- Al Horford‘s return brought a calming effect to the Celtics this week, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports writes. Horford returned to Boston’s lineup on Christmas against the 76ers, producing nine rebounds, six assists and solid all-around leadership. “[Horford] just brings a calming presence,” said teammate Kyrie Irving. “[There’s] nothing like having a plus-12[-year] vet out there that knows how to play basketball. He makes the game a lot easier with screening, rebounding, defense, all the intangibles that just demand that effort. And he’s just always locked in, in the game plan.”
- Despite the Celtics‘ recent success, All-Star Kyrie Irving will need more help if the team hopes to make a late postseason run, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. The Celtics were expected to be at the top of their conference entering 2019, but the team holds just a 20-13 record and the fifth seed 33 games into the season. Boston sports a talented mix of players around Irving that includes Horford, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward.
- Major in-season changes are unlikely in Boston, since trading a player like Terry Rozier or Jaylen Brown for a draft pick wouldn’t help the Celtics win now. As Charania details, the C’s may re-evaluate their roster closer to the deadline, but the club is unlikely to cash in any major assets until at least the 2019 offseason.
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With trade speculation swirling around Anthony Davis, ESPN’s Zach Lowe writes that Davis’ situation is the NBA’s biggest ongoing story, contending that the media didn’t create that story — the calendar did. With the Pelicans now in 14th place in the Western Conference at 15-20 and Davis’ super-max eligibility just over six months away, it’s only logical that NBA insiders – including media, agents, and executives – will start taking a closer look at Davis’ future, says Lowe.
Davis hasn’t expressed interest in a trade. He also hasn’t told people close to him that he wants to join the Lakers or any other specific team if he decides to leave New Orleans, sources tell Lowe.
Still, Lowe – who hears that teams expect Davis to sign a series of shorter-term contracts – is predicting that the All-NBA big man will eventually turn down the Pelicans’ super-max offer when the team puts it on the table in the offseason. If that happens, Davis would effectively become a free agent, according to Lowe, since he’d be on an expiring contract and will have passed on the Pelicans’ best possible extension offer.
Here’s more from Lowe on Davis and the Pelicans:
- Explaining why the Lakers and Celtics are most frequently cited as the logical trade partners for the Pelicans if they eventually decide to move Davis, Lowe runs through several other options – including the Heat, Spurs, Bulls, Knicks, and Sixers – and has trouble finding another team with the necessary assets to make it work.
- As Lowe details, the Heat, Spurs, Bulls, and Knicks would have to give up virtually all the players Davis would want as teammates, and Klutch’s representation of Ben Simmons would complicate a Philadelphia scenario. The Warriors would have interest, according to Lowe, but they wouldn’t trade Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry, and it would be tricky to make a deal work with Klay Thompson (a 2019 free agent) or Draymond Green as a centerpiece.
- Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer covers similar ground in an article of his own, taking a deep dive into the Davis situation and exploring possible outcomes and trade scenarios. One interesting note from O’Connor, who examines whether the Pelicans can improve their roster around Davis: The Pelicans have never gone into the luxury tax, and front office executives don’t expect them to anytime soon.
- On the non-Davis front, Lowe revisits some previous Pelicans roster moves, citing sources who say that the team considered spending all its cap room in 2016 on Harrison Barnes. Instead, New Orleans ended up with E’Twaun Moore and Solomon Hill — the investment in Moore has worked out, but Hill’s contract has become an albatross.
- Although the Pelicans’ 2017/18 in-season acquisition of Nikola Mirotic essentially served as a response to DeMarcus Cousins‘ season-ending Achilles injury, they were actually in trade talks for Mirotic even before that injury, per Lowe. Davis, Cousins, and Mirotic couldn’t have all been on the court together, so it’s not clear how New Orleans’ plan would have worked if Cousins hadn’t gotten hurt — it was “the sort of jumble that materializes when a team flings itself from plan to plan,” writes Lowe.
A pair of closed-door meetings have helped the Celtics snap a funk that cost them three straight games earlier this week. Since re-committing to communicating effectively, the club has won big against the Hornets and again against the Sixers on Christmas Day.
A. Sherrod Blakeley of NBC Sports Boston wrote about the process that resulted in the Celtics deciding they needed to do a better job of keeping on the same page as one another.
“We’re just looking to help one another out, pick each other up. When we’re playing like that, we’re a tough team to beat,” Celtics guard Marcus Smart said.
The Celtics currently sit fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 20-13 record.
- Amid some recent struggles, the Celtics held a closed-door meeting after their latest loss. Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston reads between the lines from several quotes stemming from that meeting to figure out what is causing the team’s issues.
- Al Horford and Marcus Morris will make their returns on Sunday against the Hornets, head coach Brad Stevens announced. Horford will be on a minutes restriction and has missed seven straight games with patellofemoral pain syndrome in his knee, while Morris will return from a one-week absence due to knee soreness. The Celtics have lost three straight games and currently own a 18-13 record.
Talking to NBA executives at this year’s G League Showcase, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report finds that most expect Anthony Davis will be with the Lakers or Celtics next season.
Although Pelicans officials have repeatedly stated they have no intention to trade Davis, his contract situation may leave them with no choice. He is eligible for a supermax extension this summer that could be worth up to $239.5MM, but is only one season away from his player option if he doesn’t accept that offer.
Davis changed his representation over the summer, signing with LeBron James‘ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, in a move that some believe was made to get him out of New Orleans.
“I’m not worried about James tampering to the media about AD,” a Western Conference GM told Pincus. “It’s that James and Paul are mafioso mob bosses of the NBA that’s the problem.”
Several small-market GMs raised concerns about tampering this week after James said Davis would be “amazing” to have as a teammate. Commissioner Adam Silver refused to take any disciplinary action against James, and the Lakers’ star raised more speculation by having dinner with Davis after their teams played on Friday.
The executives that Pincus spoke to don’t believe Davis will be moved before the February 7 trade deadline, but they do expect something to happen by draft day. The feeling is that Davis will decline the Pelicans’ extension offer and force them to move him for a package that’s stocked with young talent and draft picks.
“It’s going to be up to [Pelicans general manager] Dell [Demps] to decide where Davis plays next,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “Paul will get him traded, but it’s going to be up to Demps to get the best deal.”
That could work to the advantage of the Celtics, who, depending on protections, may own the Clippers’, Grizzlies’ and Kings’ picks next summer as well as their own. Boston can’t trade for Davis until Kyrie Irving opts out of his current contract, so the Celtics would need to reach an agreement with New Orleans before the draft that wouldn’t take effect until the moratorium is lifted in early July.
Pincus speculates Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown will be the cornerstones of Boston’s offer, although Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris and Al Horford are all potential pieces. He sees Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball as the key players in a Lakers deal, along with a few others to match salaries.
A 15% trade kicker in Davis’ contract could give the Lakers the advantage in their pursuit, Pincus adds. The Pelicans would have to pay Davis an additional $5.4MM if he gets traded during the season or $4.1MM if the deal happens over the summer. If Paul wants to get Davis to the Lakers, he could agree to waive the trade kicker only if Davis is sent to L.A.
Pincus also notes that because the Lakers will be under the cap this summer, they will have the freedom to restructure Davis’ contract, giving him $32.7MM for next season and extending the deal through 2021/22 at a total of $70.3MM for the following two years. When Davis hits free agency in 2022 as a 10-year veteran, he would be eligible for a starting salary at about $46MM, giving him a total deal only about $16MM less than his supermax offer.
LeBron James shrugged off accusations of tampering involving Pelicans star Anthony Davis last night, then emphasized the point by meeting Davis for a post-game meal, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
James led the Lakers to a win in his first meeting with Davis since saying earlier this week that he would be “amazing” to have as a teammate. Some small-market GMs objected to James’ comments and a league-wide trend of players in big cities openly recruiting other stars, but James dismissed their concerns after Friday’s game.
“They can’t control me at all,” he told reporters. “And I play by the rules.”
Rumors that Davis might eventually join the Lakers began to grow this summer as LeBron signed in L.A. and Davis abandoned his former agency in favor of Klutch Sports, which also represents James.
Davis is eligible for a potential record-setting contract next summer through the Designated Player Veteran Extension that could be worth up to as much as $239.54MM over five seasons. The Pelicans will surely make the offer, but there’s no guarantee Davis will accept. He has a player option in 2020, so New Orleans could be in the position of having to make a trade to avoid the risk of losing him with no return.
Davis hasn’t given an indication of which way he’s leaning on the DPVE, but said the ability to compete for a title will have a greater impact on his decision than cash.
“I’d take legacy over money,” Davis said after Friday’s game. “I want to have a legacy. All my people that look up to me, the younger kids, I want them to know about AD’s legacy. Championships, the things I do in the community, being a good teammate, playing hard. All that stuff matters the most to me. Don’t get me wrong, money is amazing. But I think in that sense, money or legacy, I think my legacy will win that battle every time.”
Davis has only reached the playoffs twice since the Pelicans drafted him in 2012. They were swept in the first round in 2015 and knocked out in the second round last season. With a 15-18 record this year, there’s no guarantee of another postseason trip.
In public comments, Davis has remained very supportive of the Pelicans, frequently mentioning his ties to the New Orleans community. However, sources tell Haynes that he has received advice to eventually move on from players on other teams and even a few of his teammates.
Haynes describes Davis as “intrigued” at the thought of playing in Los Angeles, where he bought a $7.5MM house over the summer.
Lakers fans did their best to encourage Davis by giving him a standing ovation during pre-game introductions. He recently got a similar welcome from Boston, which appears to be L.A.’s main competition if the Pelicans ever decide to trade Davis.
The Celtics may get a needed jolt to the lineup on Sunday as center Al Horford has been upgraded to probable for the team’s game against the Hornets, the team announced.
Horford has missed the Celtics’ last seven games with, during which time Boston has gone 4-3. However, the Celtics have lost their last three games, which prompted a team meeting following a 13-point loss to the Bucks at home on Friday.
In 22 games this season, Horford has averaged 12.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.4 APG and shot 49.1% from the field. With Aron Baynes sidelined, the Celtics have missed the presence of an experienced big man on defense, which Horford — along with rookie Robert Williams — would provide upon his return.
Despite the recent struggles, the Celtics still wield an 18-13 record, good for a fifth place in the Eastern Conference. With a healthy Horford in tow, Boston would be in good position to snap out of the three-game losing streak.
After getting beat badly at home last night by the Bucks, trailing at one point by as many as 26 points, the Celtics held a private team meeting in their locker room to clear the air after three straight losses, reports Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Per Bontemps, the biggest criticism of the team’s recent play, and the reason for the meeting, was a feeling from star point guard Kyrie Irving that the team lacked cohesiveness and that certain players were playing selfish over the last few games.
“At this point it comes down to cohesion, being able to trust the pass, trust what we have going on out there,” Irving said. “Obviously some selfish play out there where … we have some really talented guys, but we’re better as a team sharing the basketball… I get caught up in that as well. For me it’s a hard challenge, because there’s a balance I have. I literally can do anything I want out there, but at the same time it’s what can I do for my teammates to be more successful. I have to be very conscious of that.”
The Celtics’ poor performance probably could have been attributed to player absence. Forward Marcus Morris and big men Al Horford and Aron Baynes are all out with injury. But, the team apparently will not use that as an excuse, as the meeting reflects.
Irving didn’t name names, but based on his comments and a quick hook from head coach Brad Stevens after a couple poor sequences in Friday’s loss, at least some of the blame appears to be going towards young forward Jayson Tatum, a breakout star during last season’s playoff run who appears to be going through somewhat of a sophomore slump at this point.
When asked whether he had an answer for the team’s struggles, Tatum did not, but he ultimately thinks everything will be “all right.” The Celtics take the floor again tomorrow night against the Hornets, where the team will look to regroup after last night’s loss.