as the CBA requires for Garnett, Pierce, and Terry.
THURSDAY, 10:20pm: Kris Joseph will be included in the deal, heading to Boston, and the Celtics will also have the option to swap 2017 first-round picks with Brooklyn, tweets Wojnarowski. Joseph's contract is non-guaranteed, so the C's could waive him after acquiring him if they so choose.
10:10pm: Shengelia is not part of the latest version of this deal, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). I'll have to double-check the math, but I believe the Nets would need to include at least one more player to make the salaries work if they're taking on Terry as well.
9:58pm: Kevin Garnett will agree to waive his no-trade clause to accommodate a deal that will send him and Paul Pierce to the Nets, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). As part of the agreement, Brooklyn will guarantee KG's full salary for 2014/15, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Garnett's $12MM salary for that season had only be guaranteed for $6MM up until this point.
It's not entirely clear which players will be involved in the deal, but it looks like Jason Terry will be headed to the Nets along with Garnett and Pierce. Boston is expected to acquire Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, Keith Bogans (via sign-and-trade), Reggie Evans, and Tornike Shengelia. The Celtics will also receive 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks, with no protection on the '16 or '18 selections, according to today's earlier reports.
Due to all the moving pieces involved, the two sides won't be able to formally complete the deal until July 10th, when the July moratorium lifts. When it becomes official, it will mark the next step in a full-scale rebuilding process for the Celtics, who also allowed Doc Rivers to join the Clippers in exchange for a 2015 first-round pick.
Warriors Inquired On Kevin Garnett
The Warriors inquired on Kevin Garnett's availability on Wednesday, but no progress was made in talks between Golden State and Boston, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
With talks between the Celtics and Nets heating up, it appears that Garnett and Paul Pierce could be headed to Brooklyn, assuming KG decides to waive his no-trade clause. Even if the Celtics and Warriors had been able to agree on a Garnett deal, I would've been surprised if the veteran big man would've waived his no-trade clause to play in Golden State, though that's just my speculation.
Nets, Celtics Discussing KG/Pierce Deal
5:45pm: Although the two teams would like to resolve the situation soon, Garnett "doesn't want to be pressured into a quick decision," a source tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
5:28pm: Boston Globe scribes Baxter Holmes and Gary Washburn are both reporting (via Twitter) that the deal appears close, pending Garnett's decision. Meanwhile, Howard Beck of the New York Times tweets that the '16 and '18 first-rounders in the proposed swap would be unprotected.
5:22pm: A source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that KG is expected to touch base with Pierce before making a decision on whether or not to waive his no-trade clause (Twitter link).
4:45pm: The proposed deal has been presented to Garnett to waive his no-trade clause, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). While the move couldn't be finalized until July 10th, the Nets and Clippers are hoping to reach an agreement in principle well before then, tweets Stein.
4:29pm: If a deal was to be made, the first-rounders going from the Nets to the Celtics would be Brooklyn's 2014, 2016, and 2018 picks, tweets Wojnarowski.
4:19pm: No agreement is expected to be reached tonight, but the talks definitely have momentum, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
4:12pm: The talks between the Nets and Celtics have now reached the ownership level, according to Wojnarowski, who says that Jason Terry has joined Garnett and Pierce as part of the package (Twitter link). On the other side, the Nets would include Reggie Evans, Keith Bogans (via sign-and-trade), and one more minimum-salary player, tweets Wojnarowski.
Odds & Ends: KG, Pierce, D12, McMillan, Kanter
Draft rumors are dominating headlines today, but there are a few other stories and links we don't want to let slip through the cracks. Let's round them up….
- As talks between the Celtics and Nets progress, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the C's also raised the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce package to a Western Conference team, but few, if any, other clubs would go all-in like the Nets.
- Perhaps that Western Conference team was the Timberwolves? Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears that Garnett's name, at least, has come up in Minnesota (Twitter link).
- The Warriors are hoping to meet with Dwight Howard in free agency, and D12 figures to give them an audience, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
- Nate McMillan is finalizing an agreement to become the top assistant on Frank Vogel's Pacers staff, tweets Wojnarowski.
- Enes Kanter will not be traded tonight, tweets Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News gives the Mavericks a 28% chance of landing Howard this summer, and thinks Andrew Bynum and Monta Ellis could be among the team's backup plans.
- Ty Lawson and Brian Shaw met to discuss the Nuggets' future, as Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post details.
Stein On McHale, Clips, Celtics, Garnett, Pierce
ESPN.com's Marc Stein took to Twitter late last night to pass along some items on the fallout from Doc Rivers' move from the Celtics to the Clippers. Here are the highlights from the ESPN.com scribe (all links go to Twitter):
- Rockets head coach Kevin McHale is off-limits for the Celtics in their coaching search, in part because Houston feels McHale is a key component of the team's pitch to unrestricted free agent Dwight Howard.
- The Clippers are resigned to the fact that the only way they could land Kevin Garnett now would probably involve KG retiring, sitting out a few months, then unretiring and signing with L.A.
- Even in that scenario, it's not clear whether the NBA would approve. As Stein notes, although trades aren't allowed, there appears to be wiggle room via free agency for both Garnett and Paul Pierce. The NBA isn't addressing that possibility now, but certainly would if it became more real.
- The Celtics may now be leaning toward keeping Pierce through this week and guaranteeing his full 2013/14 salary, in which case he and KG could start next season in Boston.
- Given that possibility, the Celtics are considering two options in their coaching search, according to Stein: Hiring a more established coach if the veterans remain on the roster, or going younger if a full rebuild occurs.
Eastern Notes: Garnett, Cavaliers, Nets, Hawks
A few notes from around the NBA's Eastern Conference.
- The Nets are inquiring about Kevin Garnett's interest to waive his no-trade clause and play in Brooklyn, according to New York Daily News reporter Stefan Bondy.
- Terry Pluto from the Cleveland Plain Dealer argues that the Cavaliers would be wise to trade the first overall pick in Thursday's draft, depending on what's available. Pluto covers most rumors he's heard, including the pick for Paul Pierce, Luol Deng, and LaMarcus Aldridge.
- The Nets will hold their final pre-draft work out on Wednesday, according to the team's official site. Louisville's Gorgui Dieng will be in attendance.
- Hoopsworld.com's Lang Greene believes the Hawks will be looking to package their two first round draft picks to make a trade on Thursday night.
- The Bucks and Pistons are two teams reportedly interested in free agent shooting guard J.R. Smith, tweets ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley.
Danny Ainge On Rivers, Garnett, Pierce
Earlier today, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge conducted a press conference to address Doc Rivers' departure, as well as the team's immediate future surrounding the likes of Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and how the team will fill its vacant head coaching position.
- Ainge told reporters he was ready for the upcoming rebuild, but that he wasn't sure if there would be complete renovation of the team's core players this summer or next, according to a tweet from ESPNBoston's Chris Forsberg.
- With regards the team's vacancy at head coach, Ainge said he has yet to contact or communicate with any candidates, tweets CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely.
- Blakely also tweeted Ainge's confirmation of earlier reports that the league has mandated the Celtics and Clippers make no trades with one another throughout the 2013/14 season.
- According to a tweet from the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, no decision has yet been made on what the team will do with Pierce and Garnett.
- Ainge confirmed that the team's star point guard, Rondo, had nothing to do with Rivers wanting to leave for Los Angeles (tweet).
- Ainge ruled himself out as an option to replace Rivers as Celtics head coach, according to a Forsberg tweet.
Celtics, Clips Can’t Swap Players Through 2013/14
5:20pm: ESPN.com's Marc Stein tweets that the provision also applies to trades involving three or more teams, so no deals involving both the Clippers and Celtics will be allowed next season.
4:11pm: The Celtics and Clippers have officially agreed on compensation and completed a deal that will make Doc Rivers the new head coach in Los Angeles. However, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, the agreement includes one notable detail that hadn't been previously reported. Berger tweets that the Celtics and Clippers have agreed that they can't exchange players until after the 2013/14 season.
We knew that the league was likely to disallow any trade involving Kevin Garnett heading to the Clippers, since the CBA doesn't permit one deal to be contingent on another, and the NBA viewed Garnett as connected to Rivers. Still, the agreement reported by Berger is even more extreme, eliminating the possibility of any deals between the two clubs for at least a year.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that Paul Pierce couldn't still end up on the Clippers. L.A. can't trade for him, but if Pierce is bought out before June 30th, he could theoretically still sign with the Clips as a free agent.
Latest On Paul Pierce
Although the Cavaliers and Bucks are among the teams that have expressed interest in Paul Pierce, the longtime Celtic is unlikely to be sent to either of those clubs if he's traded this week, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Stein reports that the C's have shown an inclination to work with Pierce in an effort to send him to a favorable destination if they make a deal by week's end.
Boston continues to seek a first-rounder for Pierce, so if the team receives an offer from a contending team willing to give up a first-round pick, the 35-year-old could be moved within the next few days. However, if such a deal doesn't materialize, the Celtics are prepared to guarantee Pierce's full $15MM+ salary, since the club believes he'll still have trade value throughout the offseason and up until the 2014 trade deadline. Pierce's contract is currently partially guaranteed for $5MM, but will become fully guaranteed if he's not waived on or before Sunday.
Although the Celtics' decision to let Doc Rivers out of his contract to join the Clippers, in exchange for a first-round pick, may have signaled the start of a rebuilding period, it's still possible that Boston could start the 2013/14 season with Pierce and Kevin Garnett on the roster. According to Stein, the Celtics believe retaining Pierce may help convince KG to stick around without Rivers, rather than retiring or asking for a trade.
It's also possible that Pierce could be dealt this week to a team that intends to buy him out for the cap savings, says Stein. In that scenario, Pierce could end up reuniting with Rivers by signing with the Clippers in July.
Kyler On Paul, Pierce, Garnett, Bledsoe, Jordan
While replacing Vinny Del Negro with Doc Rivers on the bench may be worth a first-round draft pick on its own, the Clippers' decision to send the Celtics an unprotected 2015 pick was also closely tied to Chris Paul's future in Los Angeles. As Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes in today's NBA AM piece, the Clippers hiring Rivers virtually cements Paul re-signing long-term with the club when free agency begins next month.
The NBA still has to approve the Rivers transaction, but that shouldn't be a problem now that Kevin Garnett and other players aren't involved in the deal, so Kyler takes a look at the next steps for both the Celtics and Clippers once Doc officially changes addresses:
- The Cavaliers have expressed "serious interest" in acquiring Paul Pierce, but according to Kyler, they're offering a pair of early second-round picks, while the Celtics are reportedly seeking a first-rounder. Kyler echoes what we heard last night, suggesting that Boston isn't averse to keeping Pierce beyond June 30th, guaranteed his full $15MM+ salary, since the team still feels he could be traded for good value later on.
- According to Kyler, there have been reports indicating the Timberwolves have interest in re-acquiring Garnett. I'm not sure exactly which reports Kyler is referring to — Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities speculated about the idea earlier this month, but said his sources shot it down. And Adrian Wojnarowski indicated last night that a reunion between Garnett and the Wolves could happen eventually, but in an off-court, ownership capacity.
- In any case, Kyler points out that trading KG still makes sense for the Celtics, and with the NBA unlikely to approve a move to the Clippers, other suitors like the Wolves could get involved (though I think Minnesota is far from Garnett's likeliest destination).
- The Clippers have long been reluctant to move Eric Bledsoe until they can officially lock up Paul long-term. Now that CP3 appears to be a lock to re-sign, L.A. may begin shopping Bledsoe in earnest. According to Kyler, there has been no shortage of suitors with offers for the young point guard.
- Sources tell Kyler that the team isn't worried about bringing back DeAndre Jordan after he was at the center of trade rumors, feeling that Rivers will be able to mend that fence. However, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter), there's still a belief that Jordan will be moved. It may not happen right away though, as the Clippers take time to consider their options.