Atlantic Notes: Embiid, McCain, Nets, Pritchard
Sixers center Joel Embiid, who had been out since February 7 due to knee and shin injuries, returned to action on Tuesday in Indiana and didn’t miss a beat, racking up 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 26 minutes of action as Philadelphia cruised to a 135-114 victory.
“He just takes so much pressure off us offensively,” teammate Tyrese Maxey said, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). “They’ve got to pay attention to him. … And then when I’m second pass right there next to him, it’s hard to (double team) too, so there’s a lot of space out there on the court.”
While the 76ers referred to Embiid’s latest ailment as shin soreness, the big man said on Tuesday that it was actually a stress reaction in his right leg, admitting that it was initially “painful to walk.”
Embiid has dealt with his share of injuries over the years, but told reporters after the win over the Pacers that he hadn’t been familiar with the treatment or recovery process for a stress reaction. As Mizell relays, the former MVP expects to handle it going forward like he dealt with his surgically repaired knee earlier this season, with the team closely monitoring the leg and managing his workload.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Looking back at the Sixers‘ decision to trade Jared McCain at the deadline, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) explains why it was more than just a financially motivated deal to duck the luxury tax line. In what should be a stacked 2026 draft, the first-rounder Philadelphia acquired from Oklahoma City in the trade (Houston’s pick) should have real value this spring, even if it ends up in the early- to mid-20s, Gozlan writes.
- Exploring what the NBA’s anti-tanking efforts could mean for Brooklyn, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) suggests the Nets were already planning on pivoting from a full-fledged rebuild to being more competitive in 2026/27, when they won’t control their own first-round pick. As a result, any rule changes shouldn’t have a significant impact on the front office’s approach to the 2026 offseason, Lewis says.
- Although he scored just eight points of 2-of-13 shooting vs. Phoenix on Tuesday, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is still averaging 21.6 points and 6.1 assists per game with a .504/.429/.900 shooting line in eight games since being made a reserve. Speaking earlier this week about Pritchard’s move to the bench, head coach Joe Mazzulla said the 28-year-old will “impact winning” in any role and is willing to do whatever gives the team the best chance to win (Twitter video link via Law Murray of The Athletic). Pritchard has actually increased his minutes per game from 32.6 as a starter to 34.3 as a reserve, so the move to the second unit hardly represents a demotion.
Celtics Notes: Brown, Pritchard, Gonzalez, Tatum
After the Celtics pummeled the Lakers on Sunday, LeBron James told reporters that Jaylen Brown is being overlooked in the MVP race, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Brown had 32 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the 22-point victory as Boston continued its surprising season by improving to 37-19, the fourth-best record in the league.
“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” James said. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he’s averaging what, 30? Just under 30? It’s a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”
Brown is posting career highs of 29.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 51 games and has looked extremely comfortable as the team’s primary scoring option while Jayson Tatum recovers from a torn Achilles. Brown thanked James for his assessment and offered his own case for the award.
“I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world,” he said. “I play both ends on the court. Night to night, I’m available, which is hard to do. I’m a leader. I help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play confidently, stuff that doesn’t always show up on the analytics. And I’m a winner. I come out and try to win every single night. So I’m grateful. It’s an honor to play the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. It’s an honor for LeBron, who’s arguably the best player to ever play the game, giving me some high praise.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Moving into a reserve role after the trade deadline hasn’t affected Payton Pritchard‘s productivity, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscription required). Pritchard scored 30 points in 38 minutes on Sunday and said he was inspired by the Boston-L.A. rivalry. “Felt like I’m back in my college days [at Oregon] where I’m playing Washington or Arizona or something,” he said. “Rivalry will bring that out of you.”
- Luka Doncic and Hugo Gonzalez have a connection through their Real Madrid background, and the Lakers star believes the Celtics rookie has a bright NBA future, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “We all know he’s a very high-effort player,” Doncic said. “He’s all around the court. It’s only his first year. He’ll have time to learn. But I think he’s going to be a very important piece for every team he plays for.”
- Lakers guard Marcus Smart has stayed in touch with Tatum throughout his recovery process and dropped the latest clue on whether his longtime teammate might return this season, Terada relays in a separate story. “He’s doing real well as you guys know,” Smart said. “That’s all you can ask for. That’s something you never want to see from anybody, but especially for a guy you’ve been to battle with and you got a good relationship with. So it was tough to see that but I’m glad he’s in good spirits and his process is going very well.”
Celtics Notes: Vucevic, Tatum, Roster Openings, Pritchard
Nikola Vucevic only had one practice to get acclimated to the Celtics before making his debut with the team Friday night, but he had no trouble fitting into the new system, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Vucevic played 28 minutes — the most of any Boston center — finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds while helping to erase a 22-point deficit in a win over Miami.
“I thought he did a great job from the day he got to Boston right to tip off preparing,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Preparing for everything — our language, our coverages, what we needed to do. I thought he put himself in position to help us. And then I think credit to the guys for having a quick understanding about why we acquired him and how he can make us better, and how we can help to make him better.”
Vucevic has been connected to the Celtics in trade rumors in the past, notes Souichi Terada of MassLive, and he believes he can help the team as a floor-spacing big man. None of the centers that Boston has been using this season have the offensive capabilities that Vucevic brings.
“I look at it as it motivates me to try to get to a higher level,” he said of the trade from Chicago at Thursday’s deadline. “I am 35 but I still feel like I have a lot left in the tank and can still play at a high level. So having an opportunity to play in the playoffs and play for something big, I think it’s extra motivation for everybody. I’m just excited to have the opportunity. I never really had it in my career.”
There’s more from Boston:
- It’s possible Jayson Tatum could return at some point this season, but president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said that had “very little impact” on the moves he made at the deadline, per Jay King of The Athletic. Stevens targeted Vucevic to upgrade the frontcourt and was able to dump the salaries of Xavier Tillman, Chris Boucher and Josh Minott to move below the tax deadline. “The best time for Jayson Tatum to come back is when he’s 110 percent healthy, he’s fully cleared by everybody that matters in that decision, and he’s got great peace of mind and he’s ready to do it. That’s it,” Stevens said. “That’s the objective, and that’s what we’re going to stick with.”
- The Celtics dropped down to 11 players after the deadline and have until February 19 to get back to the league minimum of 14. One of those openings was filled by promoting two-way big man Amari Williams, and his new minimum-salary contract includes a team option for next season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
- Stevens offered some insight into his plans for filling the other two slots, Robb adds in a separate story. The team will take a close look at its remaining two-way players, including John Tonje, who was acquired from Utah on Thursday.
- Payton Pritchard returned to a sixth-man role in the revamped lineup after starting in his first 48 appearances this season, King notes in another piece. “That benefits our team more,” Pritchard said. “It puts another ball-handler off the bench. At the end of the day, it’s about, do you play starter minutes, do you finish games? I don’t really care about starting. If you want me to start, I’ll start. If you want me to come off the bench, it doesn’t matter. So it’s just about, when you get in, what do you do with your minutes? So that’s what I was focused on today.”
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (subscription required) examines the financial impact of the Celtics’ moves and how they’ll affect the future.
Injury Notes: Garland, Merrill, Heat, Coulibaly, Pritchard
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Philadelphia due to right great toe soreness, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor notes, Garland’s injury is not a recurrence of the toe ailment that required offseason surgery and has bothered him for several months — the injury is impacting a different toe on the opposite foot.
Cleveland will also be without sharpshooter Sam Merrill on Friday, per Fedor (Twitter link). Merrill is dealing with a right hand sprain, the same injury that caused him to miss 14 games earlier in the season. Both players were injured in Wednesday’s win in Philadelphia.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Heat will be down two key rotation members for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma City, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Starting point guard Davion Mitchell will miss his second straight game with a left shoulder contusion, while sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr. will be out for the second consecutive contest due to a left knee sprain. As Chiang writes for The Miami Herald, Jaquez underwent an MRI on Thursday which revealed irritation in his knee. Mitchell had not received an MRI as of Thursday. Guard Tyler Herro is questionable for tomorrow’s game due to contusions on his toe and rib.
- Forward Bilal Coulibaly, who exited Wednesday’s loss at the Clippers early due to a back injury, will miss the final two games of the Wizards‘ West Coast road trip with what the team is calling lower back stiffness, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). Head coach Brian Keefe said the former lottery pick has returned to D.C. to receive treatment for his back.
- Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is doubtful to suit up for Saturday’s game at Atlanta due to left ankle soreness, per John Karalis of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Pritchard, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has appeared in all 40 of Boston’s games thus far in 2025/26. Forward Josh Minott will miss his seventh straight contest due to a left ankle sprain, Karalis adds.
Celtics Notes: Pritchard, Queta, White, Brown, Tillman
After a subpar performance in Saturday’s loss at Minnesota, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard was thankful to have a chance to redeem himself the next day, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Pritchard responded with one of his best shooting nights of the season, finishing with 42 points while connecting at 15-of-22 from the field and sinking six three-pointers in a victory at Cleveland.
“I just wanted to come out tonight after a disappointing night before and kind of redeem myself and help the team win,” he said. “Hopefully I can continue this and catch a rhythm. I’m not saying every night’s going to be scoring, but be efficient and help the team win.”
Pritchard carried the offense despite being in foul trouble for much of the game. He made an early statement by drilling his first three-pointer nine seconds into the contest, then contributed 15 points in the fourth quarter as Boston held off a late Cavaliers rally. He helped to secure the 117-115 victory with a pair of late free throws.
“I’m a competitor and sitting in my room last night and this morning, you can either fold and give into it,” Pritchard told reporters before the game. “But for me, today I’m going to come out and give everything I’ve got and not second guess anything. I’m going to treat it like it’s a summer day in the gym, just me.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Neemias Queta and Derrick White were both given the night off to recover from injuries with Boston playing the second game of a back-to-back and entering a busy part of its schedule, Washburn states in a separate story. Queta has a sprained left ankle, and White is dealing with a right calf contusion. The Celtics have games Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and coach Joe Mazzulla indicated that more rotation players could be rested during that stretch. “I think that’s where we talk about playing everybody comes into play and, you know, just relying on the depth of those, especially the young guys,” he said. “So that’s why I think it’s important everyone comes into the game ready to impact. And so that’s the case (Sunday). I think it will be over the next week or so, and points in time throughout the season. So trying to make that a strength of ours, just, you know, by the guys that we have available.”
- Jaylen Brown has been frustrated by a lack of free throw attempts, Washburn adds. Brown entered Sunday’s game eighth in the league in scoring at 28.8 PPG, but he was 27th in free throw rate at 6.3 per night. Mazzulla said he supports Brown’s position, but won’t be submitting tape to the league to show examples of non-calls.
- With Queta unavailable, Xavier Tillman delivered nine points, six rebounds, three steals and a block in his first start of the season, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. It was a rare appearance for Tillman, who had only played one five-minute stint during the previous 11 games. “X is the ultimate professional,” Mazzulla said. “Whether he plays every game or he misses 10 games, I have a level of trust that he’s going to go out there and he’s going to execute and he’s going to do exactly what we want. That’s really hard to do in this league. You can’t take a guy like that for granted. He works. He’s always ready.”
Atlantic Notes: Robinson, Pritchard, Barnes, Poeltl
The Knicks and veteran center Mitchell Robinson did not engage in any advanced discussions about a potential contract extension prior to 2025/26, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link), who is skeptical that a deal will come together during the regular season.
Still, assuming he’s healthy, Robinson should have plenty of suitors if he hits free agency next summer, Begley reported on The Putback.
“The most likely path here is Mitchell Robinson … hitting free agency and then seeing what the market is like,” Begley said. “There’s going to be teams with cap space. If he’s healthy, he’s going to be very attractive on that open market.
“Maybe the Knicks surprise me, and they do get a deal done in-season. … If he has this impact on the floor when he’s healthy, even though the Knicks are limiting him, teams know what he can do and he’s continuing to show it.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- In an extensive interview with Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard discusses his “relentless” desire to constantly improve his game. “I look at the word ‘relentless’ as a means to define who I am,” Pritchard told ClutchPoints. “It is an undying hunger to always keep getting better and better. Always striving for more. I am obviously very grateful for everything I have and will never take it for granted, but that relentlessness in me is always pushing for more. It’s always about getting to that next step in your career, life, or whatever it may be. Every day is a new opportunity to get better, and I live by that mindset. It’s a major reason why I’ve found so much success in my role with the Celtics.”
- Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is off to a strong start to the season, particularly on the defensive end of the court, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. As Koreen details, Barnes is at his best when he’s wreaking havoc as a weak side roamer — he is currently the only player in the league averaging at least 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game (he’s at 1.6 in both categories). “He’s been doing it for a long time, so there’s not much new there on the defensive end,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “He’s just getting even more experienced. He’s getting to know the league and tendencies of the players even better. Scottie is a big part of our scouting preparation.”
- Raptors center Jakob Poeltl will miss Saturday’s game in Philadelphia due to lower back injury management, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. It’s the second night of a back-to-back for Toronto, which won on the road in Atlanta on Friday for the team’s fourth consecutive victory following a four-game losing streak. The Raptors are currently 5-4.
And-Ones: Payne, Fernando, Free Agents, Breakout Candidates
After being waived by the Pacers earlier this month, veteran point guard Cameron Payne reportedly received strong interest from KK Partizan, a EuroLeague-team based in Belgrade, Serbia. However, according to veteran NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link), Payne has opted to forgo overseas opportunities for now and will remain stateside in order to seek out his next NBA opportunity.
A 10-year NBA veteran who has earned regular playing time in Phoenix, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and New York in recent years, Payne appeared in 72 games for the Knicks last season, averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 assists in 15.1 minutes per night while shooting 40.1% from the floor, including 36.3% from beyond the three-point line.
Payne received a training camp invitation from Indiana this fall but didn’t make a strong case in the preseason for a regular season roster spot, shooting just 28.6% from the field and registering nearly as many turnovers (six) as assists (seven).
We have more from around the basketball world:
- While Payne apparently won’t be headed to Belgrade, another NBA veteran is set to join KK Partizan. As Javier Molero of Eurohoops relays, big man Bruno Fernando is signing with the Serbian club to fortify its frontcourt. Fernando, whose last stop was Real Madrid, made 220 regular season appearances in the NBA for four teams from 2019-25. He played in 17 games last season for the Raptors, but has been out of the league since being waived by Toronto in January.
- Even though the 2025/26 season is now underway, there are still several notable players who finished last season on NBA rosters and remain unsigned. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report ranks the top 10 players who fit that bill, with Malik Beasley, Ben Simmons, and Precious Achiuwa topping his list.
- Jeremy Woo of ESPN identifies his top five breakout candidates for the 2025/26 season, including Celtics wing Payton Pritchard, Pistons center Jalen Duren, and Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard.
Celtics Notes: Gonzalez, Simons, Scheierman, Tatum
Rookie forward Hugo Gonzalez looks like a strong contender for regular playing time after an impressive NBA debut Friday night, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Gonzalez energized the Celtics when he entered the game midway through the first quarter with a blend of athleticism and aggressive defense. Coach Joe Mazzulla trusted him to guard Knicks star Jalen Brunson and gave him heavy minutes in the second half as Boston tried to stage a comeback.
“Stepping on the floor was good,” Gonzalez said. “But still, I’m not having a great memory of this day because we lost the game that we could have won. We’re working on details, gotta get better there.”
Terada notes that Mazzulla’s rotation is still unsettled as Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh all saw minutes in the first half, while Josh Minott wasn’t used at all after playing in the season opener. Gonzalez is only 19 and didn’t play much last season with Real Madrid, but he could establish a regular role with the Celtics as a defensive stopper off the bench.
“He understands what it takes,” Mazzulla said. “I think he has a clear understanding of what his role is, and it’s to defend at the highest of levels and play with a level of effort on the offensive end. And he’s able to do that. There are things he needs to clean up, obviously, but I thought he did a great job of helping accept that third-quarter tone of his effort and his toughness.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Anfernee Simons, who spent four years playing for Chauncey Billups in Portland before being traded to Boston his summer, couldn’t believe that his former coach was arrested this week in a federal investigation of illegal gambling, Terada adds in a separate story. “Just in shock, obviously, I have a great relationship with Chauncey,” Simons said (Twitter video link). “Speaking even after the trade, he’s checking in on me, I’m checking in on him. We have a great relationship. It’s an unfortunate situation for him to be in, especially with him and his family. All the media attention is coming in, the scrutiny.”
- The Celtics need more production from their three best players to remain competitive while Mazzulla figures out his rotation, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. In the season’s first two games, Payton Pritchard missed 12 of his 14 three-point attempts and Derrick White is only shooting 7-of-24 from beyond the arc and 12-of-38 overall. Jaylen Brown is scoring consistently, but he committed seven turnovers on Friday.
- Boston will probably pick up Scheierman’s $2.7MM salary for the 2026/27 season, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. The decision is due by the end of the month, and Robb believes it’s a low-cost gamble for a team that still has to watch every dollar it spends. He views it as less certain that the Celtics will exercise their option next year for the final season of Scheierman’s rookie scale contract, when he’ll earn nearly $5MM.
- In the same piece, Robb speculates that it will be sometime in March before Jayson Tatum can realistically consider returning from his Achilles tear.
Celtics Notes: Simons, Pritchard, Tatum, Boucher, Hauser
Anfernee Simons was a member of some playoff teams in Portland early in his career, but the Trail Blazers finished at least 10 games below .500 in each of his four seasons as a regular starter. The 26-year-old guard is joining a Celtics team coming off back-to-back seasons of 60-plus wins, and while expectations are lower in 2025/26 with Jayson Tatum recovering from an Achilles tear, Simons is enthusiastic about “contributing to winning games” in Boston.
“I was super excited to come here and join a culture that’s already been set,” Simons said at media day on Monday, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “It’s something that’s going to help my career out tremendously, playing at the highest level of winning basketball. That’s what I was excited about and being part of it.”
A talented offensive player who has averaged 20.7 points per game in 178 outings over the past three seasons, Simons has a reputation as a below-average defender. He’s aware of that label and is determined to do what he can to change it.
“It’s a matter of if I want to do it or not; it’s really that simple,” Simons said, according to Washburn. “Coming into a culture like this you really have to be able to adapt or you’re not going to be in the position you want to be. To me, it’s really that simple, and that’s the honest conversations [head coach Joe Mazzulla and I] had about it. He always says that you’re not as bad as people think you are. That’s good to hear, but also I’ve got to do the work of getting better at that end and get focused on exactly what we need to do on the defensive end. I’m pretty excited about being pushed to a new level, which I can reach.”
There has been a sense that either Simons or Payton Pritchard could start for the Celtics, with the other coming off the bench. However, as Washburn tweets, Mazzulla sought to dispel that notion on Monday, suggesting that it’s not an either/or proposition.
“I’ll nip that in the bud immediately,” the Celtics’ coach said, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “Those two don’t go hand-in-hand. They’re completely different.”
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Tatum has made it clear that he isn’t ruling out the possibility of returning from his Achilles tear at some point before the end of the 2025/26 season, and he raised eyebrows on Sunday when he posted a video of his on-court workouts (Instagram link). Still, he stressed on Saturday that he’s being mindful of not rushing the recovery process. “There’s no pressure to return back any sooner than when I’m 100 percent healthy,” Tatum said, according to Himmelsbach. “No pressure from [president of operations Brad Stevens], [Mazzulla], the team, the organization. The most important thing is that I’m 100 percent healthy whenever I do come back.”
- New Celtics big man Chris Boucher, who said on Monday that Stevens told him the team has had interest in him for a while, explained why he viewed Boston as an ideal fit for him in free agency, as Brian Robb of MassLive.com relays. “I’ve been in Toronto for seven years. Obviously we had a great year with a championship and all, but also years where we’re not winning at all and it impacted my time and playing and all that,” Boucher said. “I also feel like I still have a lot to give to the game, so I wanted to go somewhere where I felt like, there’s a winning culture, winning energy and also felt like I wanted to see something different. I wanna be able to show what what I’m capable of doing in multiple ways in the game.”
- Although he didn’t end up going anywhere, Celtics wing Sam Hauser was at the center of trade speculation this offseason for several weeks. He admitted on Monday that it was hard to ignore that chatter. “You try to block it out but you really can’t, to be honest with you,” Hauser said, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive.com. “But I know it’s part of the business. I was prepared for whatever. If I was gonna get shipped, great. I stayed, thankfully. I’m glad to be here. But even if I were shipped, I had no hard feelings here. They gave me an opportunity when no one else did. They extended me. They had to do what they had to do and I understood it, but I’m glad I’m here, to say the least.”
- According to Himmelsbach, Stevens said on Monday that the Celtics made offers to both Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency in the hopes of retaining them, but admitted that the contracts they got from the Warriors and Spurs respectively are more player-friendly than what Boston could realistically have offered.
- With Horford, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis gone and Tatum recovering from his torn Achilles, Jay King of The Athletic explores the Celtics’ efforts to reestablish their culture with a new set of veteran leaders.
Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Pritchard, Queta, Luis
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.