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Celtics Rumors: Horford, Ainge, Kyrie, Rozier, Herro

June 5th, 2019 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

If Al Horford opts out of his contract this month, he’s probably unlikely to top his $30MM+ player-option salary on the open market, but he should be able to top that total figure on a multiyear deal. That’s a scenario that intrigues the Celtics.

Speaking today to reporters, including Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald, C’s president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that restructuring Horford’s contract into a longer, more cap-friendly deal is a “priority” for the club this summer.

NBA rules don’t technically allow teams to restructure contracts to reduce cap hits in the same way that NFL franchises can. But if Horford turns down his player option, he and the Celtics could essentially start from scratch on a new deal — it wouldn’t be a restructuring so much as a brand new contract. If the C’s are able to negotiate a starting salary in the range of, say, $20-25MM, it would create some added cap flexibility for the coming offseason.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • Despite suffering a mild heart attack last month, Ainge said he’s feeling good and will continue to lead the Celtics going forward, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “My role is not going to change,” Ainge said.
  • We passed along some of Ainge’s comments on Kyrie Irving in an earlier story, but Boston’s president of basketball operations offered a few more observations on the All-Star point guard. As Himmelsbach relays, Ainge said he had no regrets about the risk the Celtics took when they acquired Irving in 2017, and dismissed the idea that Kyrie was largely to blame for the club’s struggles in 2018/19. “We had a lot of reasons the team did not succeed this year,” Ainge said. “Kyrie deserves his share of the blame, but not any more than anybody else. There’s a lot of guys that didn’t handle things the right way and didn’t make the sacrifices that needed to be done for the benefit of the team. So I think that they’re all going to learn from it, including Kyrie.”
  • Ainge praised restricted-free-agent-to-be Terry Rozier, despite the fact that Rozier has publicly griped about the role he had with the Celtics this season. “I think that if Terry was in the right circumstance and the right role, I think he would love playing in Boston,” Ainge said, per Himmelsbach.
  • Ainge also acknowledged that the Celtics will consider draft-pick trades and told reporters that Brad Stevens continues to meet with candidates to replace assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry, according to Murphy and Himmelsbach.
  • Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets that the Celtics worked out Kevin Porter Jr. (USC), Luguentz Dort (Arizona State), Tyler Herro (Kentucky), Talen Horton-Tucker (Iowa State), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (VA Tech), and Skyler Flatten (South Dakota State) on Tuesday. Herro made a strong impression, per Aaron Torres of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
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Latest On Kyrie Irving

June 5th, 2019 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

With less than one month until he reaches free agency, the Kyrie Irving rumor mill continues to grow more active. Speaking today to reporters, including A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link), Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that neither Irving nor his camp has informed the team that the point guard doesn’t want to return next season.

According to Jay King of The Athletic (via Twitter), Ainge went on to say that while he can’t offer a concrete update on Irving’s future, there are ongoing conversations happening with his camp. Ainge added that he’s unsure if certain roster moves would make the Celtics more attractive to Kyrie.

While Ainge isn’t ringing the alarm on the possibility of Irving leaving the Celtics as a free agent, several reporters have been doing so. Ian Begley of SNY.tv wrote today that people around Kyrie “have described the probability of him returning to Boston as a free agent as low.” Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders recently conveyed a similar sentiment, tweeting that he’d heard from about a dozen people around the Celtics that they believe Irving will leave. Jeff Goodman of Stadium (link via NBC Sports Boston) said he’d be surprised if Irving re-signs with the C’s.

Meanwhile, TV and radio hosts like Stephen A. Smith and Colin Cowherd have been suggesting this week that the Nets have emerged as the frontrunners for Irving. Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher (link via NBC Sports Boston) recently identified the Nets and Lakers as the best bets to sign Kyrie, but there have been mixed reports on how seriously we should take the Lakers in the Irving sweepstakes.

The Knicks, of course, have long been rumored as a potential Irving destination, though they haven’t been the subject of as much Kyrie buzz lately. Still, sources tell Begley that those around Kyrie say he hasn’t ruled out any teams at this point, including the Knicks.

With Irving’s free agency still several weeks away, it’s hard to draw any definitive conclusions yet, but if the All-Star point guard is leaning toward leaving Boston, it would have a significant impact on multiple teams’ offseasons.

The Celtics, for instance, are considered a leading contender in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. If they’re worried about losing Irving, they could pursue a Davis trade more aggressively prior to free agency in an attempt to change Kyrie’s mind — or they could become more reluctant to trade for AD if they don’t believe Irving would stick around to play alongside him.

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Marcus Morris Expected To Draw Interest From Knicks, Lakers, Others

June 4th, 2019 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Marcus Morris figures to receive plenty of interest on the free agent market this summer, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that the Knicks, Lakers, Kings, Clippers, and Bulls are all expected to be “in pursuit” of Morris.

All five of those teams project to have significant cap room this offseason, though Morris is unlikely to be the No. 1 priority for most of them. The Knicks, Lakers, and Clippers will be chasing the top free agents on the market, while the Kings have been frequently linked to Nikola Vucevic. Signing a point guard will be a priority for Chicago.

Still, Morris would be a nice fit for any of those clubs after two strong seasons in Boston. In 129 games (27.4 MPG) for Boston, the 29-year-old averaged 13.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG with a .439/.372/.826 shooting line, providing toughness and defensive versatility in the frontcourt.

League sources tell Charania that Morris remains “open-minded” about re-signing with the Celtics, and the C’s are expected to reciprocate that interest. Boston will have a handful of pressing roster questions to address though, including Kyrie Irving‘s free agency.

Morris, who earned $5.375MM in 2018/19, figures to be in line for a raise on his next deal.

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Pelicans Have Begun Listening To Inquiries On Anthony Davis

June 4th, 2019 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite a desire to hang onto the All-NBA big man, new Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin has begun to listen to inquiries on Anthony Davis, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. As Charania details, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Davis will be moved this offseason, but it shows that the Pelicans are at least open to hearing out potential suitors.

Davis and Griffin recently met for the first time in Los Angeles, and while that meeting was described as respectful and productive, the 26-year-old’s preference to be traded reportedly remains unchanged. The Pelicans could keep trying to win AD over and hang onto him until the 2020 trade deadline – or beyond – but it seems unlikely that he’d relent on his trade request down the road if the team winning the draft lottery didn’t affect his stance at all, Charania writes.

Davis’ preferred list of destinations, reported when he initially made his trade request in the winter, included the Lakers, Knicks, Clippers, and Bucks. Executives around the NBA believe that the Lakers and Knicks – along with the Celtics and Nets – are capable of putting together the strongest packages, per Charania.

[RELATED: Top 25 Assets Among Presumed Anthony Davis Contenders]

While the Pelicans appear more open to the idea of moving Davis, there are no indications that the club is considering making Jrue Holiday available. Charania refers to the veteran guard as a “cornerstone” for New Orleans, adding that Holiday and Griffin have spent time with one another in Los Angeles this spring.

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Draft Workouts: Clarke, Caroline, Franks, Murphy, Bolden

June 3rd, 2019 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Potential lottery pick Brandon Clarke of Gonzaga worked out for the Heat on Monday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. The 6’8” forward is ranked No. 13 overall by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. the same draft spot that Miami possesses. Team president Pat Riley and the Heat’s brass recently attended Priority Sports’ Chicago workout, in which Clarke participated. Cal State Fullerton guard Kyle Allman Jr. will also work out for the team this week, Jackson adds.

We have more draft workouts:

  • Nevada forward Jordan Caroline will work out for the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Jordan Schultz of ESPN tweets.
  • Washington State forward Robert Franks, ranked No. 94 by Givony, worked out for the Celtics, Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype tweets.
  • Minnesota forward Jordan Murphy will visit the Nets and Spurs, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets.
  • Duke center Marques Bolden will work out for the Knicks on Friday, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. He also has workouts scheduled with the Lakers, Spurs, Hornets, Cavs and Celtics.
  • Ole Miss guard Terence Davis will visit for the Jazz on Tuesday, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. Davis has been asked to second workouts with the Celtics and Warriors, Jones adds.
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Celtics Have Worked Out 70 Prospects So Far

June 3rd, 2019 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams
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Celtics Have Worked Out Keldon Johnson

June 3rd, 2019 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Keldon Johnson, the No. 19 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board, said he has worked out for the Celtics and also has sessions on tap with the Heat, Hornets, and Timberwolves, per Robbins (via Twitter).
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Celtics Might Consider Dealing Horford To Houston

June 2nd, 2019 at 11:44am CST by Arthur Hill
  • The Rockets’ willingness to reshape their roster could provide an opportunity for the Celtics, states Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. The best chance for a deal, according to Forsberg, is if Kyrie Irving leaves Boston and the Celtics decide to commit to a youth movement. If Al Horford decides to opt into a $30.1MM salary, the organization may look to send him elsewhere, or there’s a chance both sides work out a sign-and-trade deal. In either scenario, Houston is an intriguing location because Horford met with the Rockets when he was a free agent in 2016. “It was a privilege,” Horford said at the time. “(Hakeem Olajuwon) and Clyde (Drexler) were there, and my dad went to high school here in Houston, and he was pushing Houston hard. Hakeem, to him, was a big deal.”
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Celtics To Work Out Reid, Fernando, Kabengele

June 1st, 2019 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams
  • LSU big man Naz Reid said on Friday that he has worked out for the Celtics and also has sessions on tap with the Nets, Cavaliers, Sixers, and Spurs, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Previous reports indicated that Reid also auditioned for Detroit, Utah, and Orlando.
  • Maryland’s Bruno Fernando, who also projects as a potential first-round pick, also worked out for the Celtics, and will do the same for the Hawks, Pacers, Timberwolves, Spurs, and Jazz, tweets Robbins. Workouts with Charlotte, Detroit, and Orlando had been previously reported for Fernando.
  • Florida State big man Mfiondu Kabengele has worked out for the Celtics too, according to Robbins (via Twitter).
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Draft Notes: Vick, Caroline, Kings

May 30th, 2019 at 6:57pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The NBA Draft is less than one month away. As we await the big night, let’s take a look at some workout notes:

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