And-Ones: Fournier, Mamukelashvili, Queta, NCAA Tourney
Veteran wing NBA Evan Fournier, who currently plays for Olympiacos in Greece after spending 12 seasons in the NBA from 2012-24, said in an interview with L’Equipe that he expects to retire as a player at the end of his current contract, which expires in 2028 (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops).
Fournier, 33, also indicated that he’d be interested in representing France again at the 2027 World Cup and/or 2028 Olympics if the national team wants him on its roster.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Raptors forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili remains focused on competing in the NBA for the foreseeable future, but he told Ric Bucher of Full Court Passport (YouTube link) that he likes the idea of eventually finishing his career and spending his retirement years in Europe. Specifically, Mamukelashvili is intrigued by the possibility of competing in the NBA’s European league. “The talent will be there, and I think it’s going to compete with college and even the NBA,” the Georgian big man said of NBA Europe, per Eurohoops. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops, and hopefully, down the line, I will have my chance to play over there.”
- Celtics center Neemias Queta, Heat forward Pelle Larsson, and Cavaliers swingman Jaylon Tyson are among the role players highlighted by John Hollinger of The Athletic within a story on the unheralded contributors enjoying breakout seasons.
- Mamukelashvili and Queta are two of several minimum-salary players who should be in line for significant raises on their next contracts, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). Gozlan, who also examines players like Suns guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, suggests Mamukelashvili could earn a starting salary of $8-10MM on his next deal and speculates that Queta’s floor will be the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15MM+).
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic identifies nine players he’s excited to watch in the NCAA Tournament, including top-five prospects like Duke’s Cameron Boozer and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, as well as a few projected to be drafted later in the first round, such as UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. and Alabama’s Amari Allen.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Thompson, White, Vucevic
After making an emotional season debut Friday night in Boston where fans celebrated his return 10 months after Achilles surgery, Jayson Tatum was relieved to get back to a normal environment Sunday at Cleveland, writes Jay King of The Athletic. Tatum remained on a minutes restriction, but he scored 20 points as the Celtics posted an emphatic win in a battle of Eastern Conference contenders.
“The other day was such a big deal, and obviously, in a home game in the city of Boston, I had a lot of family in town,” Tatum said. “Today just kind of felt like getting back in the flow of things. And that felt good for me.”
Tatum scored 12 points in the first seven minutes to help Boston build an early lead. Although he missed seven of his nine three-point attempts, he sank a clutch one with about two minutes left to play to stave off a Cleveland comeback. King notes that the Celtics were already playing well without Tatum – holding the league’s best defensive rating and second-best net rating – and have won the two games since his return by an average of 15.5 points.
“I don’t think his game has gone anywhere,” Payton Pritchard said. “I’ve seen him working on it. I think it’s more now, after not playing in a while, you’ve just got to get your flow back. Like, one-on-one reads, stuff like that.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- After Friday’s win over the Mavericks, Klay Thompson offered some advice to Tatum, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe states in a subscriber-only piece. Thompson has plenty of experience in overcoming major injuries after suffering an ACL tear during the 2019 Finals and a ruptured Achilles tendon the following year. “One of his messages was like, ‘Man, just give yourself some grace,’” Tatum said Sunday. “He said that he wished he would have given himself more grace. Obviously, being elite athletes and competitors that we are, we want it so bad. But I’m still on the road to recovery and this is just a phase of it.”
- Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson views Derrick White as a major reason that the Celtics were able to remain competitive during Tatum’s absence, per Brian Robb of MassLive. “Derrick White, he’s a top-five player in this league,” Atkinson said. “I know no one says that in the standard media, but analytically, you look at all the advanced stuff, he’s (a) top-five player in the league, superstar. Jaylen [Brown] is obviously having a great year. [Neemias] Queta is analytically one of the top 30, probably. They have a lot of talent even without Jayson. So I think if you just kind of look, ‘Oh my gosh, Jayson Tatum’s out, they’re going to be terrible,’ I never bought into that.”
- Speaking to reporters on Sunday, coach Joe Mazzulla shared his advice for Nikola Vucevic, who will be sidelined for about a month with a fractured finger, relays Souichi Terada of MassLive. “Just stay in shape,” Mazzulla said. “Do everything he can with whatever the limitations are. He does a great job in the film room studying. Just continuing to do what he’s been doing. He’s a professional.”
Celtics Notes: Scheierman, Queta, Brown, Centers
Baylor Scheierman was in the Celtics‘ starting lineup Sunday night even though he fractured his left thumb in Friday’s win over Brooklyn, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes in a subscriber-only story. The second-year guard made his eighth consecutive start and managed a normal workload, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes. The thumb injury on his shooting hand may have affected his outside shot as he only connected on 2-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc.
Scheierman explained that the injury occurred in a collision with Nets rookie Egor Demin late in the first half.
“He was running the other way, and I thought he was just going to chase after the ball because it was up in the air, and I think my thumb just kind of went into his chest,” Scheierman said. “Just hurt and looked down and just kind of felt weird and kind of just locked.”
He was able to tape his thumb and finish the game and didn’t realize the extent of the injury until X-rays revealed the fracture. He took some jumpers during the day on Sunday and decided he would be able to play.
“We’re kind of just evaluating it as it goes, but I feel good enough to be out there, so that’s how it’s going to be,” Scheierman said. “I’m not going to sit out.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
Celtics Notes: Queta, Scheierman, Tatum, Vucevic
Celtics starting center Neemias Queta recently detailed his journey as the NBA’s first (and only) player from Portugal in an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Queta’s parents moved to Portugal from their native Guinea-Bissau due to the civil war that took place in the West African country in the late 1990s, Spears writes.
Queta has never been to Guinea-Bissau or to Africa, but he hopes to visit his parents’ home country with his mother “in the next couple of years.”
“They were in kind of like a refugee type of situation. It was more trying to get to that safe place and Port Portugal welcomed them,” Queta said.
The 26-year-old big man, who was born in Lisbon and grew up 20 miles outside of Portugal’s capital, didn’t start playing basketball until he was 10 years old, per Spears, and only had one full scholarship offer (from Utah State) in the United States in 2018. After he spent three years with the Aggies, Sacramento selected Queta 39th overall in the 2021 draft.
Queta spent two years with the Kings on two-way contracts, but was waived in the 2023 offseason. The Celtics signed him to a two-way deal a few days later, and after being converted at the end of the 2023/24 season, he signed a multiyear standard contract in the summer of 2024. Boston holds a $2.7MM team option on Queta for 2026/27.
“It’s a lot of love. Being the face of the NBA for Portugal is pretty good for me,” Queta said. “It’s a blessing that I don’t take lightly. I just want to be out here and just do the best I can so I can put the best version of our culture on the map.”
Here’s more on the Celtics, who are currently 39-20, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference:
- Second-year guard Baylor Scheierman is questionable for Sunday’s game vs. Philadelphia due to a left thumb fracture, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Scheierman, who is left-handed, appeared to suffer the injury when he collided with Egor Demin in the second quarter of Friday’s win over Brooklyn, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter video link). The 25-year-old wing was able to stay in the game another 13 minutes after having his thumb taped, Forsberg adds. Scheierman has been productive in 13 games (27.1 MPG) as a starter this season, Forsberg notes (via Twitter), averaging 8.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.1 SPG while shooting 36.8% on threes and playing solid defense. Scheierman, the 30th overall pick in the 2024 draft, has started Boston’s last eight games.
- There had been speculation that Jayson Tatum might return to action on March 1, but that won’t be the case, as the star forward has been ruled out against the 76ers as he continues to work his way back from a torn Achilles tendon, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.com.
- The Celtics are focused on self-improvement and integrating trade deadline acquisition Nikola Vucevic as they look to make another deep playoff run, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). The 35-year-old center had his best game with Boston during Friday’s lopsided victory, recording 28 points (on 9-of-13 shooting), 11 rebounds and four assists in just 25 minutes. “I’m still getting used to the new offense and all my teammates and learning their tendencies,” Vucevic said. “At times I think I do overthink a little bit, which makes me kind of hesitant and takes away my aggressiveness. I feel like [Friday] I was able to put a little more together and play off my teammates. I just have to find the right balance of being aggressive, use my instincts but make it fit with what we want to run.”
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Walker, Shamet, Knicks, Raptors
After missing the Sixers‘ last two games prior to the All-Star break due to right knee soreness, center Joel Embiid will remain inactive vs. Atlanta on Thursday, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. While “right knee injury management” is still one of the designations for Embiid on Philadelphia’s injury report, he also experienced some right shin soreness during the All-Star break, according to the team.
Embiid will be reevaluated ahead of the Sixers’ back-to-back set in New Orleans and Minnesota on Saturday and Sunday, so it’s possible he won’t be facing an extended absence. Still, the fact that the big man is out again following a promising stretch in which he appeared in 18 of Philadelphia’s 22 games is a reminder that his health remains a question mark hanging over the club as the second half tips off, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.
For what it’s worth, head coach Nick Nurse didn’t sound overly concerned when he discussed Embiid’s health after the former MVP took part in Wednesday’s practice.
“He was out there and he looked pretty good,” Nurse said before the 76ers ruled Embiid out for Thursday’s game. “He’s got a meeting shortly with the doctors, and I think we’ll know a little bit more about where he is. But, he was out there a little bit today, and he looked pretty good.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Jabari Walker‘s new two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Sixers is partially guaranteed for $250K in 2026/27, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Walker was officially promoted from his two-way deal to Philadelphia’s 15-man roster earlier today.
- Has Landry Shamet been the NBA’s best minimum-salary signing this season? James L. Edwards III of The Athletic suggests that players like Celtics center Neemias Queta and Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili are also in that conversation, but presents the case for the Knicks guard, who has averaged a career-high 9.6 points per game while making 42.2% of his three-pointers.
- James Dolan, the CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports – the parent company of the Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers – stated on Wednesday that the company is considering splitting up the two franchises into separate publicly traded companies, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. A source tells Taylor Herzlich of The New York Post that the possibility of separating the two teams isn’t related to a desire to sell either franchise or to take the companies private.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca considers five factors that could determine the Raptors‘ fate for the rest of the season, starting with the health of center Jakob Poeltl, who has been bothered by back issues all year. The trade sending out Ochai Agbaji earlier this month also means there should be more opportunities available for Toronto’s young wings in the coming weeks, Grange notes.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Vucevic, Simons, Garza, Queta
Monday’s practice with Boston’s G League affiliate represented the first time that Celtics forward Jayson Tatum had taken part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage with NBA and NBAGL players – as opposed to coaches – during his Achilles recovery process, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link). Charania hears that Tatum looked “great,” but cautions that there are still several more checkpoints for the 27-year-old to pass before he could suit up for an NBA game.
“I’m feeling good,” Tatum said after his first practice with the Maine Celtics, per Brian Robb of MassLive. “… (Tuesday) is 39 weeks (since the injury), so it’s been a long journey. And it’s just like the progression of rehab. It was the next step. Doesn’t mean that I’m coming back or I’m not. It’s just following the plan. So it’s just another step.”
The 35-19 Celtics hold the No. 2 record in the Eastern Conference despite not having Tatum available at all this season. He said this week that there had been “no doubt” in his mind entering the season about the club’s ability to play at this level while he recovered from his Achilles tear, adding that it’s been “really fun and cool” to see what his teammates have done. He also spoke positively about Boston’s pre-deadline trade to acquire veteran center Nikola Vucevic, as Robb relays.
“Vuc is a hell of a player,” Tatum said. “Obviously I’ve competed against him for the last eight years. I’m excited about the things he brings to this team and the different dynamic. So we’re all excited to have him.”
We have more on the Celtics:
- Less than a week after being traded from the Celtics to the Bulls for Vucevic, Anfernee Simons was back in Boston on Wednesday as a visiting player. Before the game, the veteran guard spoke glowingly about his brief stint with the Celtics and said he could “for sure” see himself returning to the team later in his career if the opportunity arises (Twitter video link via Bobby Manning of CLNS Media). Simons added that he understood why Boston made the trade, referring to Vucevic as a “great player” who will give the C’s another floor-stretching option in the frontcourt.
- After using a double-big starting lineup featuring Neemias Queta and Luka Garza in the first three games since trading Simons, head coach Joe Mazzulla made an adjustment on Wednesday, moving Garza back to the bench. As Robb writes for MassLive.com, the move helped get the Celtics’ offense going but resulted in Garza playing just seven minutes, his lowest single-game total since early December. That could be a trend going forward with Vucevic likely to eat into his playing time.
- In a mailbag for MassLive.com, Robb considers whether or not Vucevic will eventually find his way into the Celtics’ starting lineup and argues that it makes more sense for Queta to hang onto that spot because he’s steadier on the defensive end.
Celtics Notes: Queta, Deadline, Center, Williams, TPE, More
As Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, the Celtics had a glaring hole in the middle of their starting lineup after trading Kristaps Porzingis and losing Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency. However, Neemias Queta has emerged as a solid center in his first season as significant rotation player, averaging 10.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks through 42 games (24.9 MPG) and helping Boston exceed expectations in 2025/26.
“I think he’s a starter,” a Western Conference scout told ESPN. “He does everything you want in a center.”
Queta, 26, is the first native of Portugal in NBA history, Bontemps notes. The Celtics hold a $2.7MM team option on Queta for ’26/27.
Here’s more from Boston:
- The Celtics’ 28-16 start has put them in a position to be aggressive over the next 12 days ahead of the trade deadline, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on the Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link). Boston was viewed as a team that might shed payroll this season, and while that may still be the case, the Celtics are also looking for roster upgrades, particularly in the frontcourt. “They’ve been in the marketplace, trying to go get a big-time starting center potentially,” Charania said. “They’re going to be aggressive in moving the needle. They’ve got assets. They’ve got contracts to play with.”
- Two-way big man Amari Williams was a surprising contributor in Friday’s double-overtime win at Brooklyn, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. Making his ninth appearance, the 23-year-old rookie finished with three points, an assist and a block in five minutes after Queta and Luka Garza fouled out. “I flew in two hours before from Maine,” Williams told reporters in Brooklyn (YouTube link via CLNS Media). “I did the shootaround this morning, thought I was going to play (in the G League with the Maine Celtics) tonight. Neemi wasn’t feeling great so I flew in today. Just trying to be ready for whatever. You don’t really know until you get here if you are going to suit up or not, so just getting ready for whatever.”
- In a mailbag, Robb answers questions about what the Celtics might do with their $22.5MM traded player exception and which positions the team could target aside from center.
And-Ones: Gortman, Bamba, All-Value Team, TV Ratings
Multiple college coaches have reached out to Jazian Gortman‘s camp to see if the 22-year-old guard, who has been playing for the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League, would have interest in playing NCAA ball, tweets Jeff Goodman of Field of 68.
Gortman was part of the Overtime Elite program in 2022/23, went undrafted in 2023, and has spent multiple years since then playing in the G League. However, unlike James Nnaji, who enrolled at Baylor this week two years after being drafted by Charlotte, Gortman has actually played in the NBA.
In addition to signing Exhibit 10 contracts with the Bucks, Mavericks, and Thunder since 2023, Gortman also spent over three months in 2024/25 on a two-way deal with Dallas, appearing in 16 NBA games during that time.
According to Goodman, Gortman conveyed that he’s not interested in going the college route. However, the fact that he generated interest at all is an indication that college programs are continuing to test the limits of the NCAA’s increasingly lenient interpretation of rules related to a player’s so-called “amateur” status.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- After recently suggesting that the Raptors should strongly consider Mo Bamba for a 10-day contract next month, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca asked sources why the former lottery pick is currently toiling in the G League rather than the NBA. The general consensus, Grange says, is that there are concerns about the consistency of Bamba’s effort. “He has every tool necessary to be an elite player … but he will always be a tease, unfortunately,” one league executive said. Bamba has averaged 16.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game in 14 outings for the Salt Lake City Stars this season.
- Which NBA players are on the most team-friendly contracts? Bobby Marks of ESPN selects his 15-man “All-Value team,” singling out players like Hawks guard Vit Krejci, Celtics center Neemias Queta, Mavericks guard Brandon Williams, and the Spencer brothers (Pat Spencer of the Warriors and Cam Spencer of the Grizzlies). Marks’ team is made of players earning less than $3MM this season who weren’t signed via the first- or second-round cap exceptions.
- Ahead of the NBA’s Christmas Day games, the league announced that more than 87 million people have watched games so far this season on ESPN, NBC/Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, and NBA TV (Twitter link). That figure represents an 89% increase on last season in the first year of the NBA’s new media rights deal, according to the league.
Central Notes: Atkinson, Cavs, I. Jackson, P. Williams, Rollins
While no one in the Cavaliers‘ organization is thrilled by the fact that the team has already lost nearly as many games this season (14) as it did last season (18), Kenny Atkinson‘s job is in no imminent danger, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
One recent report cited “rumbles in coaching circles” that Atkinson’s job was becoming less safe, while another suggested there have been “internal questions” about his leadership. But sources tell Vardon that Atkinson isn’t on the hot seat at this point.
The Cavaliers also aren’t on the verge of making significant changes to their roster, Vardon continues, since the front office still wants to see what the team looks like when all of its usual starters are on the court together. That hasn’t yet happened this season, with Max Strus out since August due to foot surgery and several other players having missed time due to injuries as well.
Although Vardon describes executives, coaches, and players as being “upset” by the way the Cavs have played in recent weeks, he also suggests management is willing to be patient, reporting that the team has declined at least two recent trade offers for rotation players.
We have more from around the Central:
- Pacers center Isaiah Jackson has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game vs. Milwaukee due to a concussion, and head coach Rick Carlisle wants the NBA to take a look at the play that caused the injury, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Jackson appeared to get hit by a swinging elbow from Celtics center Neemias Queta multiple times on the same possession (Twitter video link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files). “It was a play that I felt should have been looked at in real time,” Carlisle said. “It did not appear to be accidental. It’s very dangerous. And I don’t know how long he’s going to be out. It’s pretty serious. … It just can’t be missed. That’s all.”
- After averaging 21.2 minutes per night through his first 24 games of the season, forward Patrick Williams has played just 25 total minutes in his past three outings, all Bulls wins. While the former No. 4 overall pick has slipped down the depth chart, head coach Billy Donovan said that Williams’ reduced role isn’t necessarily permanent, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). “At some point, there’s going to have to be a level of sacrifice by everybody,” Donovan said. “I wouldn’t sit there and say that in my mind, okay, he’s just the 11th guy and that’s it. I don’t know what’s going to happen with our team going forward. But I do think Patrick can help.”
- In a recent interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Bucks guard Ryan Rollins discussed playing for head coach Doc Rivers, vying for this season’s Most Improved Player award, learning from Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and what it felt like to sign a three-year, $12MM contract as a free agent over the summer. “It was a blessing. That’s my first real contract,” Rollins said of the new deal. “I’m grateful for my family to be able to witness that and be inspired and motivated by that. It was great. There’s a lot more to get, so I’m not content at all. I’m still going to be greedy and get more, which I deserve, so there’s a lot more work to do.”
Celtics Notes: Hauser, Tatum, Brown, Walsh, Queta
Sam Hauser rediscovering his long-distance shot could have a bigger impact on the Celtics than any potential trade before the deadline, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. After struggling from three-point range for most of the season, Hauser drilled 5-of-6 attempts in Friday’s win over Miami.
“It’s great to see it go down,” Hauser said. “Always. It’s just kind of the way the year’s been so far, but I’ve started like this before in past seasons. So, I’m pretty confident on getting back to where I know I can get to.”
A 42% three-point shooter throughout his career, Hauser was languishing at 34% for the season coming into Friday. Terada points out that Hauser has experienced hot-and-cold stretches before, including a year ago when he shot poorly from beyond the arc for the first month and a half, then topped 42.6% each month for the rest of the season.
“I feel like sometimes shot-making is contagious,” Hauser said. “And once you see a couple guys make a couple, then you make a couple. Then it’s like you just feed off each other’s energy. And sometimes you have quarters like that where it’s just an explosion.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Count Jaylen Brown among the believers that Jayson Tatum will return from his Achilles tear and play at some point this season. Brown expressed confidence in his teammate’s recuperative powers in a stream this week with DDG, Terada relays in a separate story. “JT just always recovers,” Brown said. “He always recovers. … He’ll probably break the record for fastest recovery in Achilles history or some (expletive). I wouldn’t put it past him.”
- Brown was held out of Saturday’s game at Toronto with a non-COVID illness, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Brown had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 35 minutes on Friday, but he wasn’t available to talk to the media after the game.
- Strong starts to the season by Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta could cause the Celtics to consider extensions with both players, Robb states in a mailbag column. The team holds a $2.4MM option on Walsh for next season, but that could be declined in favor of a long-term deal that would prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027. Queta won’t become eligible until next season, but Robb believes an extension is possible if he sustains his current level of play.
- Walsh played fewer than 13 minutes on Saturday, but coach Joe Mazzulla explained that it was due to an illness he was experiencing before the game, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.