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And-Ones: 2018/19 Odds, Fredette, Hensley, USA Basketball

June 3rd, 2018 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors have already been set as the favorites to win the 2018/19 title, relays Ben Fawkes of ESPN, but there’s a huge variable that hangs over the equation. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook gives Golden State 5-4 odds to capture the championship, followed at 7-2 by the Rockets and Sixers, two teams believed to be in the running to sign LeBron James.

“When you have LeBron in free agency, you have to be careful,” oddsmaker John Murray said. “You’ve got Philadelphia, Miami, the Lakers and even Houston as potential destinations [outside of Cleveland]. We cut all of those teams’ odds down, and we’ll raise back up the teams he doesn’t sign with.”

Murray adds that the Rockets would take over as favorites if they are able to add James and keep Chris Paul and Clint Capela. The Celtics, who come in at 8-1, will be favored to win the East if James leaves Cleveland and goes anywhere but Philadelphia. The Lakers and Heat are tied for fifth place at 20-1, followed by the Spurs at 25-1 and the Cavaliers at 30-1.

There’s more basketball-related news to pass along:

  • Former lottery pick Jimmer Fredette hopes to use The Basketball Tournament this summer to get another shot at the NBA, writes Myron Medcalf of ESPN. The 10th selection in the 2011 draft, Fredette played for four teams in five years before heading overseas. “I would always love to get another chance in the NBA,” Fredette said. “I’ve gotten better in China and improved every year. … You hope somebody takes notice.” He has another year remaining on his Chinese Basketball Association contract.
  • J.R. Hensley, a prominent NBA agent, has been placed on 18 months’ probation, tweets Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal. The action came because Hensley refused to fully cooperate in an investigation of potential violations, according to a press release from the NBPA.
  • The USA Men’s Under 18 National Team made its first round of cuts this morning, trimming the squad from 33 players to 18. Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog has the complete list of players who advanced.
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Celtics Reportedly Not After Bamba

May 31st, 2018 at 11:09pm CST by marksuleymanov
  • A Wednesday report suggested that the Celtics might consider moving up in the draft with their sights set on Texas big man Mohamed Bamba. However, a league source who spoke to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald dismissed that idea. “Don’t waste your time on that one,” the source said.
  • The infamous 2013 trade between the Celtics and Nets that sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to Brooklyn has had disastrous effects on the Nets, specifically related to draft picks. Michael Scotto of The Athletic (subscription required) revisited that trade and the impact that deal is still having on both franchises nearly five years later.
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Successful Surgery For Gordon Hayward, Aron Baynes

May 30th, 2018 at 9:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Gordon Hayward and and Aron Baynes both underwent successful operations today, the Celtics announced on their website.

Hayward, who wasn’t able to return after fracturing his fibula on opening night, had a plate and screws removed that were inserted after the injury. Plans call for him to resume basketball activities in six to eight weeks, and he is expected to be at full strength when training camp opens in September.

The team describes Hayward’s ankle and fibula as “structurally sound,” adding that the plate and screws needed to be taken out because they were irritating his peroneal tendons.

Baynes needed nasal septoplasty surgery after suffering a fracture during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. He is expected to resume basketball activities in two to four weeks.

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Celtics Rumors: Bamba, Ownership, Morris, Monroe

May 30th, 2018 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

For the first time since 2015, the Celtics won’t have a top-five pick in the draft this year. However, it sounds like they may still have their eye on a top-five prospect.

According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, sources say that Boston has expressed interest in Texas big man Mohamed Bamba, including interviewing him at the draft combine in Chicago earlier this month. The Celtics’ first-round pick is at No. 27, and Bamba is expected to come off the board within the first six or seven picks on draft night, so in order to have a shot at the young center, the C’s would need to move way up.

While a trade doesn’t seem particularly likely, Deveney has previously reported that the Grizzlies are open to making a move with the No. 4 pick, and suggests today that the Mavericks may be willing to discuss the No. 5 selection. Additionally, Boston has no shortage of potential trade chips. The team could own up to four first-round picks in 2019, including the Kings’ selection (if it doesn’t end up first overall). Plus, given the Celtics’ backcourt and wing depth, players like Terry Rozier or Jaylen Brown could become trade candidates for the right return.

The Celtics made a big draft trade last year when they sent the No. 1 pick to Philadelphia, but going from No. 27 into the top five would be an even more drastic move. As we wait to see if Boston seriously explores that possibility, let’s round up a few more Celtics notes…

  • While Celtics CEO Wyc Grousbeck didn’t want to discuss specific dollar figures, he told Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that ownership will have no qualms about spending to keep Boston’s roster together and pursue championships. “We put winning ahead of everything else,” Grousbeck said. “Every now and then you’ve got to make room and play the kids and get a Gordon Hayward in free agency, and other times you just try to keep a core together and build onto it. And we’re in the latter stage right now in trying to keep this group together and build onto it as best we can.”
  • More from Grousbeck, via Bulpett: “We can’t keep everybody if we’re going to keep adding (because of roster size limitations), but everybody who’s watched this team for 15 years knows what we’re about. … We live for banners. We live for rings. That’s what we live for.”
  • In a look at the Celtics’ potential roster and rotation for 2018/19, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe notes that Marcus Morris seems aware that a healthy lineup could create a minutes crunch for the team. “There’s going to be a lot of players next year, so I’m not 100% sure where I fit totally yet,” Morris said. “It’s just something I’m still kind of wary about.”
  • Within that same story, Himmelsbach says it’s “quite unlikely” that the Celtics will have interest in re-signing Greg Monroe this summer.
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Poll: Will Marcus Smart Be A Celtic Next Season?

May 28th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Once the Celtics were bounced from the 2018 postseason by the Cavaliers, it didn’t take long for speculation about Boston’s offseason to begin. Veteran guard Marcus Smart, who will be a restricted free agent, got the rumor mill going when he was asked after Sunday’s loss about the Celtics potentially being unable or unwilling to re-sign him to a deal in the $12-14MM range.

“To be honest, I’m worth more than $12-14 million,” Smart told ESPN, as we relayed this morning. “Just for the things I do on the court that don’t show up on the stat sheet. You don’t find guys like that. I always leave everything on the court, every game. Tell me how many other players can say that.”

As Smart suggests, his numbers don’t particularly jump off the stat sheet — in 54 games (11 starts) this season, he posted 10.2 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 3.5 RPG, with a subpar shooting line (.367/.301/.729). However, Smart makes up for his offensive limitations on the other side of the ball, keying Boston’s defense with his excellent play on the perimeter.

When Smart was on the floor this season, the Celtics’ defense – which led the NBA in overall defensive rating – was at its best. The club had a 99.4 defensive rating with Smart on the court, compared to 103.0 when he sat. That trend continued into the playoffs, as Boston’s defensive rating was 3.5 points better when Smart played. The C’s even posted marginally better offensive numbers with Smart on the court, despite his inconsistent shooting.

Those advanced numbers help show how important Smart is to the Celtics. Andre Roberson has a similar impact in Oklahoma City, earning a three-year, $30MM contract from the Thunder last offseason despite being even less of an offensive threat than Smart. When Roberson went down with a season-ending injury this year, OKC missed him badly, and you could make the case that Smart’s absence would negatively affect the Celtics in the same way — after all, Smart’s teammates refer to him as the heart of the club.

Unlike the Thunder though, the Celtics have a ton of depth in their backcourt and on the wing. If they don’t bring back Smart, they’ll still head into 2018/19 with Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Gordon Hayward available as playmakers and perimeter defenders. And while there are no CBA rules stopping the Celtics from paying whatever it takes to keep Smart, the team is likely headed into tax territory down the road once youngsters like Rozier, Brown, and Tatum are up for raises. As such, it may not be worth it for the franchise to invest heavily in Smart.

What do you think? Do the Celtics need to make it a priority to re-sign Smart this summer, even if they have to overpay a little to do it? Or is Boston’s roster deep enough that the club should try to bring back Smart at a team-friendly price, and let him walk if he gets a better offer? Will Smart be wearing Celtic green next October?

Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to weigh in.

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Celtics Notes: Baynes, Irving, Roster, Smart

May 28th, 2018 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the Celtics’ season is over, Aron Baynes will undergo surgery to repair a broken nose, which he suffered during Game 6 of the team’s series against Cleveland, the big man told reporters today, including Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving‘s absence from Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals was also related to a nasal issue — as ESPN’s Chris Forsberg details, Irving underwent surgery to repair a deviated septum and wasn’t able to fly to the game in the wake of the procedure.

“It was a residual from the facial fracture he had earlier in the season,” Irving’s agent Jeff Wechsler told ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan. “He had the knee surgery, and now he’s taken care of this sinus surgery, so he will be all set going forward.”

Here’s more on the Celtics as their offseason officially gets underway:

  • Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe passes along several notable quotes from the Celtics’ exit interview today. Among those comments: C’s president Danny Ainge indicating that the team is unlikely to make major roster moves unless those changes represent clear upgrades.
  • Asked today about re-signing RFA-to-be Marcus Smart, Ainge expressed confidence in ownership’s willingness to spend, tweets Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. As Himmelsbach relays, Smart believes the Celtics will look to bring him back, and said he’d like to stay with the franchise. “I want to be in Boston,” Smart said. “I want to be here. I love this city, I love this team, I love the atmosphere it gives off. I’ve been here for four years. My heart’s here.” Smart also spoke after last night’s game about his value in free agency, as we detailed this morning.
  • Despite Ainge’s suggestion that the roster may not change much this offseason, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News says it will be interesting to see if the Celtics get involved in trade talks in the coming months in an effort to tidy up certain areas where their depth chart is crowded.
  • ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) previews the Celtics’ offseason, exploring the possibility of a Irving extension among many other roster moves.
  • Earlier today, we took a closer look at the Celtics’ salary cap situation heading into the summer.
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2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Boston Celtics

May 28th, 2018 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

After adding Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward during the 2017 offseason, the Celtics were widely viewed as one of the two favorites to come out of the East, along with the Cavaliers. Those two teams ultimately did meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, despite the fact that Irving and Hayward had long been absent due to injuries. Although Boston couldn’t get past Cleveland and no longer has cap room available, the team remains in great shape going forward, with plenty of extra draft picks in hand and its injured stars set to return in 2018/19.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Celtics financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • Daniel Theis ($1,378,242)3
  • Abdel Nader ($928,242) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.2
  • Semi Ojeleye ($476,277) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.1
  • Total: $2,782,761

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: None

  • After carrying cap room and vying for the top free agents during the last couple offseasons, the Celtics head into the summer of 2018 over the cap room. Even if they renounce all their free agents, they’d still be over the projected $101MM cap line due to their $104MM+ in guaranteed salaries. With their eight fully guaranteed contracts, plus Theis, Ojeleye, Nader, and the cap hold for their first-round pick, the Celtics’ total team salary increases to $109,073,793.
  • If they don’t bring back Smart, the Celtics would have plenty of breathing room below the tax line, clearing the way for the team to use the full mid-level exception and possibly the bi-annual exception too. However, re-signing Smart for a starting salary of $10-12MM would complicate that equation.

Footnotes:

  1. Ojeleye’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 15.
  2. Nader’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 1.
  3. Theis’ salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 10.

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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East Finals Roundup: LeBron, Tatum, J. Green

May 28th, 2018 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

While LeBron James‘ upcoming free agency will be the biggest storyline of the NBA offseason, James himself has avoided discussing his future all season long, and the Cavaliers – including owner Dan Gilbert – are following suit. After the Cavs’ Game 7 win over the Celtics on Sunday night, Gilbert told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that the organization is completely locked in on its next series, not on the summer.

“We’re just focused – and it’s the truth, it’s not avoiding the question – we’re literally focused on (the now),” Gilbert said. “It’s just so intense in the playoffs and getting to the Finals and now the Finals, I don’t think – and I know he doesn’t – I don’t think even our guys are talking (about anything other than) what’s in front of them. … So, everybody knows, obviously what we want to happen and we’ll take the Finals first and take it from there.”

While the Cavaliers will head into the Finals as the underdogs, pulling off the upset could have a major impact on the club’s upcoming offseason plans — it would be hard for James to leave Cleveland right after leading the Cavs to another championship.

Here are a few more items worth rounding up from the Eastern Conference Finals:

  • Jayson Tatum couldn’t lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals, but he received plenty of praise from James as his impressive rookie season came to an end, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN. “I just love everything about (Tatum), the way he plays the game, his demeanor, where he comes from,” James said. “I just know he’s built for stardom. He’s built for success. And that’s both on and off the floor.”
  • James was also complimentary of the Cavaliers teammates who are headed to the Finals despite hearing for weeks that they weren’t doing enough to help LeBron. “I know I get a lot of the headlines – win, lose or draw, whatever the case may be – but in order to be successful, it’s a team game,” James told ESPN’s Doris Burke after the Game 7 win (link via Andrew Joseph of USA Today). “That’s why we’re going to another Finals — because my teammates played a hell of a game.”
  • One of those teammates, Jeff Green, spoke after the game about not taking anything for granted after undergoing open-heart surgery in 2012. Jeff Zilgitt and AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today have the story on Green, who was the Cavaliers‘ second-best player in Game 7.
  • Their disappointing Game 7 performances will likely haunt Celtics youngsters Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown for a while, but that may not be the worst thing in the world, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston, who writes that this year’s loss can be a learning experience for Rozier and Brown as they continue to develop.
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Marcus Smart: I’m Worth More Than $12-14MM

May 28th, 2018 at 8:41am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of their Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Cavaliers, the Celtics will face a number of important roster decisions this offseason, with Marcus Smart‘s looming restricted free agency among the issues on the club’s docket. Asked about the possibility that the C’s might not be able – or willing – to pay $12-14MM per year to retain him, Smart told ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan that price may actually be too low for him.

“To be honest, I’m worth more than $12-14 million,” Smart said. “Just for the things I do on the court that don’t show up on the stat sheet. You don’t find guys like that. I always leave everything on the court, every game. Tell me how many other players can say that.”

Smart, 24, has never been a reliable shooter or scorer since entering the NBA. His .367 FG% in 2017/18 matched a career high, and his .301 3PT% was only a little better than his career rate. Battling a thumb injury in the Eastern Finals, Smart shot .328/.226/.722 against Cleveland, including 1-for-10 in the decisive Game 7.

Still, Smart’s play on the defensive end of the court and his on-court leadership resulted in many of his teammates defending his 1-for-10 showing on Sunday night and calling him the heart of the Celtics, as MacMullan writes.

“That’s what people say,” Smart said. “I’m not sure if you can put a price on that.”

Since Smart will be a restricted free agent, the Celtics will be able to match any offer sheet he signs this summer, and there are no cap rules restricting what Boston can pay him. However, Smart and the C’s discussed an extension last fall and were too far apart in terms of dollar figures, sources tell MacMullan, so it will come down to how much the club is willing to invest in the former sixth overall pick.

The club is already on the hook for expensive deals for Gordon Hayward and Al Horford, with raises for key players like Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown coming down the road. Terry Rozier is also extension-eligible this offseason, and Boston seems unlikely to commit to long-term contracts for both Rozier and Smart.

Frank Urbina of HoopsHype examined potential landing spots for Smart if he leaves the Celtics, suggesting that teams like the Nets, Spurs, and Clippers could be fits.

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Horford Can Exercise Past Playoff Demons

May 27th, 2018 at 3:08pm CST by marksuleymanov

As the Celtics prepare for a Game 7 showdown against the Cavaliers, Al Horford‘s story of redemption in the postseason is an intriguing storyline, Chris Mannix of Yahoo! Sports writes. In 2015, then a member of the Hawks, Horford thought he was headed for the NBA Finals after two quick postseason series victories. A sweep at the hands of the Cavaliers that year ended those dreams.

Horford has now become a key part of the Celtics’ core and once again, he will need to get past LeBron James and the Cavaliers if he wants to reach the NBA Finals. A disappointing series aside, Horford has been a positive influence on a young Celtics roster that has faced injuries to several of its star players.

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