Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lillard Open To Signing This Offseason, Won’t Rush Decision

July 3rd, 2025 at 8:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Star point guard Damian Lillard is open to signing with a team during the 2025 offseason if the terms and conditions are right, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

Lillard has received “ample” interest from teams since word broke that he was being waived by the Bucks for cap reasons while he recovers from a torn Achilles, but he isn’t in a rush to make his decision, Haynes adds.

Technically, Lillard is still a Buck, as the team hasn’t yet placed him on waivers. There has been no rush to do it right away, since most signings and trades can’t be completed until 11:00 am Central time on Sunday, once the July moratorium ends. However, I’d expect the move to happen in the coming days so that Milwaukee has the cap room necessary to complete their deal with Myles Turner sooner rather than later.

Agent Aaron Goodwin put out a statement on Tuesday referring to being waived as an “incredible opportunity” for Lillard, who will continue to be paid the $112.6MM owed to him by the Bucks as he rehabs his Achilles tear and weighs his next move. One report on Tuesday evening indicated that at least 10 teams had already touched base with the nine-time All-Star, with the Celtics, Warriors, and Lakers said to be among them.

While Marc J. Spears of Andscape said during an ESPN appearance that there’s “speculation” about Lillard returning around the 2026 All-Star break, that feels like an aggressive timeline, given that the veteran’s Achilles tear occurred in late April. He’ll turn 35 later this month and it wouldn’t be in his best interest to rush his return from an injury that often costs players a full calendar year.

Spears also stated that Lillard wants to rehab his injury in Portland in order to be close to his family, so even if he were to sign with a new team this offseason, it’s unclear how much time he’d actually spend around that club this fall.

Still, it’s no surprise that a number of teams would be willing to use one of their 15-man roster spots on Lillard in 2025/26 — even if he’s not able to return before the end of the season, that would give the club the opportunity to build a relationship with him ahead of his return to full strength next year.

Jalen Bridges To Sign Camp Deal With Celtics

July 2nd, 2025 at 6:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Celtics have added free agent forward Jalen Bridges to their Summer League squad and plan to bring him to training camp to compete for a roster spot, sources inform Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Bridges, who was on a two-way contract with the Suns during his 2024/25 rookie season, will likely end up signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Boston. Exhibit 10 deals can be converted into two-way contracts, which would be a pathway to making the roster.

On an Exhibit 10 deal, Bridges would also be eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $85K if Boston cuts him before the start of the season, provided he sticks with the club’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, for at least 60 days.

A 6’8″ forward out of Baylor, Bridges appeared in just eight games and logged 30 total minutes at the NBA level for the Suns last season. However, across 31 regular season contests for Phoenix’s NBAGL squad, the Valley Suns, the 24-year-old put up solid averages of 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game, with a shooting line of .425/.386/.794.

Phoenix didn’t give Bridges a two-way qualifying offer this past weekend, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Checking In On Top Remaining NBA Free Agents

July 2nd, 2025 at 7:17am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s free agent period officially opened less than 40 hours ago, but the list of this year’s top available players has already been pretty picked clean, with 35 of the players from our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents having already agreed to terms with a team.

Here are the players from our list remain available:

Josh Giddey, G, (Bulls RFA)
Jonathan Kuminga, F, (Warriors RFA)
Cam Thomas, G, (Nets RFA)
Quentin Grimes, G, (Sixers RFA)
Deandre Ayton, C (waivers)
Chris Paul, G
Russell Westbrook, G
Al Horford, C
Malcolm Brogdon, G
Moritz Wagner, F/C
Chris Boucher, F/C
De’Anthony Melton, G
Amir Coffey, G/F
Precious Achiuwa, F/C
Ryan Rollins, G

While four of our top 10 free agents are still on the board, all four are restricted, which means it may take some time for their situations to play out. Sign-and-trades are always a possibility, but few clubs are in position to make an aggressive play for any of these restricted free agents, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN pointed out during a TV appearance on Tuesday evening (Twitter video link).

“If this isn’t the worst market for restricted free agents in the last generation, I don’t want to see it,” Windhorst said. “There’s just no money out there for cap space, and sign-and-trades are very tough to pull off…with restricted free agents, because the team that has the rights isn’t motivated to play ball.”

There have essentially been no rumors linking Giddey, Thomas, or Grimes to any rival suitors since free agency began, so there’s still a widespread expectation that those three players will ultimately end up returning to their current teams.

That may happen with Kuminga too, but there has certainly been more chatter about alternative landing spots for the Warriors forward. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) checked in on Kuminga’s market late on Tuesday night, suggesting that the Heat, Bulls, Pelicans, and Kings are still being monitored as teams to watch for the 22-year-old, despite an apparent absence of traction on any of those fronts so far.

According to Fischer, Miami has also been linked to potential forward trade targets like DeMar DeRozan and John Collins; Chicago still has Giddey’s own restricted free agency to resolve, and Golden State appears to have “moved away” from past trade interest in Nikola Vucevic; New Orleans doesn’t have an obvious path to make a realistic offer for Kuminga; and while Sacramento would have interest in sending out Malik Monk as part of a sign-and-trade, no momentum has developed there.

With those top four RFAs in limbo for the time being, Ayton – who will clear waivers at 4:00 pm Central time on Wednesday – may be the most intriguing option on the board. According to Fischer, a number of front offices around the NBA expect the former No. 1 overall pick to end up with the Lakers, but the Pacers have also shown interest, as did the Bucks before they agreed to a surprising deal with Myles Turner. Indiana, notably, is the team that signed Ayton to a maximum-salary offer sheet in free agency three years ago, and the same decision-makers are still running that front office.

Paul and Westbrook are two of the most accomplished NBA point guards of the last two decades. Paul is known to want to play close to his home in Los Angeles, so while the Bucks are among the teams that have expressed interest in him, per Chris Haynes on NBA TV (Twitter video link), a team like the Clippers or Suns may be a more realistic landing spot. Haynes adds that he thought Westbrook would land with the Kings, but as long as Monk remains on Sacramento’s roster, that looks like a long shot.

It’s worth noting there’s one big name who was not on our pre-free-agency top 50 because he has only become available since then: Damian Lillard.

The Bucks haven’t officially waived Lillard yet, but he’s expected to reach the open market in the near future, and according to Eric Nehm, Sam Amick, and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, many teams – including the Lakers, Celtics, and Warriors – have reached out and registered interest in signing him even while he recovers from his Achilles tear.

Still, Jamal Collier of ESPN hears that there’s no guarantee that Lillard will sign anywhere for the 2025/26 season, which he’ll likely miss most or all of. He’s reportedly expected to remain based in Portland while doing his rehab work.

Among the other names in the back half of our top 50, Horford is the most intriguing. He has been linked to several teams, including – most consistently – Golden State. The Warriors are still a leading contender to land the veteran big man, per Fischer.

Finally, we should mention Malik Beasley, who ranked 15th on our initial top-50 list before word broke that he was under investigation for gambling allegations. Beasley was reportedly discussing a three-year, $42MM deal with Detroit prior to that news, but it’s hard to imagine any team signing him until that legal situation is resolved, which is why we took him off our list entirely. Since that investigation was reported, a pair of follow-up reports have detailed Beasley’s financial issues, though it’s crucial to note that he doesn’t currently face any charges.

All of the free agent deals agreed upon so far can be found within our 2025 free agent tracker. The full list of free agents still available can be found right here (or here, if you prefer to sort by team rather than by position/type).

Celtics Sign First-Round Pick Hugo Gonzalez

July 1st, 2025 at 3:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Celtics have officially signed first-round draft pick Hugo Gonzalez, the team announced today in a press statement.

Gonzalez, a 6’6″ wing formerly with Real Madrid, was selected with the No. 28 pick at the end of the first round last Wednesday. On Monday, Real Madrid announced in its own press release that it had officially parted with Gonzalez, clearing the way for him to sign with Boston.

The Celtics noted in their statement that Gonzalez is the first Spanish player ever drafted by the 18-time world champs.

Gonzalez appeared in 69 total games for Real Madrid in 2024/25, splitting those tilts between the Spanish ACB league (Liga ACB), the Spanish Cup and the EuroLeague.

In 29 Spanish ACB league outings last season, the 19-year-old averaged 5.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. He’s not much of a long-range shooter yet, as he’s averaging just 27.1% on 1.1 three-point attempts per game across his three Real Madrid seasons.

If Gonzalez signs for the full 120% of his rookie scale amount, he’d make $2.83MM in year one and $14.3MM over the life of his four-year contract. However, it’s worth noting that Boston had been hoping to find a player at No. 28 who was willing to accept less than that maximum allowable 120% for cap reasons. Gonzalez may not have agreed to do so, but until we get the official numbers, it may be premature to lock in his salary figures.

Celtics Sign Josh Minott To Two-Year Deal

July 1st, 2025 at 2:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 7: The Celtics have officially signed Minott, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

July 1: The Celtics and free agent forward Josh Minott have agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth $5MM, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The contract includes a team option, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

It’s the second time in two days the Celtics have agreed to a two-year, minimum-salary contract with a former Timberwolf who had his team option declined by Minnesota over the weekend — Boston also struck a deal with big man Luka Garza on Monday.

Minott, 22, was the 45th overall pick by Charlotte in 2022 and was traded to Minnesota on draft night. He was never able to earn a rotation spot with the Wolves, appearing in 93 total games in three seasons, including 46 this year, with career averages of 2.3 points and 1.0 rebounds in 5.0 minutes per night.

The addition of Minott brings the Celtics’ roster to 15 players and pushes their projected team salary slightly back over the second tax apron, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). Boston won’t ultimately operate in second-apron territory and could duck back under by simply waiving a player on a non-guaranteed salary, though additional moves are likely.

Free Agent Rumors: Kings, Schröder, Horford, More

June 30th, 2025 at 8:52pm CST by Eli Cohen

Finding a point guard was a top priority for the Kings when free agency opened on Monday. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), the team arranged meetings via Zoom with both Dennis Schröder and Russell Westbrook.

Sacramento was also planning to meet with Malcolm Brogdon, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), who notes that the Wizards would be willing to accommodate a sign-and-trade deal involving Brogdon.

The Kings may end up adding more than one point guard, with Schröder looking like a lock to be one of them. Reports leading up to free agency indicated the two sides would likely agree to a two-year deal worth the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link) has since reported that Schröder will reach an agreement to sign with Sacramento.

Here are a few more free agent rumors from around the NBA:

Al Horford is commanding a lot of attention, reports HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (via Twitter). Scotto says that the Warriors, Knicks, Nuggets, Lakers, and Cavaliers have all expressed interest in luring Horford away from the Celtics since free agency opened, but Boston is also interested in retaining him, especially after losing Luke Kornet earlier in the day to the Spurs.
After agreeing to sign Tyus Jones to be the team’s backup point guard, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press hears that reserve big man Moritz Wagner is expected to return to the Magic (Twitter link). Orlando declined its team option on Wagner over the weekend, but retained his Bird rights. Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel echoes Reynolds’ report (via Twitter), saying that expects Wagner to re-sign with the Magic.
The Warriors feel good about their chances of re-signing restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, according to ESPN’s Marc Spears (Twitter video link). Spears says the money Kuminga and his representatives are looking for does not seem to be on the market this summer, which could result in him remaining in Golden State.

Celtics Sign Luka Garza To Two-Year Contract

June 30th, 2025 at 7:13pm CST by Eli Cohen

July 7: The Celtics’ deal with Garza is now being listed as official in NBA.com’s transaction log.

June 30: The Celtics have agreed to a two-year deal with center Luka Garza, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Keith Smith of Spotrac confirms (via Twitter) that the deal is a minimum-salary contract, which would come in around $5.3MM across those two seasons.

The 26-year-old Garza is entering his fifth season in the league. He began his career in Detroit before spending the past three seasons with the Timberwolves, with whom he averaged 4.5 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per night in 92 total games.

Jon Krawcyznski of The Athletic tweets that the Celtics have had an eye on Garza for a while, having previously inquired about his availability.

After losing Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks and Luke Kornet to the Spurs, and with Al Horford drawing significant interest around the NBA, the Celtics find their frontcourt rotation very thin, with just Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta under contract.

Garza has never averaged more than 8.7 minutes per game, but he brings size, scoring and energy to a team that is looking to remain competitive as Jayson Tatum recovers from his ruptured Achilles.

Warriors Rumors: Kuminga, Horford, Free Agency

June 30th, 2025 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Although there have been a few conversations between the two sides, the Warriors and restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga ahead of the official start of free agency on Monday evening, there’s no real traction toward an agreement, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) have published a similar report, writing that Kuminga’s free agency may be a “slow-moving process,” with no immediate resolution expected in the coming hours.

Although the Warriors will have the right of first refusal on Kuminga, giving them the ability to match any offer sheet he signs with another team, the 22-year-old will explore his options in free agency, with the Heat and Bulls still looking like the most likely suitors, league sources tell Slater.

Fischer and Stein also mention Miami and Chicago while also identifying the Kings and Pelicans as two possible teams to watch for Kuminga in sign-and-trade scenarios. While the Warriors are willing to help facilitate a sign-and-trade deal that sends Kuminga elsewhere, that scenario would have to “outweigh the benefits” of simply re-signing Kuminga themselves in order for them to move forward with it, per Fischer and Stein.

Here’s more out of Golden State:

Veteran Celtics center Al Horford is expected to be a top target for the Warriors, league sources tell Fischer and Stein. Slater has heard similar rumblings, writing that “many in the league continue to link” Horford to Golden State. The team’s spending flexibility will hinge in large part on how the Kuminga situation resolves, but the Warriors should have some form of mid-level exception available.
Generally speaking, a stretch center is a top priority for the Warriors, team sources tell Slater. The club will be “on the recruiting trail” when free agency opens on Monday, Slater adds.

Celtics Rumors: White, Horford, Kornet, Gonzalez

June 29th, 2025 at 8:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Celtics have had one of the busiest offseasons of any team ahead of the start of free agency, having already agreed to trade Jrue Holiday to the Trail Blazers and Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks, and they might not be done.

With Boston still working to move off salary and create extra cap flexibility in the wake of Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles tear, Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang, and Sam Hauser have all been mentioned as trade candidates. There has also been speculation about whether Jaylen Brown or Derrick White could be moved, though Celtics vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren made it clear in recent days that the team has not come close to trading either player.

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), one rival team was told the Celtics would have insisted on a “Mikal Bridges-type” package to trade White.

The Knicks’ deal for Bridges last season included five first-round picks (four unprotected), a pick swap, and a second-round pick. The Magic’s recent trade for Desmond Bane required a similar package, with Orlando sending out four unprotected picks and one pick swap along with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony for salary-matching purposes.

White averaged a career-high 16.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this past season for the Celtics, along with 4.8 assists and 1.1 blocks. He also shot 38.4% from three on a career-best 9.1 attempts per contest. The 30-year-old guard is in the first year of a four-year, $118MM contract that includes a player option in the 2028/29 season.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Free agent center Al Horford is weighing his options and is unlikely to come to a decision right away when free agency opens tomorrow, reports Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The Celtics have been looking into flipping newly-acquired Simons and Niang in the hopes of retaining one or both of Horford or Luke Kornet, though Horford is expected to have several suitors, including, potentially, the Knicks.
Speaking of Kornet, the veteran center proved himself a valuable rotation big man this season, averaging 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.0 block in just 18.6 minutes per game this season. Brian Robb of MassLive broke down the teams who might be in the mix for Kornet this summer. His list includes the Spurs and Clippers, who are expected to consider pursuing the big man, as well as the Warriors, Bucks, and Hornets, the latter of whom are in dire need of frontcourt depth after trading Jusuf Nurkic for Collin Sexton. Robb adds that there is a mutual fondness between Kornet and the team, which holds his Bird rights, but re-signing him without any additional cost-cutting moves would push the Celtics back into the second apron, which they are hoping to avoid.
In case you missed it, the Celtics reportedly sought prospects who might be willing to accept 80% of the rookie scale contract at No. 28 in the 2025 draft. The player they selected, Hugo Gonzalez, didn’t agree ahead of time to those terms, however.

Celtics Exercising Team Option On JD Davison

June 29th, 2025 at 3:32pm CST by Rory Maher

The Celtics are exercising their 2025/26 team option on the contract of JD Davison, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Davison’s $2.27MM salary for next season is fully non-guaranteed, so the move doesn’t necessarily mean that Celtics will retain the 22-year-old guard — if they wanted to, they could waive him before the season starts without incurring a cap hit.

Davison was selected 53rd overall in the 2022 draft after one college season at Alabama. He has spent virtually all of the past three campaigns on a two-way deal with Boston, but was converted to a multiyear standard contract just before the 2024/25 regular season ended.

While Davison’s NBA contributions have been very modest to this point – 36 total regular season appearances for a total of 198 minutes over the course of his three seasons – he has been a standout performer in the NBA G League, having claimed the MVP award with the Maine Celtics in ’24/25.

Davison appeared in 45 combined games with Maine last season, averaging 25.6 points, 7.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 34.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .482/.332/.762. Maine went just 8-8 in the Tip-Off Tournament, but the 6’1″ guard led the team to a 21-13 record and a No. 3 playoff seed in the G League’s regular season.

The Celtics have three veterans (Torrey Craig, Al Horford and Luke Kornet) on standard deals heading for free agency. Second-year forward Drew Peterson, who was on a two-way contract in ’24/25, will also be a free agent.