Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Atlantic Division

December 13th, 2019 at 8:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we take a look at players from the Atlantic Division:

Bobby Portis, Knicks, 24, PF (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $30.75MM deal in 2019
Portis’ career appeared to be on the upswing when he posted solid numbers across the board for Chicago and Washington last season. Like many of the free agents the Knicks signed, Portis has been a colossal disappointment. His shooting percentage has dipped and he hasn’t been a force around the boards. Other than a 28-point outing against Chicago in late October, Portis has done little to justify his salary. Unless he experiences a major turnaround under new coach Mike Miller, the Knicks will decline their $15.75MM option on him after the season.

Brad Wanamaker, Celtics, 30, PG (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $1.4MM deal in 2019
Wanamaker’s role has grown in his second season with the Celtics. He’s carved out steady work, averaging 17.9 MPG while appearing in all 24 games. He doesn’t take a lot of shots but he’s above average in those categories (47.1% overall, 40% on threes, 87.5% at the free throw line). He had a 12-point, six-rebound outing against Indiana on Wednesday. Boston can make Wanamaker a restricted free agent by extending a $1.9MM qualifying offer after the season. Thus far, he has given them incentive to retain those rights.

Garrett Temple, Nets, 33, SG (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $10MM deal in 2019
The Nets made plenty of headlines during the free agent period this past summer by signing Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan. Who would have guessed that during the first two months of the season, the free agent making the biggest impact would be Temple? He’s averaging 13.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 3.6 APG while shooting 39.7% from long range in 34.2 MPG over the past 10 games. The Nets hold a $5MM option on Temple’s contract for next season. As a valuable member of the rotation, Temple is making that decision an easy one.

Jonah Bolden, Sixers, 23, PF (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $7MM deal in 2018
Bolden appeared in 44 games in his rookie year, including 10 starts, but doesn’t have a role on this year’s team. Bolden, who has been bothered by an Achilles injury, has appeared in just two NBA games this season. He’s played eight games with the team’s G League squad, the Delaware Blue Coats, and that’s where he’ll likely spend most of his time this season unless Al Horford or Joel Embiid miss a stretch of games. Bolden’s $1.766MM salary for next season is not guaranteed and even at that modest cost, the Sixers might not keep the 2017 second-round pick around.

Stanley Johnson, Raptors, 23, SF (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $7.4MM deal in 2019
The highlight of Johnson’s disappointing NBA career came in his rookie season, when then-President Barack Obama praised his defensive effort against LeBron James in a playoff series. The eighth pick of the 2015 draft has gone from rotation player in Detroit to an afterthought with the Raptors. Currently sidelined with a groin injury, Johnson has only made five brief appearances this season. Fortunately for Johnson, he holds a player option on his $3.8MM salary for next season. At this point, it would be foolhardy for Johnson to opt out in the summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Theis Doesn't Listen To Frontcourt Criticism

December 13th, 2019 at 5:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics big man Daniel Theis is aware of the perception that the frontcourt is the team’s weakness but he tries to drown out the noise, as he told Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “We have so many bigs and it’s whoever plays good that night,” said Theis. “You don’t guard the best bigs with one person. It’s a team effort. We’re [the third best team] in the East and we’re playing really good basketball as a team. So, no, I don’t listen to that.”
Despite what Theis believes, the Celtics will probably need another quality big man to get past Philadelphia and Milwaukee in the postseason, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated argues. Joel Embiid‘s monster game against Boston on Thursday put the Celtics’ frontcourt issues on full display, Mannix adds.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/12/19

December 12th, 2019 at 11:05pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Celtics have assigned Romeo Langford to the Maine Red Claws, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Carsen Edwards was also sent to the G League.
The Heat have assigned KZ Okpala to their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Sky Force, per the team’s Twitter feed. Okpala was Miami’s second-round pick this past offseason.
The Wolves have assigned Naz Reid to the Iowa Wolves, the team announced via Twitter. The big man has appeared in 2 games for Minnesota this season, seeing a total of four minutes.

Mixed Opinions On Kevin Love’s Trade Value

December 12th, 2019 at 8:21pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Trade season is nearing and Kevin Love‘s name is again popping up. However, the latest tidbit isn’t particularly favorable to the Cavaliers. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic hears from multiple sources that the team is going to have a difficult time dealing Love because of his massive contract.

Love has three years and roughly $91MM left on his deal after this season and some teams are asking the Cavaliers to attach a first-rounder or other asset to the big man in order to move him. While that stance exists, it is not uniform throughout the league.

Cleveland is seeking a first-rounder in exchange for Love and Lloyd hears from one rival executive that the franchise may end up netting that asset in a trade. It may all depend on how much salary the Cavaliers are willing to take back in addition to the pick.

“I don’t think it’s distracted anything right now,” coach John Beilein said of the trade rumors. “I’ve been hearing that since the time I was hired. We want Kevin to go out there and play his best every single day for the Cleveland Cavaliers.”

Lloyd names the Celtics, Trail Blazers, and Mavericks as teams that make sense as a trade partner based on his conversations with people around the league. Portland might seem like an odd fit with Carmelo Anthony playing well at power forward, but some around the game believe Melo’s game will fade as the season goes along.

The Cavaliers have essentially made “everyone but [Darius Garland]” available. The franchise wants to find way to gain additional first-round picks and would love to flip a player on an expiring deal for one. That’s unlikely to happen even for Tristan Thompson, who is playing some of the best basketball of his career. Trading Love while taking some money back may be Cleveland’s only route to its desired asset.

Celtics Aren't Candidate To Trade For Kevin Love

December 10th, 2019 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald explains why the Celtics shouldn’t be viewed as a potential suitor for Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who is reportedly on the trade block.

Celtics Among Candidates To Trade First-Round Pick

December 10th, 2019 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

O’Connor identifies the following teams as ones that appear most open to trading late first-round or early second-round draft picks: The Bucks, Raptors, Clippers, Celtics, Sixers, and Mavericks. Some of those clubs hold other teams’ picks and could dangle those in trade talks. For instance, Milwaukee owns Indiana’s lottery-protected first-rounder; Philadelphia has New York’s and Atlanta’s second-rounders; and Dallas controls Golden State’s second-rounder.

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Gordon Hayward To Return On Monday

December 9th, 2019 at 10:52am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

DECEMBER 9: Hayward went through the Celtics’ Monday shootaround with the intention of playing tonight, per head coach Brad Stevens (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 8: In a bit of surprising news, Celtics forward Gordon Hayward told reporters today that the fourth metacarpal fracture in his left hand has healed, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.

Hayward would not rule out a return to game action tomorrow night against the embattled Cavaliers. He did not partake in 5-on-5 scrimmaging with teammates in today’s practice. “Tomorrow’s a possibility,” Hayward said. “See how I feel when I wake up, go through shootaround, see how it goes.”

After signing a four-year, $127.8MM contract with Boston in 2017, Hayward violently broke his tibia and fractured his ankle five minutes into the Celtic’s first game of the 2017/18 season. He returned in the 2018/19 season a far cry from his old All-Star form. His contract began to look like an albatross as Hayward was relegated to a more modest bench role, averaging 11.5 PPG (on 46.6% shooting from the floor), 4.5 RPG and 3.5 APG.

Before his injury this season, Hayward was looking ready to earn a second career All-Star nod. This season, he is averaging 18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists a night while shooting 55.5% from the field. Hayward is connecting on 43.3% of his 3.8 triples per contest.

A return this week would be two weeks ahead of the projected six-week recovery time from the surgery he underwent for the fracture on November 11.

The Celtics are 9-4 without Hayward in the lineup, and 16-5 overall. They currently boast the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Boston’s official Twitter account listed Hayward’s status for tomorrow as “questionable.”

“Motion and strength [are] going to take a little while to get back; it’s whether or not you can play through that and still be effective,” Hayward stressed. “That’s kind of what we’re determining but the bone is healed.”

Examining How Jaylen Brown Won Over Celtics Fans

December 8th, 2019 at 7:02pm CST by JD Shaw

Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston examines how Jaylen Brown has won over Celtics fans in the early stages of the season. Brown has put forth his best campaign to date, holding per-game averages of 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals while helping the Celtics obtain a 16-5 record. “When [Brown] has it going, he definitely gives us a lot more options,” teammate Kemba Walker said. “He’s been playing well all year. I’m excited for him. He’s put in a lot of work each and every day, and it’s showing on the court.”

Cavaliers Notes: Love, Beilein, Altman

December 8th, 2019 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

The frustrations in Cleveland are becoming too much for Kevin Love to hide, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavaliers lost by 47 points last night in Philadelphia, a day after a report that players are unhappy with first-year coach John Beilein. Fedor notes that at one point in the game Love wandered off by himself for a while during a timeout after rookie Darius Garland opted to shoot a fadeaway rather than pass the ball to him in the post.

“Just complete and utter frustration,” Love admitted after the game. “I think that’s natural. I really want to compete. I think most guys want to compete. Just really, really frustrated. I don’t know. Getting myself going is just … I don’t know what else I can do.”

Saturday marked the 12th loss in 13 games for the Cavs and the second straight in which a member of the organization commented on Love’s body language. He committed to the team last year by agreeing to a four-year extension after LeBron James left, but finds himself in an unfamiliar role as part of a rebuilding project after making four straight trips to the NBA Finals. A report surfaced Friday that Cleveland is ready to listen to trade offers involving Love.

“I’m really trying to be engaged,” he said. “I’m trying to be a good teammate. I don’t think any of these guys would say that I’m not a good teammate. It’s tough.”

There’s more Cavaliers news to pass along:

Beilein received some encouragement last night from Sixers coach Brett Brown, who understands rebuilding as well as anyone, Fedor adds. Overseeing “the Process,” Brown won a combined 47 games during his first three seasons in Philadelphia, but now has his team in title contention. He promised to text Beilein advice on how to handle the constant losing
The Cavaliers can make Beilein’s job a lot easier by getting rid of the veterans who refuse to give him a chance, contends Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Beilein claims he has changed his college style to adapt to the NBA, but Lloyd notes that he’s really coaching two teams at once — a young core set for the future and seven veterans who are in the final year of their contracts. Lloyd believes general manager Koby Altman already knows which players need to be traded.
Frank Urbina of HoopsHype lists the Jazz, Nets, Suns and Celtics as four possible landing spots for Love.

Celtics Expect Gordon Hayward Back By Christmas

December 6th, 2019 at 11:23am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics believe Gordon Hayward will back on the court before their Christmas matchup with Toronto, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Coach Brad Stevens offered the updated prognosis for Hayward, who has been sidelined since November 9 with a fractured bone in his left hand.

President of basketball operations Danny Ainge said in a radio interview yesterday that Hayward remains ahead of schedule in his rehab and could return to practice by Saturday, relays Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston. The veteran forward was originally projected to be sidelined for about six weeks.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself and get too excited about it, but I think he’s progressing really well,” Ainge said in an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher & Rich.”

Hayward began conditioning, non-contact and shooting drills last week and consulted with his doctors Monday on FaceTime, Hartwell adds. He has also been working out with the team’s assistant coaches.

Hayward appeared to regain his All-Star form early this season after being fully recovered from a severe ankle injury suffered on opening night of the 2017/18 campaign. He was averaging 18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists through eight games.