Celtics Rumors: Garnett, Allen, White, Draft
While NBA teams make final preparations for the 2012 draft, the Celtics got a headstart on the 2013 draft yesterday, as the league granted Boston an additional second-round pick. The second-rounder comes from Charlotte, by way of the Thunder, who reportedly failed to give the Celtics Jeff Green's full medical information when the teams agreed to a deadline deal involving Green in 2011. Still, GM Danny Ainge remains focused on this week, which includes tomorrow night's draft and the upcoming free agent period. Let's round up the latest comments from the Celtics GM on the team's plans….
Atlantic Notes: Deron Williams, Prigioni, Celtics
While optimists in Dallas believe that the chances of signing Deron Williams are 50-50, Ken Berger of CBS Sports writes that the Mavericks are becoming increasingly worried that their prized free agent target will re-sign with the Nets. On Sunday, we mentioned that Brooklyn can offer a $100 MM extension over five years, whereas Dallas can offer $75 MM over four. Here are more of this evening's rumblings out of the Atlantic Division…
Celtics Rumors: Garnett, Allen, Pietrus, Bass
The Celtics may have not looked like a championship-caliber team for a good chunk of the 2011/12 season, but the end-of-season results were hard to argue. Unlike the Thunder, the Celtics managed to stretch their series against the Heat to seven games before falling to the eventual champs. Given how close Boston got to the Finals, a total rebuild this summer appears very unlikely. GM Danny Ainge continues to discuss his team's future in interviews, so here's the latest from Ainge on the Celtics' offseason:
Odds & Ends: Mills, Magic, Garnett, Shumpert
When Patrick Mills returned from China this season, he signed a two-year deal with the Spurs that included a player option for the second year. Mills will have to make a decision soon, and tells Chris Dutton of The Age that he wants to finalize his NBA future before heading to the Olympics.
"I feel like I need to do my due diligence and really go and see what there is, to make sure I explore every option," Mills said. ''But in saying that, I really enjoy being in San Antonio and being part of that program."
Mills' decision could have an effect on whether or not the Spurs need to pursue a point guard in free agency, as I discussed in my preview of the team's offseason earlier this afternoon. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
Odds & Ends: John Henson, Hawks, Perkins
Kevin Durant and the Thunder take on the Heat in a pivotal Game 3 this evening in Miami with the series tied at one game a piece. With his 68 points through the first two games of the Finals, Durant trails only Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan for the most points in a player's first two career Finals games. Let's check in on the latest news and stories making headlines from around the league as the Heat look to improve on their 1-2 record in Games 3s during the 2012 playoffs…
Kennedy On Roy, Celtics, Sixers, Gasol
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy has the day's major story so far, about the return of Brandon Roy. While Roy suffers from a degenerative condition in his knees, Kennedy is confident that Roy can not only come back to play in the NBA, but do so at a high level. Kennedy recalls a conversation with Jamal Crawford, who said Roy looked dominant in pickup games against NBA players right before he retired. There will be plenty of suitors for Roy, Kennedy opines, believing he'd fit in as a sixth man with the Heat or the Lakers. There are several rumors on other topics around the league in Kennedy's latest chat transcript, and we'll hit the highlights here.
Odds & Ends: Shaw, Bower, Claver
A handful of tonight's coaching search updates came in the form of tweets. TNT's David Aldridge reported that Brian Shaw had an interview in Charlotte today, but was not offered the job. Yahoo's Marc Spears also confirmed that no offer was made, adding that Portland and Orlando are still on Shaw's radar. Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated, who broke the news about Sloan's withdrawal from Charlotte's head coaching race, thinks the Trail Blazers have a better chance of landing Shaw than the Magic do.
We've got more on Orlando's GM search and highlights from HoopsWorld chats with Mark Nugent and Tommy Beer…
Latest On Kevin Garnett
The general consensus heading into the 2011/12 season suggested it could be the last run for the Celtics' Big Three before a rebuild, but that view has since shifted. While Ray Allen may not be back in Boston next season, it's looking more likely that the Celtics will try to retain Kevin Garnett for at least one more year. According to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, Garnett may hold off on making a decision until he gets an idea of the Celtics' approach and the other players they'll attempt to sign.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, KG, Allen, Fisher, Knicks
We already rounded up a number of updates on the 76ers this morning, as the team begins to search for a replacement for Rod Thorn and weighs how to handle its free agents. Now, let's catch up on a few of their Atlantic Division rivals, with updates on the Raptors' draft workouts, a Celtic undergoing surgery, and a potential free agent target for the Knicks….
Celtics Rumors: Bass, Garnett, Allen, Pietrus
While a weekend report suggested that Brandon Bass was likely to exercise his player option, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com says that's not necessarily the case. Multiple sources told Blakely that Bass is a good bet to opt out of his contract, though the forward would like to remain in Boston. Presumably, Bass' top choice would be to renegotiate a multiyear deal with the Celtics.
Here are a few more Monday morning updates on the C's from Blakely and a handful of other Boston scribes….