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Celtics Eyeing Clint Capela?

June 10th, 2019 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Clint Capela appears to be a prime trade candidate for the Rockets this offseason, with one report indicating that Houston was gauging the market to assess Capela’s value, while another suggested that the team was “actively” exploring potential deals involving Capela, Eric Gordon, and/or P.J. Tucker.

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who identified the Celtics last month as one possible trade partner for the Rockets, tweets that – from what he has heard – Boston has “engaged pretty seriously” on Capela. Kyler cautions that things are fluid at this point in the offseason, pointing out that the Celtics may simply be doing their due diligence on possible scenarios.

Still, it’s interesting to consider how the Celtics’ potential interest in Capela might line up with the rest of their offseason plans. Al Horford and Aron Baynes have uncertain futures, as both veteran big men will have to make decisions soon on player options for the 2019/20 season — either player could, in theory, be traded if he opts in. Boston has also been linked off and on with Anthony Davis, the offseason’s biggest trade chip.

In addition to their unsettled frontcourt, the Celtics also have plenty of uncertainty at the point guard position, where both Kyrie Irving and Terry Rozier will be free agents. Irving seems increasingly unlikely to return to the C’s, with Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News becoming the latest reporter to cite a source who says there’s “nobody in Boston who thinks he’s staying.”

As for Rozier, Kyler says the Celtics have had “some level” of talks with the restricted-free-agent-to-be about a new contract.

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Raptors Notes: Leonard, Ibaka, Celtics, VanVleet

June 9th, 2019 at 2:28pm CST by clarkcrum

Tim Bontemps of ESPN recently wrote an in-depth piece on Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard, and while the entire piece is worth a read, several anecdotes stick out, particularly one involving Wizards veteran forward Trevor Ariza.

At some point between his freshman and sophomore seasons at San Diego State, Leonard received word that Ariza, already a six-year NBA veteran and NBA champion, would be working out on the Aztecs’ campus.

Leonard, always one to do whatever he can to be the best he can be, asked Ariza if he could take part in the veteran’s workouts. Ariza agreed, and was immediately impressed with Leonard’s talent and immeasurable work ethic.

“Man, my first impression of him was, this kid is here to work, period… No matter what… I prided myself on being there first person in all the time,” Ariza said. “And, when I got there, (Leonard) was already there. He’d done everything he needed to do, and he was ready to work out again… When I saw the work ethic he had, I knew he was going to be special.”

Leonard was even able to win some one-on-one drills against the NBA veteran as a 19-year-old college sophomore-to-be, Ariza admits, telling ESPN that “(Leonard) was an NBA player when he was a freshman in college.”

There’s more from Toronto this afternoon:

  • After an up-and-down season in which big man Serge Ibaka became a bench player for the first time since the 2010/11 season, his second in the NBA, Ibaka’s superb play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals was instrumental in the Raptors taking a commanding 3-1 lead against Warriors, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Ibaka finished with 20 points, four rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
  • The Raptors remarkable run to the cusp of the franchise’s first NBA championship has to resonate painfully with the Celtics, where Danny Ainge, Brad Stevens, and company envisioned making a similar run, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The biggest difference? Perhaps the gap between Leonard and Kyrie Irving is larger than we all realized.
  • While Fred VanVleet concedes that there is an increased mental focus and sense of responsibility that comes from the birth of your child, he denies the correlation between the birth of his son, Fred Jr., and his improved play in these playoffs, write Michael Lee and Dan Robson of The Athletic. Rather, Fred Sr. credits his own hard work and unbreakable confidence for helping him transform his game this postseason.
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Latest On Nets, Kyrie Irving

June 7th, 2019 at 9:13am CST by Arthur Hill

The trade that will send Allen Crabbe‘s salary to the Hawks is the first step in the Nets‘ “dream scenario” of signing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant this summer, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Woj cites “strong mutual interest” between Irving and the Nets, who will have $46MM in cap space once the trade becomes official in early July and can nearly put themselves in position to sign both players by renouncing D’Angelo Russell‘s cap hold.

The Knicks are also interested in an Irving-Durant pairing, but Irving now seems more intrigued about the possibility of playing in Brooklyn, Wojnarowski adds. He states that the Nets haven’t ruled out the idea of signing just one free agent and keeping Russell if Plan A doesn’t work out.

There’s more this morning on Irving and the Nets:

  • Other teams with interest in signing Irving are now operating as though Brooklyn is the favorite to land him, according to Ian Begley of SNY.TV. An anonymous GM told Begley it’s unlikely that a team would give up two first-round picks without a solid reason to expect that it was signing at least one top-level free agent. “(Brooklyn GM) Sean (Marks) is going for it. The Nets are all in,” the GM said after the trade was announced. Brooklyn is sending the 17th pick in this year’s draft plus a lottery-protected first-rounder in 2020 to Atlanta. Sources tell Begley that the chances of Irving returning to Boston are now “low.” Those close to the All-Star point guard continue to insist that he hasn’t ruled out any potential destination.
  • The upcoming fight for free agents has finally ignited the Knicks-Nets rivalry, notes Mike Vorkunov of The Atheltic. Both will be in position to offer two max salaries, and the consequences if either team doesn’t hit the jackpot could be felt for years. It’s also more than a two-team race, as the Clippers can also open up a second max slot, the Lakers still have LeBron James to offer and the Mavericks have a promising core built around Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
  • ESPN’s Zach Lowe explains the protections on the 2020 first-round pick the Nets are sending to the Hawks in the Crabbe deal (Twitter link). It will remain lottery protected for three years, then will convert to a pair of second-rounders.
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Celtics Rumors: Horford, Ainge, Kyrie, Rozier, Herro

June 5th, 2019 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

If Al Horford opts out of his contract this month, he’s probably unlikely to top his $30MM+ player-option salary on the open market, but he should be able to top that total figure on a multiyear deal. That’s a scenario that intrigues the Celtics.

Speaking today to reporters, including Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald, C’s president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that restructuring Horford’s contract into a longer, more cap-friendly deal is a “priority” for the club this summer.

NBA rules don’t technically allow teams to restructure contracts to reduce cap hits in the same way that NFL franchises can. But if Horford turns down his player option, he and the Celtics could essentially start from scratch on a new deal — it wouldn’t be a restructuring so much as a brand new contract. If the C’s are able to negotiate a starting salary in the range of, say, $20-25MM, it would create some added cap flexibility for the coming offseason.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • Despite suffering a mild heart attack last month, Ainge said he’s feeling good and will continue to lead the Celtics going forward, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “My role is not going to change,” Ainge said.
  • We passed along some of Ainge’s comments on Kyrie Irving in an earlier story, but Boston’s president of basketball operations offered a few more observations on the All-Star point guard. As Himmelsbach relays, Ainge said he had no regrets about the risk the Celtics took when they acquired Irving in 2017, and dismissed the idea that Kyrie was largely to blame for the club’s struggles in 2018/19. “We had a lot of reasons the team did not succeed this year,” Ainge said. “Kyrie deserves his share of the blame, but not any more than anybody else. There’s a lot of guys that didn’t handle things the right way and didn’t make the sacrifices that needed to be done for the benefit of the team. So I think that they’re all going to learn from it, including Kyrie.”
  • Ainge praised restricted-free-agent-to-be Terry Rozier, despite the fact that Rozier has publicly griped about the role he had with the Celtics this season. “I think that if Terry was in the right circumstance and the right role, I think he would love playing in Boston,” Ainge said, per Himmelsbach.
  • Ainge also acknowledged that the Celtics will consider draft-pick trades and told reporters that Brad Stevens continues to meet with candidates to replace assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry, according to Murphy and Himmelsbach.
  • Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets that the Celtics worked out Kevin Porter Jr. (USC), Luguentz Dort (Arizona State), Tyler Herro (Kentucky), Talen Horton-Tucker (Iowa State), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (VA Tech), and Skyler Flatten (South Dakota State) on Tuesday. Herro made a strong impression, per Aaron Torres of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
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Latest On Kyrie Irving

June 5th, 2019 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

With less than one month until he reaches free agency, the Kyrie Irving rumor mill continues to grow more active. Speaking today to reporters, including A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link), Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that neither Irving nor his camp has informed the team that the point guard doesn’t want to return next season.

According to Jay King of The Athletic (via Twitter), Ainge went on to say that while he can’t offer a concrete update on Irving’s future, there are ongoing conversations happening with his camp. Ainge added that he’s unsure if certain roster moves would make the Celtics more attractive to Kyrie.

While Ainge isn’t ringing the alarm on the possibility of Irving leaving the Celtics as a free agent, several reporters have been doing so. Ian Begley of SNY.tv wrote today that people around Kyrie “have described the probability of him returning to Boston as a free agent as low.” Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders recently conveyed a similar sentiment, tweeting that he’d heard from about a dozen people around the Celtics that they believe Irving will leave. Jeff Goodman of Stadium (link via NBC Sports Boston) said he’d be surprised if Irving re-signs with the C’s.

Meanwhile, TV and radio hosts like Stephen A. Smith and Colin Cowherd have been suggesting this week that the Nets have emerged as the frontrunners for Irving. Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher (link via NBC Sports Boston) recently identified the Nets and Lakers as the best bets to sign Kyrie, but there have been mixed reports on how seriously we should take the Lakers in the Irving sweepstakes.

The Knicks, of course, have long been rumored as a potential Irving destination, though they haven’t been the subject of as much Kyrie buzz lately. Still, sources tell Begley that those around Kyrie say he hasn’t ruled out any teams at this point, including the Knicks.

With Irving’s free agency still several weeks away, it’s hard to draw any definitive conclusions yet, but if the All-Star point guard is leaning toward leaving Boston, it would have a significant impact on multiple teams’ offseasons.

The Celtics, for instance, are considered a leading contender in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. If they’re worried about losing Irving, they could pursue a Davis trade more aggressively prior to free agency in an attempt to change Kyrie’s mind — or they could become more reluctant to trade for AD if they don’t believe Irving would stick around to play alongside him.

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Atlantic Notes: Horford, Brown, Nets, Lowry

May 25th, 2019 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics can’t really start planning their offseason until they know if Al Horford is picking up his $30.1MM option for next season, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Horford’s decision is due by June 18 and it will affect a lot of other areas in what could be a summer of change in Boston.

Horford’s choices are to either take the money, which is a hefty salary for a player about to turn 33, try his luck on the open market, or attempt to work out a longer deal with the Celtics that includes a smaller payment for next season. Forsberg notes that by opting in, Horford could make himself an attractive trade piece to help Boston match salaries in a deal for Anthony Davis or another star.

Even if the Celtics don’t get Davis and lose Kyrie Irving in free agency, Horford could be valuable to keep, Forsberg notes. He formed an effective combination with the team’s younger players during last year’s run to the conference finals.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • This will also be an important summer for Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension. Brown doesn’t have an agent, but he hopes the team will be open to talking about a long future together. “I’m 22 years old. I know I have a lot to learn,” he said. “I know the older guys on our team, I think they feel the same thing. They got a lot to learn, too. So, that’s a part of it; everybody growing.”
  • With rumors swirling of Irving possibly teaming up with D’Angelo Russell in the Nets‘ backcourt, the man who coached them both in high school believes they can be successful together. Marc Berman of The New York Post talked to Kevin Boyle, who knows both players as well as anyone. “I 1,000 percent think that could work,” Boyle said. “D’Angelo knows Kyrie, likes him, respects him. That could work with both sides. Kyrie could help D’Angelo to that top-10, top-15 level. I could see that blending together nicely. Not everybody fits with everybody. I don’t know why in Boston the things didn’t fit [for Irving], but it could fit there.”
  • Raptors guard Kyle Lowry is one win away from cashing in on a $500K bonus for reaching the NBA Finals, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. If he collects, it would add $1.25MM to the team’s luxury tax payment. Lowry would earn another $500K if the Raptors win the NBA title.
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An Irving-Russell Backcourt For Brooklyn?

May 25th, 2019 at 2:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There’s mutual interest between Kyrie Irving and the Nets but that doesn’t mean Brooklyn won’t re-sign restricted free agent D’Angelo Russell, according to Anthony Puccio of SNY.TV. Irving and his camp will strongly consider Brooklyn if he doesn’t re-sign with the Celtics, Puccio hears.

Irving’s people have kept close tabs on the Nets organization, noting its improvement on and off the court. While signing a free agent of Irving’s stature would seemingly lead to Russell’s exit, the Nets are open to pairing Irving and Russell in the backcourt.

The Nets don’t want to lose Russell, 23, after he emerged this season as a candidate for the Most Improved Player award.

While having two point guards in the backcourt could make it difficult for Irving and Russell to co-exist, GM Sean Marks isn’t averse to accumulating the best possible talent and letting head coach Kenny Atkinson figure out how to make it work, Puccio notes.

It’s also worth pointing out that the two guards are on good terms and shared the same high school coach, Kevin Boyle.

The Nets are positioned to bring in at least one top-level free agent. They could have up to $50.5MM in cap space but Russell’s $21MM cap hold significantly impacts that figure.

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Knicks Notes: Irving, Barrett, L.A., Pro Day

May 23rd, 2019 at 6:30pm CST by clarkcrum

Free agency has not even begun, so this list is by no means set in stone, but as we sit here this evening, there appear to be four teams with a realistic shot of landing Kyrie Irving this summer – the Celtics, Knicks, Nets, and Lakers. For what it’s worth, Irving’s head coach from high school, Kevin Boyle, believes that Irving will sign with the Knicks, per Ian Begley of SportsNet New York.

“I think there’s a good chance in my opinion that Kyrie ends up here [in New York],” Boyle said. “In my gut, I would think that would work best for him and I would think that [the Knicks] have a really strong chance of that happening.”

Boyle made it clear that he was speaking as a fan and not someone who knows what Irving’s plans are this offseason, but this a man who spent time with Irving on the basketball floor and may have a better idea of what he’s thinking than some other pundits.

Irving will likely be one of the top candidates on the free agent market this summer after being named All-NBA Second Team earlier today, despite reports of some teams having second thoughts about adding him to their roster.

There’s more news from the Knicks:

  • In his conversation with Begley, Boyle adds that R.J. Barrett, the presumptive pick of the Knicks with the No. 3 overall pick in this summer’s draft and another player that Boyle coached in high school, should be in the conversation with Zion Williamson as the best NBA prospect in the 2019 Draft.
  • With the Lakers quickly overtaking the Knicks as the most dysfunctional franchise in the NBA, the Knicks have an opportunity to entice free agents without having to overcome the Lakers’ mystique, opines Frank Isola of The Athletic.
  • In more news from Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter link), the Knicks are among a large contingent of teams attending a joint Pro Day for Arkansas’ Daniel Gafford and North Carolina’s Cameron Johnson in Miami on June 7. Johnson is currently the No. 22-ranked prospect by ESPN, while Gafford comes in at No. 38.
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NBA Announces 2018/19 All-NBA Teams

May 23rd, 2019 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has formally announced the All-NBA First, Second, and Third Teams for the 2018/19 season, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden leading the way as the two unanimous selections for the First Team.

The full All-NBA teams are listed below, with their vote totals in parentheses. Players received five points for a First Team vote, three points for a Second Team vote, and one point for a Third Team vote, so Antetokounmpo and Harden scored a perfect 500 — First Team nods from all 100 voters.

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

As we detailed in March, this year’s All-NBA selections have significant financial implications for several players. Here’s a breakdown of how several All-NBA candidates were impacted:

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo is now eligible for a super-max extension with the Bucks, which he can sign in 2020. It would start at 35% of the cap in 2021/22 and would extend his contract by five years.
  • Damian Lillard is now eligible for a super-max extension with the Trail Blazers, which he can sign in 2019. It would start at 35% of the cap in 2021/22 and would extend his contract by four years.
  • Kemba Walker is now eligible for a super-max contract with the Hornets, which he can sign in 2019. It would start at 35% of the cap in 2019/20 and would be for five years.
  • Bradley Beal, Klay Thompson, Nikola Vucevic, and other super-max candidates who didn’t earn All-NBA honors aren’t eligible for super-max contracts (or a super-max extension, in Beal’s case). Thompson’s and Vucevic’s maximum contracts this summer would start at 30% of the cap.
  • Karl-Anthony Towns‘ extension with the Timberwolves, which goes into effect in 2019/20, will start at 25% of the cap, rather than 30%, because he didn’t earn All-NBA honors.

Beal and Thompson received the most All-NBA votes of any guards who missed out on the All-NBA teams, receiving 34 and 27 points respectively. Sixers guard Ben Simmons got seven points, while no other guards had more than four.

LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs) and Danilo Gallinari (Clippers) were the runners-up at forward, receiving 17 and seven points, respectively. Pascal Siakam (Raptors) had four points, while no other forwards had more than three.

At center, Towns received 20 points, followed by Vucevic at four and Pistons center Andre Drummond with three.

Interestingly, the 15 players named to the All-NBA teams for 2018/19 were the same 15 players that Hoops Rumors readers voted for in our end-of-season All-NBA polls last month. The only differences were George swapping places with Durant and Irving flipping spots with Westbrook.

The full and official All-NBA voting results can be found right here.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Dan Gilbert: “We Killed It” In The Kyrie Irving Trade

May 22nd, 2019 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert continues to insist that his team got the better of the deal that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston before the start of the 2017/18 season, relays Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com.

Irving still had two years left on his contract when he asked for a trade to get him away from the team’s uncertain future in the wake of LeBron James‘ upcoming free agency. The Cavaliers agreed to his demand, getting Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a draft pick that became Collin Sexton.

“It becomes a melting snowball,” Gilbert said. “We had to trade him when we did. What team would want Kyrie with only one year on his contract knowing he could leave after the season? You won’t get much back (under those circumstances).”

In addition, Irving’s agent implied that if the trade demand wasn’t met, his client might undergo knee surgery that would keep him out for most of the year. Irving wound up having two operations on his knee last season and missed the playoffs.

Gilbert expects Irving to move on again when he becomes a free agent this summer.

“I don’t know, but I think Kyrie will leave Boston,” he said. “We could have ended up with nothing. Looking back after all the moves (GM) Koby (Altman) made, we killed it in that trade.”

Gilbert shares his views on a few other topics in the same story:
  • James comes with “a limited shelf life” because of his age and contract situation, Gilbert said. LeBron reached the NBA Finals in all four years of his most recent stay in Cleveland, but was never willing to sign a long-term commitment, giving himself flexibility to leave if he didn’t like how the team was being run. “It’s a win now at all costs,” Gilbert said. “… It all revolves around the sun, which is him. Whatever pressure comes with it, it worked out. We won a title.”
  • Gilbert denies that he was responsible for the decision to hire Michigan’s John Beilein as the team’s new coach. He said Altman came up with the idea and led a group of eight front office representatives who met with Beilein. “All eight loved him,” Gilbert said. “All eight wanted to hire him. They were polled individually. That caught my attention. This was a week before I met with John.” He also called the financial aspects of Beilein’s new five-year contract “very reasonable.”
  • Unlike when LeBron left in 2010, Gilbert knows there’s no chance he will return someday to resurrect the franchise. So the focus now is creating a successful organization from scratch. “We have to build a culture and a team, beyond just adding a lot more talent,” Gilbert said. “I really believe in this front office and the coaching staff. We are putting together a team based on culture and character.”
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