Kemba Walker, who was traded to the Thunder on Friday, had a “tension-filled” season with former coach and now president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Multiple team sources tell Weiss there was dysfunction in the Celtics‘ locker room and Stevens was seen as being tougher with Walker than other players. Weiss adds that after Gordon Hayward left to sign with the Hornets, he told Stevens that he needed to take a more forceful stance with players for the team to be successful.
Stevens became harder on several players, including Walker, whom he frequently criticized for errors on defense. Walker and Stevens often argued, sources add, but they maintained a working relationship and respect for each other.
According to multiple sources, Walker, who signed with Boston two years ago in free agency, became angry about the team’s disappointing season and boos directed at him by Celtics fans. He began talking privately about moving to another team and was willing to accept a trade.
There’s more on the Celtics, all from Weiss:
- Trading Walker was a first step toward keeping free agent guard Evan Fournier and young center Robert Williams, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. The Celtics hope to bring back Fournier on a long-term deal while creating only a modest tax bill. The trade will also make it easier to add a maximum-salary slot for 2022 free agency, as Horford’s contract has just a $14MM guarantee in its final season.
- Multiple sources told Weiss that several players were hoping for a coaching change, believing Stevens didn’t hold some of his star players accountable. There was also frustration with the coach’s “college offense” and complaints that players would get stuck in isolation. There seems to be a preference in the locker room for a Black coach with NBA playing experience, and Chauncey Billups, Ime Udoka and Darvin Ham are among the candidates being given second interviews.
- Marcus Smart stands to inherit the starting point guard role and will hope to re-establish a culture of accountability on defense that he built along with Al Horford, who returns to the team in the Walker trade. Teammates often ignored Smart after Horford left, according to Weiss’ sources, which led to his confrontation with Jaylen Brown after Game 2 of the 2020 Eastern Conference finals.
- After Blake Griffin‘s buyout with the Pistons, he asked a Celtics player about joining the team and was told there was too much dysfunction.
Al we missed you. Celtics don’t need Thompson now. And I’d keep Brown instead of Fall. Celtics still need someone who can run the Point. They should use Thompson and one of young guys to get one (Nesmith, Langford). Specially since they want to resign Fournier. Graham or Scary Terry can help.
Any chance of Isiah Thomas and Avery Bradley coming back in FA. Both would cost the vets minimum and would be great for the culture.
Celtics should let Fournier walk,
he’s not a long term fit,
unless Jaylen Brown is on the move.
Outside the box suggestion:
Reunite Lowry and Derozan in Boston.
I agree on Fournier, however they don’t have the cap to do Lowry AND DeRozen. Not a bad idea, but just don’t see it happening unless they can move Horford and not sign Fournier. And probably a couple of other salary moves.
Fournier overrated asf! They should pursue Bullock instead. Smart is more a SG and promoting a failing coach is bad look for the team. They’ll remain irrelevant in east unless Bucks and Sixers blew it up
Agree. Dump Fournier too.
Burkes is a FA. He played well in Boston and cheaper than Fournier. I really think Rozier fits them well. Smart can back him up. I really liked Langford coming out of college. Don’t get why he sits. Horford is a great fit in Boston. Need to just sign Carlisle and move on. Horford , Williams, Brown, Kornet are solid Bigs. Let Tacko go.
Dysfunction is what happens when you have one of the worst HC’s in the league, as simple as!
One must feel sorry for a player like Kemba to have to put up with a useless guy like Stevens!
Whatever
Every Caltics article, Ainge emerges more as the positionless BB fan, and it does make sense. He was a guard cynical of the great frontcourt players in Boston. And Stevens coached “toughball” at Butler, like, *Don’t worry about scoring, the toughest team will win*. He always had at least one big out there, and one was fed often enough to win conference POY. Also the *Make them know they played us* approach was used vs the Cavs and Olynyk twisted Love’s shoulder, handing GSW a title.
That would make Ainge the “bad guy” for much of the Celtic-directed fan criticism. Not that I’m a new Stevens fan!
I have never heard a Celtics poster or writer speculate on who believes what, and it is a driving philosophy.
Fournier would be fine at a reduced salary but Celtics are at the tax line. Ojeleye and Kornet could be let go. But Jabari can add something. Tristan like Kornet are at a newly deep position.
Parker should take whatever offer he can get to stay in the league. His future is bench scorer.
I am amazed at how many people post and don’t know the facts. I played pg and all my coaches were harder on me. PG is like QB and you should be held more accountable. Boston does not want to go over the Tax to win they may never get another banner. I am Celtic fan but I don’t support cheap owners. Kemba was a good try by Ainge there was nothing else out there at the time. AD, Butler and PG did not want to come to Boston. With Langford, Nesmith the Williams and Pritchard we have some great youth. Moses looked like a beast to me. Trade TT for the best offer
So this is going further to confirm what a lot of us already speculated — that basically Boston:
A) Didn’t want to fire Brad and continue to pay him
B) But also didn’t want to continue to have him coach the team
C) So gave him the front office role and crossed their fingers he’ll do well because he’s a smart dude.
My guess would be Stevens lost the locker room in the Kyrie/Hayward seasons and never recovered it. Kyrie’s …. “personality” mixed with Stevens’ relationship with Hayward mixed with Hayward’s extended recovery mixed with impressionable young stars probably set the table for implosion.
Bring back terry roziet
Sorry rosier
Rozier. My phone sucks.