Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Kevin Durant

July 26th, 2022 at 5:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets are finding it difficult to deal Kevin Durant in part because suitors are unwilling to “gut their roster” to acquire the perennial All-Star, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter (video link).

Those bidders want to ensure they still “have enough left” after a Durant deal to win a championship, Wojnarowski adds. However, the Nets front office isn’t in any rush to get a deal done.

“Brooklyn does want to trade Kevin Durant,” Wojnarowski said. “They’re serious about it, but they want to do it on their terms.”

We have more regarding Durant trade chatter:

Echoing Wojnarowski’s report, executives told Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett that any team acquiring Durant has to be sure it can win the championship immediately. “KD’s going to be 34 at the start of next season, and he’s still a superstar,” one executive told Bulpett. “But depending on what you give up, if you’re a contender now, you’d have to be pretty damn sure you were going to win more in the window with KD than with the people you trade away.”
Why did reports about the Celtics’ interest in Durant surface this week? According to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, the Nets are looking for stronger offers in order to avoid the possibility of Durant being a no-show for training camp.
In a much different take, unnamed executives suggested to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer that the Nets’ demands are so significant because they have no real desire to move Durant.
There has been no traction in talks between the Nets and Raptors in a potential Durant deal, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. That’s due to Toronto’s continued refusal to trade forward Scottie Barnes.

Celtics Rumors: Brown, Durant, Trade Talks

July 26th, 2022 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Celtics forward Jaylen Brown was “perplexed” by a recent report claiming he doesn’t intend to re-sign in Boston when his current contract expires in 2024, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who hears from sources that Brown denied that report behind closed doors.

As Weiss observes, Brown is unlikely to sign a contract extension anytime soon, but that’s because his maximum earnings in an extension would fall far short of what he could earn if he reaches free agency and signs a new deal at that time.

Brown’s name has once again popped up in trade rumors this offseason, as it did in 2018 when San Antonio was shopping Kawhi Leonard and in 2019 when New Orleans was shopping Anthony Davis. However, despite those rumors, Brown wants to remain in Boston, Weiss writes.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Although Brown’s name came up in past trade rumors involving star players, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report says the Celtics never actually made the former No. 3 pick available when Leonard was on the block in 2018 and only internally discussed the possibility of offering Brown in 2019 after Davis requested a trade. The Celtics began to consider what they could get for Brown this January, following a 23-24 start, but didn’t seriously entertain the idea of moving him at the deadline, Fischer adds. In other words, the Kevin Durant talks represent the first time the club has seriously mulled moving Brown.
Within the same Bleacher Report story, Fischer says the Celtics’ most serious discussions with the Nets about Durant happened at the start of July, noting that those talks were considered to be part of Brooklyn’s “first stage of continuing negotiations.” Most trade negotiations around the NBA “have come to a momentary lull” since Summer League ended, according to Fischer.
Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, and Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe each broke down the rumors linking Durant to Boston, exploring whether it makes sense for the Celtics to make a strong push for the star forward and evaluating what they should be willing to give up. Washburn argues that the C’s should stand pat and hang onto Brown, while O’Connor says he’d probably be willing to give up both Brown and Marcus Smart in order to land Durant.
Washburn, like Weiss, hears that Brown is “invested” in Boston and wants to be part of the Celtics’ future.

Trade Rumors: Brown, Nets, Durant, Celtics, Lakers, Turner

July 25th, 2022 at 7:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jaylen Brown‘s name suddenly popped up in trade rumors as the centerpiece of a proposed deal for the Nets’ Kevin Durant. The Celtics wing offered a three-letter response of “smh” (shaking my head) on Twitter.

Quoting a source, longtime Celtics beat writer Mark Murphy (Twitter link) reports that Brown “loves it in Boston. He was two games away from a championship. He’s happy and looking forward to coming back. … Like (previous trade rumors involving) Kawhi (Leonard), AD (Anthony Davis) and others on that level, he’s going to be included in every report because of who he is.”

We have more trade chatter to pass along:

It’s unlikely the Nets would actually deal away Durant to the Celtics for another reason, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix tweets — they’d prefer not to trade him to a chief rival.
While the news of the Celtics’ interest in Durant seems like a new development, they’ve actually been involved in trade talks for a while, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marottaon (hat tip to Kevin Zimmerman of Arizona Sports). “I know that (reports of Boston’s interest) came out today so it’s front of mind, but from what I understand those are not fresh talks,” Windhorst said, adding that he doesn’t think the Nets are actively engaged in Durant negotiations at the moment.
While the Lakers’ interest in Pacers center Myles Turner is genuine, they’re reluctant to sacrifice an unprotected first-rounder for him, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack mailbag post. Turner is in his walk year and could leave the Lakers after one season in free agency next summer, barring an extension.

Celtics Emerge As Serious Kevin Durant Suitor

July 25th, 2022 at 6:26am CST by Luke Adams

6:26am: The Celtics offered Brown, White, and a draft pick to the Nets in exchange for Durant, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that Brooklyn turned down that offer and countered by asking for Brown, Marcus Smart, multiple draft picks, and possibly one additional rotation player.

The Celtics aren’t currently inclined to include Smart along with multiple other picks or players, but they’re considering their next move in the negotiations, according to Charania, who suggests that Boston has emerged as a “serious” potential landing spot for Durant. No deal is imminent, but the C’s view Durant as a player who could be the missing piece as they pursue a title, Charania writes.

Charania also reports that the Suns “appear to be all but eliminated” from the Durant sweepstakes with Deandre Ayton back under contract and ineligible to be traded.

5:58am: The Celtics are among the teams engaged in discussions with the Nets about a possible Kevin Durant trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who hears that Boston has been in “regular contact” with Brooklyn.

It doesn’t appear the two sides have made any significant progress toward a deal, however, with Wojnarowski reporting that Boston isn’t any closer to acquiring Durant than a handful of his other suitors are. However, Woj says that the Celtics’ ability to include Jaylen Brown as a centerpiece in an offer makes the club “formidable in its pursuit.”

The Celtics view All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum as off-limits in any hypothetical Durant deal, per Wojnarowski. As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, that leaves just seven contracts that Boston could trade without restrictions, led by Brown.

Wojnarowski suggests that a Celtics offer could theoretically include Brown and up to three first-round picks (2025, 2027, and 2029), as well as pick swaps in 2024 and 2026.

Because Brown is earning approximately $28.7MM in 2022/23 while Durant is making $44.1MM, the Celtics would have to include about $6.5MM in additional salary in order to meet the NBA’s salary-matching requirements.

Al Horford ($26.5MM), Marcus Smart ($17.2MM), Derrick White ($16.9MM), Robert Williams ($10.9MM), Grant Williams ($4.3MM), and Payton Pritchard ($2.2MM) are Boston’s other movable players, Marks notes. All are expected to be part of the team’s regular rotation in 2022/23.

While Durant hasn’t backed off his request to be traded out of Brooklyn, there’s a sense that the Nets also haven’t gained any real traction in any of their trade talks involving the former MVP, says Wojnarowski. The club continues to seek a return that includes “impactful” players, along with multiple unprotected first-round picks and swaps, sources tell ESPN.

The Raptors, Heat, and Suns are among the other teams believed to have interest in Durant, Wojnarowski writes. The 33-year-old has reportedly identified Miami and Phoenix of two of his preferred landing spots.

It’s unclear how Durant would feel about landing in Boston, but since he has four years remaining on his contract, a team trading for him wouldn’t have to worry about him leaving as a free agent in a year or two.

Celtics' Offseason Receives Good Reviews From Rival Teams

July 24th, 2022 at 6:35pm CST by JD Shaw

The Celtics‘ offseason has received good reviews from rival teams in the Eastern Conference, as noted by Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. Boston is essentially bringing back its defensive-minded starting five, packaging it with Grant Williams, plus new additions Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari. “(Brogdon) will be good for them,” a rival Eastern Conference general manager said. “Going to Boston, with strong people around him, unfortunately, yes, he’ll be good for them. I think he’s going to make them a lot better — which pisses me off.”

Wizards Notes: Gibson, Brogdon, Hachimura, Kispert

July 23rd, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards are coming off a disappointing season, but Taj Gibson believes his new team has the talent to contend for a playoff spot, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Gibson’s assessment of the roster is one of the reasons he made the decision to join the Wizards after being waived by the Knicks.

“I’ve seen they have a young and talented team,” Gibson said. “It’s a sleeper team and I just want to be a part of something special. The NBA is full of ups and downs, but I wanted to go to a place where I can just put my veteran mentorship and whatever I can to add to the team.”

The 37-year-old projects to be the third-string center behind Kristaps Porzingis and Daniel Gafford. His role may expand if there are injuries or Porzingis sees some time at power forward, but Gibson has proven he can be productive in limited minutes.

“They have so many talented guys,” he said of the Wizards. “I’m just a fan of all of them. I’m just lucky enough to be able to say I can go into the gym and get better with these guys, build a bond with these guys. That’s my whole goal.”

There’s more from Washington:

Malcolm Brogdon was ultimately traded to the Celtics, but he said on a recent edition of The Woj Pod that he expected to be dealt to the Wizards on draft night (hat tip to Bijan Todd of NBC Washington). “I thought it was going to be Washington,” Brogdon told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “I heard the Pacers loved the idea of having that 10th pick and having two picks in the lottery and I knew Washington needed a good veteran point guard to pair with Brad Beal. I knew I fit his timeline and knew that everything fit.” The Wizards were heavily linked in trade rumors to Brogdon, who has ties to the D.C. area after playing college basketball at Virginia.
The Wizards used Summer League to focus on talent from their G League team, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Seven players on the Las Vegas roster spent time with the Capital City Go-Go last season. “We want to become the Miamis, the Golden States, the Oklahoma Citys — the teams that bring these guys in at the G League level and then they see a pathway to the NBA,” Go-Go general manager Amber Nichols said. “You’ve got to cultivate them in your own system, in your own house.”
Gonzaga coach Mark Few believes his former players Rui Hachimura and Corey Kispert have a bright future ahead after overcoming difficulties last season, Hughes adds in a separate story.

Maine Celtics Making Internal Promotions

July 22nd, 2022 at 5:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, are promoting Jarell Christian to GM from head coach, while Alex Barlow – Christian’s associate head coach last season – will take his place, sources tell Scotto. Christian was formerly an assistant coach with the Wizards, Scotto notes.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Celtics, Moser, Nets, Thomas

July 21st, 2022 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

After Raptors 905 head coach Patrick Mutombo was hired away by Phoenix, Eric Khoury will take the reins coaching Toronto’s G League team in 2022/23. As Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes, Khoury’s background in academia and analytics is a little out of the ordinary for an NBA coach, but the 33-year-old has been in the Raptors’ organization for nearly a decade and has proven his basketball bona fides.

“I think that shows that you can come from any sort of background, any diverse background and if you show interest in the game, passion for the game, some hard work … you don’t necessarily need to come from the most traditional, ‘Well, I’ve coached at this level, now at this level’ and slowly bring your way up the ranks,” Khoury said.

“If you show that you have a passion for the game and you bring a cool perspective or a different perspective and you’re willing to work hard at it that it’s possible to make it at the next level.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Mike Moser, who spent the 2021/22 season as an assistant for the Oregon women’s basketball team, has accepted a job on the Celtics‘ coaching staff, writes Jarrid Denney of On3.com. Oregon women’s basketball head coach Kelly Graves announced the news on Twitter.
Jared Weiss of The Athletic takes a look at which Celtics Summer League players made the strongest cases for a shot at a regular season roster spot, evaluating Brodric Thomas, Matt Ryan, and Justin Jackson, among others.
Brian Lewis of The New York Post shares his takeaways from the Nets‘ Summer League performance, including his impressions on Cam Thomas, David Duke, and Alondes Williams. While Thomas had another big Summer League showing as a scorer, he’ll have to continue improving as a play-maker and defender to earn an increased role in Brooklyn’s regular season rotation, Lewis says.
In addition to carrying a pair of Australians (Ben Simmons and Patty Mills) on their roster, the Nets now have one on their coaching staff. Alex Schiffer of The Athletic profiles Adam Caporn, the newly-promoted Nets assistant who coached Brooklyn’s Summer League team after spending last season in the G League coaching the Long Island Nets.

Extension Rumors: Hunter, C. Johnson, Poole, G. Williams, More

July 19th, 2022 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the players eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason, Spurs forward Keldon Johnson became the first to sign a new deal worth less than the maximum. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), Johnson’s new four-year contract will have a base value of $74MM, with $1.5MM in annual unlikely incentives that could push the total value of the deal to $80MM.

Johnson’s contract will serve as a point of comparison for many of the other extension-eligible players who will be negotiating with their respective teams this summer and fall, Fischer writes in a full story for Bleacher Report.

For instance, representatives for De’Andre Hunter figure to seek a similar deal for their client, though the Hawks may be reluctant to invest heavily in a player who has appeared in just 76 games in the last two seasons due to injuries. One cap strategist who spoke to Bleacher Report said Hunter’s injury concerns “are very real,” and sources tell Fischer that the 24-year-old and Atlanta are approximately $20MM apart in their discussions about a four-year extension.

Johnson’s extension with San Antonio is worth roughly the same amount annually as deals signed by sharpshooters like Davis Bertans, Duncan Robinson, and Joe Harris, and all four of those deals will be reference points when Cameron Johnson and the Suns discuss a new deal, according to Fischer, who suggests an extension for Johnson could easily surpass $15MM per year.

Here are a few more notes from Fischer on rookie scale extension candidates from around the NBA:

There’s a sense that the Warriors may be best off waiting on an extension for Jordan Poole unless they can get a team-friendly rate this offseason, Fischer writes. “What’s the upside in locking him in now?” the team cap strategist said. “He’s not Luka Doncic or Donovan Mitchell, who’ve proven they can carry a team. He’s close. If he does it again, you pay him. But prior to this year he was a borderline rotation player.”
Cap experts who spoke to Fischer believes that the Celtics‘ four-year extension for Robert Williams (worth $48MM, plus $6MM in incentives) will be a benchmark for their extension talks with Grant Williams. However, rival executives don’t think the C’s will want to spend much more on Grant than they did on Robert.
The Trail Blazers and Nassir Little may both be motivated to work out a new deal this summer. As Fischer explains, Little could increase his value (and his price tag) in 2022/23 if he’s part of Portland’s new-look starting lineup, but his injury history might make him inclined to take a guaranteed payday sooner rather than later.
There has been no traction on extension talks between the Sixers and Matisse Thybulle, sources tell Bleacher Report. Fischer also classifies Bulls guard Coby White as a player who is unlikely to sign an extension before the season.

Atlantic Notes: G. Williams, Duke, Koloko, Mitchell

July 19th, 2022 at 1:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics have a recent history of reaching extensions with their first-round picks, and Grant Williams hopes to be next, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Weiss reports that Boston has already started extension talks with Williams, who displayed his value during the team’s run to the NBA Finals. He provides a strong defensive presence off the bench and shot 39.3% from three-point range during this year’s playoffs.

Williams talks about wanting to play his entire career for the Celtics and help the organization add more banners to the rafters. Weiss notes that negotiations might be tricky in light of recent deals for similar players, but Williams expressed confidence that management will be fair with him.

“Just making sure that the extension works for both sides. My number one focus is winning,” Williams said. “You take care of the good guys. You take care of the guys that provide value to your team, both on and off the floor. I feel like the Celtics are feeling the same way. I’m not too stressed about the negotiations because I feel like both parties want to get a deal done.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

David Duke Jr. improved his chances for a standard contract after turning down a two-way offer from the Nets prior to Summer League, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Duke, who also had a Summer League offer from the Raptors, showed the most improvement among Brooklyn’s second-year players in Las Vegas, Lewis observes. “The great thing is I haven’t noticed anything other than complete professionalism and dedication to playing well and doing everything we asked of him: Attacking and being aggressive within the team framework,” coach Adam Caporn said. “I just love what he’s doing defensively, picking the ball up, setting the tone. He’s doing everything the right way.”
The Raptors may be saving part of their mid-level exception to sign second-round pick Christian Koloko, Eric Koreen of The Athletic suggests in an overview of Toronto’s roster. Koreen adds that the team might also be waiting to to see if the Arizona center’s draft rights are needed in a trade package before officially signing him.
The Knicks‘ collection of young players and draft assets makes them seem like a logical landing spot for Donovan Mitchell, but Fred Katz of The Athletic looks at why Jazz CEO Danny Ainge and New York’s front office might night not be perfect trading partners.