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Atlantic Notes: Fizdale, Thomas, Redick, Stevens

October 7th, 2018 at 3:59pm CST by JD Shaw

The Knicks have started their preseason on a high note, winning each of their three games under new head coach David Fizdale. Fizdale is known for his high energy, positive attitude and veteran mindset, with each of these habits quickly rubbing off on some of his players.

“Absolutely, heck yeah. I want to win everything,’’ Fizdale said after team’s victory over the Pelicans on Friday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I want to win every game. These guys are building habits right now. And winning is a habit. Anytime we step on the court, if they decide to play checkers together, pool, ping-pong, I want them competing to win. We have to get that really rooted deeply into who we are.’’

Fizdale is well-respected across the league and has two NBA titles under his belt as an assistant with Miami. The Knicks hired him this past offseason as head coach, and he’s quickly made his mark on changing the overall culture of the organization.

Fizdale’s decision to bring in Hall of Famers Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing to discuss what it means to play for the Knicks was praised this week, with the second-year head coach now focused on getting his team ready for the regular season.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Lance Thomas is working hard to maintain his status as the Knicks’ starting power forward, Berman writes in a separate story. “Lance is just … man is he a good leader,’’ Fizdale said. “He’s just a really good leader. Those guys respect him big time. When he speaks, the gym shuts down and everybody listens.”
J.J. Redick has provided some much-needed firepower off the bench for the Sixers, as detailed by NBA.com’s Brian Seltzer. Redick shot a perfect 10-of-10 against the Mavericks on Friday.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens offered strong words of support for assistant Jerome Allen this week, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports. Allen pled guilty to accepting a $18K bribe from the parent of a prospective recruit when he coached for Pennsylvania in 2014.

Hayward's Grueling Recovery From Broken Ankle

October 6th, 2018 at 9:38am CST by marksuleymanov

After Kyrie Irving‘s verbal long-term commitment to the Celtics, it appears the free agent class of 2019 became a little less lucrative. Irving was reportedly one of the Knicks’ prime targets next summer and now, New York’s free agency hopes may be Kevin Durant or bust, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News opines.

In a well-written, in-depth piece, Zach Lowe of ESPN chronicles the obstacles and difficulties Gordon Hayward has overcome as he completes his return from a broken ankle he suffered five minutes into his Celtics career last season.

Celtics Assistant Allen Faces Suspension

October 5th, 2018 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics assistant coach Jerome Allen faces a suspension after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to accepting an $18K bribe when he was Penn’s head coach in 2014, according to an ESPN report.

Allen has been on Brad Stevens’ staff since 2015, months after he was fired by Penn. He will likely retain his current job but receive punishment for his actions, the story continues. The suspension will likely be in the two-week range, according to a Boston Herald report. The plea agreement requires him to repay the $18K in addition to a $200K fine.

Allen accepted the bribe from the father of a prospective student in order to get the teenager admitted to the university as a listed recruit.

Allen issued a statement on Friday which read in part, “I am heartbroken that my players — current and former — will know that I broke the law. But, I do hope that some good may come out of this I wish to model to my young players how one accepts responsibility for wrongdoing, including the consequences that come from unlawful behavior.”

Allen coached the Quakers for five-plus seasons and failed to win more than nine games in any of his last three seasons.

Latest Details, Notes On Kyrie Irving’s FA Plans

October 5th, 2018 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

After announcing on Thursday night that he plans to re-sign with the Celtics once he’s eligible for free agency next summer, Kyrie Irving reiterated that stance today, telling reporters that he has “every intent” to reach a new deal with the Celtics on July 1 (Twitter link via Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe).

As Irving explained, his decision to stick with the Celtics was influenced by the club’s young core of players, including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, as well as an appreciation that the franchise was willing to take a chance on him and get him “out of Cleveland” (Twitter links via Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald).

The five-time All-Star added that not wanting to move again after getting comfortable in Boston was also a factor in his decision, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). “Honestly, thinking about starting over was just a sh**ty thought,” Irving said today.

According to Himmelsbach, Irving initially told the Celtics that he would publicly declare his intent to re-sign during a group interview prior to Thursday’s fan event. But that interview came and went without Irving addressing his future — he decided to make his announcement in front of fans later in the evening instead.

Here’s more on Irving and the C’s:

Irving told a small group of teammates on Wednesday afternoon about his plans to re-sign, as Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston details. The news was a “nice surprise,” according to Al Horford, one of the teammates in attendance. “Just his commitment to the organization, and a sense that we can put all the speculation behind us and focus on the season,” Horford said. “That was very big of him to do something like that.”
Marcus Smart was also excited about Irving’s decision, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston relays. “It means a lot when you have a guy that has won at the highest level, has been where you want to go, wants to do it again with you,” Smart said. “It’s great for him, the organization and this city that he wants to come back.”
A league source tells Jay King of The Athletic that Irving and Pelicans star Anthony Davis have spoken about what it would be like to play together in Boston. Irving and Davis are both on designated rookie extensions though, and teams aren’t permitted to trade for two players on those contracts. So if the Celtics want to make a play for Davis, it would have to happen in July 2019 at the absolute earliest, after Irving signs a new contract.
Speaking to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge asserted that Irving is capable of being “the best player in the world” on a given day against a given team.
A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston examines several players who will be affected by Irving’s free agency decision, including Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker, and Terry Rozier. We opened up a discussion earlier today about Rozier’s future.

Community Shootaround: Terry Rozier’s Future

October 5th, 2018 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

On Thursday night, Kyrie Irving announced to fans at a Celtics event that he plans to re-sign with the club next July when he can become a free agent. Irving’s verbal commitment to the Celtics doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything, since a lot can change between now and July 1. But it was a rare declaration for a star free-agent-to-be — even if a player ultimately intends to re-sign with his current team, he’ll usually hedge his bets this far out, talking about how he wants to “focus on the season” or how he knows the NBA is “a business.”

Irving stating in no uncertain terms that he intends to remain a Celtic going forward is great news for the franchise, but it also casts some uncertainty on Terry Rozier‘s future with the team. If Irving receives a maximum-salary contract from Boston next summer, the club would be committing an estimated $45MM to Irving and Marcus Smart in 2019/20, with that number projected to increase to $52MM+ by 2021/22.

That’s already a lot of money to invest in a pair of point guards, and adding a lucrative new deal for Rozier on top of that would probably be financially irresponsible. After all, based on what he showed down the stretch last season, Rozier should have a great chance to match – if not exceed – Smart’s four-year, $52MM contract as a restricted free agent in 2019. By re-signing him, Boston would be looking at using well over half of its cap room on point guards.

We don’t know for sure that Irving will get the full max from the Celtics. And it’s possible that the team could consider moving Smart to create additional cap flexibility. It’s even conceivable that the C’s could bite the bullet and re-sign Rozier without cutting costs elsewhere, since no cap rules prevent them from doing so — it would simply result in a big tax bill.

Still, it seems like something’s got to give.

Trading Rozier in advance of the 2019 deadline might allow the team to maximize his value, but that seems unlikely as long as the Celtics are vying for a title. Waiting until free agency in 2019 and hoping to negotiate a trade at that point is another option, but it’s a risky one, since there would be nothing stopping Rozier from signing an offer sheet outright with a rival suitor. Matching an offer sheet for Rozier with the intent to cut costs later would also be dangerous, since potential trade partners could drive a harder bargain knowing that the C’s are anxious to reduce their tax bill.

What do you think? What path will the Celtics take with Rozier, with Irving now on track to re-sign? What should the team do with him?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Kyrie Irving Plans To Re-Sign With Celtics

October 4th, 2018 at 6:22pm CST by JD Shaw

Celtics guard Kyrie Irving said at a team event on Thursday that he plans to re-sign with Boston once he reaches free agency in the summer of 2019, per Kristen Ledlow of NBA TV (Twitter link). The Celtics’ official Twitter account posted a video of the All-Star guard making the announcement to fans.

Irving, who is entering his second season as a member of the Celtics, has also communicated his desire to stick around long-term to team ownership in recent weeks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Armed with a player option for the 2019/20 season, Irving is widely expected to turn down that option and ink a new deal next July. His free agency is still nine months away and it’s unlikely that he’ll sign an in-season extension, so the Celtics’ level of success this season could alter his future decision, but for now he appears committed to the franchise.

Because the Celtics hold his Bird rights, Irving will be eligible to sign a five-year deal worth up to a projected $189.66MM with the club next summer. It’s not clear if Boston will put that five-year max offer on the table, but any lucrative new contract for Irving would create uncertainty about Terry Rozier‘s future with the organization — Rozier will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2019, and the C’s would be investing heavily in the point guard position already with long-term deals for Irving and Marcus Smart.

Over the offseason, there had been rumors that Irving was interested in teaming up with Jimmy Butler once both players hit the free agent market in 2019, but The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor indicates (via Twitter) that those reports were overblown. Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype suggests (via Twitter) that those whispers were coming out of Butler’s camp.

Boston, led by Irving, is expected to be a lead contender for the NBA title this season. Irving was traded to the team in 2017 after spending six seasons with the Cavaliers, winning a championship in 2016 alongside fellow All-Star LeBron James. In his first season with the C’s, Irving played in 60 games last season, averaging 24.4 points, 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals per contest

Big Year Looming For Rozier; Stevens Critical Of C's

October 3rd, 2018 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

With Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart battling injuries down the stretch last season, Terry Rozier stepped into a starting role and showed why the Celtics used their first-round pick on him in 2015. Although Rozier will return to a bench role to start the 2018/19 season, Marcus Morris tells A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston that the 24-year-old is still “a starting point guard in this league.” Meanwhile, head coach Brad Stevens acknowledges that he’ll need to try to find Rozier as many minutes as possible (link via Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston).

As Stevens and the Celtics explore how best to use Rozier on the court, the franchise will also face a looming decision on him off the court, notes Shane Rhodes of Basketball Insiders. If he doesn’t sign a new extension by October 15, Rozier will be on track for restricted free agency in 2019, and he’s not a slam dunk to be re-signed, since Boston has already committed big money to Smart and will need to re-sign Irving too. Rhodes outlines the options the C’s will have with their young point guard, which include letting him walk, matching an offer sheet, or trading him.

The Celtics have been a popular pick to win the Eastern Conference and challenge for an NBA title in 2018/19, but – based on his team’s preseason performances – Brad Stevens wants to pump the brakes on that hype. As Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston relays, Stevens said he “couldn’t be more unimpressed” with the C’s at the moment. “We’re not as good as advertised right now,” Stevens said after a Tuesday loss to Cleveland. “So at least we know that.”

NBA GMs Weigh In On 2018/19 Season

October 3rd, 2018 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

NBA.com has completed its annual survey of NBA general managers, with John Schuhmann of NBA.com asking each of the league’s 30 GMs to answer an array of questions about the league’s top teams, players, and coaches. Unsurprisingly, the Warriors are once again viewed by the NBA’s general managers as the overwhelming favorites to be the last team standing, with 26 of 30 GMs (87%) picking Golden State to win the NBA championship for the fourth time in five years.

While there are many responses in the GM survey worth checking out, we’ll focus on rounding up some of the more noteworthy ones related to rosters and player movement. Let’s dive in…

LeBron James (30%) and Kevin Durant (27%) are viewed as the frontrunners for the 2018/19 MVP award, but two younger players led the voting for the player GMs would most want to build a franchise around starting today. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (30%) and Pelicans big man Anthony Davis (23%) led the way in that category. Interestingly, Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t receive a single vote this year after leading the way with 29% of the vote in 2017.
The Lakers‘ signing of James helped them earn 70% of the vote for the team that made the best overall moves this offseason. The Raptors, buoyed by their acquisition of Kawhi Leonard, finished second at 20%.
A ton of different signings and trade acquisitions received votes for the most underrated addition of the summer, with the Pacers‘ signing of Tyreke Evans barely leading the way with four votes. The Spurs‘ trade for DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls‘ signing of Jabari Parker, the Pelicans‘ addition of Julius Randle, and the Thunder‘s acquisition of Dennis Schroder received three votes apiece.
DeMarcus Cousins‘ decision to join the Warriors (35%) was considered the most surprising move of the offseason, followed by the Spurs/Raptors blockbuster trade (29%) and Paul George remaining with the Thunder (19%).
While Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is the strong frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, GMs expect Suns center Deandre Ayton and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. to be the best players five years from now. Meanwhile, the Clippers‘ selection of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 11 was viewed by the most GMs as the steal of the draft.
The Sixers (47%) and Celtics (33%) dominated voting for the teams with the most promising young cores.

Community Shootaround: Rookie Scale Extensions

October 1st, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

So far this offseason, two players have signed rookie scale extensions: Devin Booker got a new deal from the Suns, and the Timberwolves locked up Karl-Anthony Towns to a new long-term pact.

In each of those instances, the player received a maximum salary extension. Max deals, which require little negotiation, typically get done well before the mid-October deadline for rookie scale extensions. But with that deadline now just two weeks away, we may start seeing progress on a few other deals around the NBA.

Besides Booker and Towns, 21 players are eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason, though some of the players on that list assuredly won’t get new deals. The Cavaliers aren’t about to give Sam Dekker a long-term contract, for example. And it’s safe to assume that the Bulls aren’t looking to lock up Cameron Payne early.

Still, there are several names on that list who are intriguing candidates for new deals. Here are 12 of them:

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Nets)
Stanley Johnson (Pistons)
Frank Kaminsky (Hornets)
Trey Lyles (Nuggets)
Larry Nance Jr. (Cavaliers)
Kelly Oubre (Wizards)
Bobby Portis (Bulls)
Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks)
Terry Rozier (Celtics)
Myles Turner (Pacers)
Justise Winslow (Heat)
Delon Wright (Raptors)

Not all the players on this list will sign rookie scale extensions within the next two weeks. In fact, most of them probably won’t. There are plenty of reasons for teams to wait — maybe the asking prices are too high, maybe their financial situations aren’t conducive to more long-term investments at this point, or maybe they simply want another season to take a closer look at their extension candidates.

Still, it’s safe to assume that at least a couple players on this list will receive new deals. Typically, at least four players per year sign rookie scale extensions, and the numbers in previous seasons have often been much higher than that — in 2014, 2015, and 2016, a combined 24 players signed rookie scale extensions, for an average of eight per year.

With that October 15 deadline fast approaching, we want to know what you think. Which of this year’s extension candidates will receive new deals? Which deserve them, and at what price point? Which should be put off until they reach restricted free agency next summer?

Head to the comment section below to share your two cents on this year’s rookie scale extension candidates!

Celtics Sign Marcus Georges-Hunt, Cut Justin Bibbs

October 1st, 2018 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have officially made a change to their 20-man preseason roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed free agent guard Marcus Georges-Hunt, waiving camp invitee Justin Bibbs to create room. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Friday that Boston was nearing a deal with Georges-Hunt.

Georges-Hunt, 24, spent last season with the Timberwolves, playing limited minutes in 42 games for the club. The former Georgia Tech standout, who appeared in five games for the Magic during his rookie year in 2016/17, spent most of that season in the G League, where he recorded 15.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.4 APG in 45 contests for the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s affiliate.

Georges-Hunt, who has a reputation as a tough perimeter defender, may have a chance to earn a spot on the Celtics’ 15-man regular season roster this fall. The team is currently carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, but one of those 15 is Jabari Bird, who is dealing with medical and legal issues and whose future in Boston remains unclear.

As for Bibbs, the 22-year-old shooting guard – who signed as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech – looks like a good candidate to end up with the Red Claws this season, assuming he opts to sign a G League contract.