Greg Monroe is ready to contribute right away after signing a 10-day contract with the Celtics earlier today, relays Taylor Snow of NBA.com. The deal was finalized this afternoon after being first reported Friday and delayed amid rumors that Boston wanted to give the final roster spot to Thomas Robinson. An injury to Robert Williams last night, with Al Horford and Aron Baynes already sidelined, may have convinced the Celtics to add another center.
“Obviously those guys were having a few little injuries and have been missing a few games,” Monroe said. “So it’s definitely about helping them out and getting ready for the playoffs. That what it’s about, trying to get those guys fully healthy to make a run.”
The 28-year-old spent the first part of this season in Toronto, but has been out of the NBA since being acquired and then waived by the Nets at the trade deadline. Monroe hopes to help out the Celtics the way he did last year when he averaged 10.2 PPG and 6.3 RPG after joining the team in February.
“We’ve always thought highly of Greg,” coach Brad Stevens said. “… He’s a bright guy and when you put him through our stuff, he knows it right after he gets here. Doesn’t take him long.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Raptors guard Kyle Lowry returned to the court tonight even though his right ankle isn’t fully healed, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Lowry missed back-to-back games after a scary incident Monday night, but said he felt like he needed to start playing again. “I could sit out until the playoffs with the type of injury I have but I want to play, keep a rhythm, get out there with the guys and play some basketball,” he said. “If I can get out there and play, I’m going to go play.”
- Nets players aren’t waiting for summer to start recruiting Kevin Durant, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Durant’s new video series “Fly By” will include a tour of Brooklyn from D’Angelo Russell. Teammate Caris LeVert, who serves as Durant’s summertime workout partner, isn’t shy about making his pitch. “I don’t think superstars, especially Kevin, want to be the one who has to carry the whole team, the full load on his own,” LeVert said. “He’s in his 30s now, so he definitely wants to go to a team that has a good core, has a good culture, has good guys on the team, and we fit all those categories.”
- The Sixers‘ blockbuster trades could backfire if they can’t keep the starting five together after this season, warns Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The front office will likely have to give max deals to both Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, and J.J. Redick will be a free agent as well.
brad stevens might be lost in coaching this squad. his rotations are hit/miss he needs a quicker hooked to pull whoever doesn’t have a hand. now that hayward’s healthy it’s time to hit the reset button:
pg kyrie
sg tatum
sf gordon
pf horford
c baynes
smart, brown, mook, rozier, theis, etc.
76ers might sign either Harris or Butler but doubt both. They rolled the dice to win it all this year but I don’t see them getting by Celts, Bucks or Toronto.
Those that loved Brand’s aggressiveness will want his head in July
tobias will re-sign, butler to the lakers is a done deal
I don’t agree that Philly can’t keep both.
Once Butler opts out, Philly only has $48M in salary on the books next year. Philly can take that down to $42M by letting Johnny Simmons go.
That will leave the team with $65M in cap space minus a 1st round pick cap hold, though that will only be in the $2M range based on where they sit in the draft pecking order.
Re-signing Butler and Harris would really only take them to the cap, and another large one year deal with JJ keeps the core together this year while also leaving them the flexibility to let JJ walk in 2020 and re-sign Ben Simmons without having a huge tax bill.
Need more than Mike Scott and Bobi off the bench
They need to draft well. Plain and simple. Then use the MLE on a plus defender if there is even one available.
I hope they don’t keep Butler, but resigning Tobi is a must. By keeping JJ, That would be a solid starting four and still leave some cap space for another meaningful contributor and bench players.