Celtics Rumors

Celtics Assign Yabusele, Nader To G League

  • The Celtics have sent Guerschon Yabusele and Abdel Nader to the G League, the team announced today (via Twitter). They’ll look to help the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s affiliate, pick up a win tonight against Westchester.

Celtics Sign Jarell Eddie To 10-Day Deal

JANUARY 20, 11:22am: The Celtics have made the signing official, the team announced in a press release.

JANUARY 19, 10:48am: The Celtics intend to fill their open roster spot by signing free agent swingman Jarell Eddie to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Boston has been carrying 14 players on its roster (not counting two-way contracts), so no corresponding move will be required to add Eddie.

Eddie, who played his college ball at Virginia Tech, went undrafted in 2014 spent time in camps with the Hawks, Celtics, and Warriors before eventually making his regular season NBA debut with the Wizards in 2015. The 26-year-old has appeared in 31 total games for Washington and Phoenix since then, averaging 2.8 PPG and 1.0 RPG in very limited action (6.7 MPG).

After joining Chicago for training camp and the preseason this fall, Eddie headed to the G League to play for the Windy City Bulls. Limited to 10 G League contests due to injuries, he has been productive when he has played, posting 17.2 PPG and 4.1 RPG with an impressive .490/.500/.947 shooting line.

Assuming Eddie doesn’t officially sign his 10-day deal until Saturday or Sunday, he’d be eligible to play in five games for the Celtics before his contract expires. When Eddie’s 10-day deal ends, the Celtics would have the opportunity to sign him to another 10-day pact before deciding whether or not to commit to him for the rest of the season.

Jayson Tatum's Poise And Confidence Contribute To Success

  • The Celtics appear to have landed a gem in rookie Jayson Tatum. Chris Forsberg of ESPN recently profiled the 19-year-old forward, painting a picture of how Tatum’s confidence and poise have served him just as well as his length and athleticism have so far in his young career.

Trade Rumors: Davis, Favors, Mavericks, Walker

Anthony Davis‘ return to Boston on Tuesday night prompted another round of speculation about the possibility of the Celtics acquiring the Pelicans‘ star in a trade at some point. However, appearing today on Dan Le Batard’s show, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shot down that speculation, suggesting that there’s nothing to the rumors linking Davis to Boston (Twitter links via Jake Madison of Locked on Pels).

According to Wojnarowski, Davis still wants to make things work in New Orleans, and that feeling is certainly mutual. It would take a major change in direction for the franchise to consider moving Davis, according to Woj, who reiterates that the Pelicans still want to re-sign DeMarcus Cousins this summer to keep their star-studded frontcourt intact.

Here are a few more trade notes and rumors from around the NBA:

  • Wojnarowski provided another trade-related tidbit on Tuesday during an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump. According to Spencer Checketts of 1280 Sports in Utah (Twitter link), Wojnarowski confirmed that the Cavaliers are looking to add size, noting that Jazz big man Derrick Favors might be a fit. Teams are calling Utah to ask about Favors, according to Woj.
  • With about $85.6MM in team salary on their 2017/18 books, the Mavericks are one of the few teams with the cap flexibility to take on contracts this season, and they intend to take advantage of that flexibility if they can, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. “I would say we are looking to use our cap space actively,” owner Mark Cuban said this week. “We will take back salary to get picks or guys we think can play.”
  • While Hornets point guard Kemba Walker is worth keeping an eye on as the trade deadline approaches, it doesn’t appear at this point that Charlotte will seriously consider moving him, as Steve Kyler writes in a Basketball Insiders article and on Twitter.

Celtics Send Guerschon Yabusele To G League

  • First-year forward Guerschon Yabusele has been assigned to the G League by the Celtics, the team announced today (via Twitter). The Maine Red Claws will host Austin in the only game on Monday’s G League slate, so Yabusele figures to suit up for that contest.

Celtics Notes: One-And-Dones, Hayward, Morris

The Celtics may represent the best example of one-and-done collegiate players thriving at the NBA level, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes, citing the recent success of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum as the reasons why.

I’ve been real impressed with our last two guys who came from college, played one year,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. “They were obviously ready for a lot of the demands of the NBA.”

Of course not every player that comes out of college early can step up for their team out of the gates, Blakely mentions former first overall pick and current Celtics G League affiliate player Anthony Bennett as one particularly notorious example.

There’s more Celtics news this afternoon:

  • Although an image circulated today of Gordon Hayward not wearing an ankle brace, the timeline for his recovery hasn’t changed, Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston says. Per president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, the organization is still of the mindset that Hayward will play next year.
  • Since his return from a knee injury last month, the Celtics have been cautious with Marcus Morris. Now, NBC Sports Boston’s A. Sherrod Blakely writes, his minute restriction has been lifted.
  • While he could have made more money by continuing to play in Europe, Celtics rookie Daniel Theis didn’t want to miss his opportunity to play in the NBA. Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald spoke with the forward about his decision to come over.

Stevens Cautions Fans About Hayward's Progress

  • Celtics fans were excited to see a photo posted by president of basketball operations Danny Ainge of Gordon Hayward without his ankle brace, but coach Brad Stevens told A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston not to read too much into it. “This is exactly what they thought the timeline would be like, just being out of a brace,” Stevens said. “There’s a long way to go.” Hayward continues to make progress in his recovery from a fractured left ankle, but Stevens added that the timeline hasn’t changed.

Celtics Recall Nader, Yabusele From G League

  • The Celtics have recalled Abdel Nader and Guerschon Yabusele from the G League, according to the team (Twitter link). Nader and Yabusele played for the Maine Red Claws during Sunday’s loss to the Raptors 905.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/7/2018

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

  • The Lakers recalled rookie center Thomas Bryant from their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers so he could play in tonight’s game, per a press release. Bryant has appeared in two NBA games this season. Bryant has appeared in two games for the Lakers this season. With South Bay, Bryant has averaged  21.3 PPG and 7.5 RPG  in 29.7 minutes per game.
  • The Bucks have recalled D.J. Wilson from their G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, the team announced in a press release. Wilson has appeared in 12 games with Milwaukee this season.
  • After recalling the duo on Saturday, the Kings re-assigned Justin Jackson and Georgios Papagiannis to the G League on Sunday, per RealGM’s transactions log. The duo helped lead the Reno Bighorns to a victory, combining for 43 points and 20 rebounds.
  • A pair of Celtics, Abdel Nader and Guerschon Yabusele, headed to the G League on Sunday, according to RealGM’s transactions log. The two youngsters suited up for the Maine Red Claws in Sunday’s loss to the Raptors 905.