Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Morris Trial, Kyrie, Pelicans, NCAA

September 13th, 2017 at 9:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The trial for Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris, who are accused of aggravated assault, got underway today in Phoenix, writes Terell Wilkins of The Arizona Republic. Jury selection for the trial, which will take place in Maricopa County Superior Court, concluded on Wednesday, and opening statements will be delivered on Monday, per an Associated Press report (link via ESPN.com).

The trial will be worth watching for fans of the Celtics and Wizards, since the Morris brothers would face suspensions from the NBA if they’re convicted — a violent felony results in at least a 10-game ban. Even if the Morris brothers reach plea deals, they could be subject to discipline from the league, with the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement empowering commissioner Adam Silver to decide on an appropriate suspension in that scenario.

Here are a few more odds and ends from across the NBA:

While many NBA observers were dumbfounded by Kyrie Irving‘s trade request, Warriors forward Draymond Green suggests he gained a newfound respect for Irving, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post details. “I don’t think people take into account that he put so much pressure on himself by doing that,” Green said. “He’s basically saying, ‘I’m ready to deliver.’ That’s big. That says a lot.”
The Pelicans have renounced their draft rights to 2011 second-rounder Ater Majok, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions. New Orleans now holds the draft rights to just one non-NBA player — big man Latavious Williams.
The relationship between the NCAA and the NBA wasn’t always strong during David Stern‘s days as commissioner, but Adam Silver has struck a more conciliatory tone, and that’s beginning to show, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN. As Givony explains, the invite list for a recent student-athlete symposium suggests the NCAA’s philosophy on preparing underclassmen for the NBA is evolving.
Using the NBA’s response to its DNP-Rest issue as a jumping-off point, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com makes the case that the league is too focused on marketing a small handful of star players, and ought to make an effort to showcase more stars in nationally televised games.

O’Connor’s Latest: Capela, Smart, Wiggins, Nuggets

September 13th, 2017 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Gary Harris (Nuggets), Marcus Smart (Celtics), Jabari Parker (Bucks), and Clint Capela (Rockets) are among the most intriguing players eligible for rookie scale contract extensions this offseason, Kevin O’Connor writes in his latest piece for The Ringer. In addition to going into detail on those four players, who have until October 16 to work out new deals with their respective clubs, O’Connor drops a few other notable tidbits within his article, so let’s round up the highlights…

The Rockets and Capela have had “very introductory” discussions on a contract extension, according to O’Connor. Those discussions figure to become more frequent and more in-depth as next month’s extension deadline nears.
The general consensus among the league sources O’Connor has talked to is that Smart’s next contract figures to be in the neighborhood of Andre Roberson‘s three-year, $30MM deal, given both players’ defensive prowess and offensive limitations. O’Connor believes the Celtics guard will be able to do better than that though, and I’m inclined to agree. Smart will be a restricted free agent next summer if he’s not extended this offseason.
Multiple league sources have told O’Connor that Andrew Wiggins is expected to sign the contract extension offered by the Timberwolves once he gets his new representation in order. Wiggins filed paperwork to part ways with Bill Duffy and BDA Sports shortly after Minnesota put a five-year, maximum salary offer on the table.
Multiple sources believe the Nuggets were targeting OG Anunoby in June’s draft when they traded down from No. 13 to No. 24, says O’Connor. Anunoby ended up coming off the board one spot earlier, with Toronto nabbing him at No. 23. Denver used the 24th pick on Tyler Lydon.

Nets Sign Tyler Zeller To Two-Year Deal

September 12th, 2017 at 2:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 12, 2:43pm: The deal is official, the team announced on its website.

SEPTEMBER 11, 6:31pm: The Nets and center Tyler Zeller are finalizing a two-year contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com tweets. Zeller will join the Nets, a league source informs NetsDaily.com, but the second-year is not guaranteed (Twitter link).

Brooklyn’s interest in Zeller doesn’t come as a total surprise, since Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders recently reported that the Nets had worked him out.

Zeller didn’t draw much interest on the free agent market after he was waived by the Celtics in July in order to free up cap space. The 27-year-old center had a non-guaranteed $8MM salary for 2017/18 that needed to be cleared from Boston’s books in order to sign prized free agent forward Gordon Hayward.

Brooklyn was seeking frontcourt depth after a variety of deals left it a little thin at those spots. The Nets dealt Brook Lopez, Andrew Nicholson, and Justin Hamilton, while adding Timofey Mozgov in a trade and drafting Jarrett Allen in the first round. He’ll compete with Mozgov and Allen for minutes.

Zeller, the 17th overall pick in the 2012 draft, spent the last three seasons in Boston, but played a career-low 10.3 minutes per game in 2016/17. In 340 career games with the Cavs and Celtics, the UNC product has averaged 7.0 PPG and 4.4 RPG.

Bogut Hopes For Full Medical Clearance

September 12th, 2017 at 12:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent center Andrew Bogut will have a final bone scan today on his left tibia and hopes to be cleared for a full return to basketball, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

Four teams have expressed interest in Bogut once he receives medical clearance and he hopes to sign next week, Himmelsbach adds.

NBA fans haven’t seen Bogut since his ill-fated one-game stint with the Cavaliers on March 6. After being traded from Dallas to Philadelphia and agreeing to a buyout with the Sixers, Bogut came to Cleveland in hopes of earning another ring. However, he suffered a tibia fracture in his first minute of action and was later waived.

Bogut didn’t require surgery and has spent the offseason going through rehab on the leg. He said in June that he expects the bone to heal stronger than it was before, so there should be no long-term effects from the injury.

The 32-year-old was slowed by medical problems throughout last season and managed just 26 games in Dallas before being dealt, averaging 3.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per night.

Bogut was among several free agents the Celtics contacted last month, and he could fill a need for a strong defensive and rebounding presence. Boston still has an opening for camp and just 14 players with guaranteed money, so there may be an opportunity for Bogut.

Celtics Notes: Ainge, Thomas, Rozier, Pierce

September 10th, 2017 at 2:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics president Danny Ainge says the decision to include Isaiah Thomas in a package to get Kyrie Irving from Cleveland was “the toughest call I ever had to make,” relays Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Thomas shared his thoughts on the deal in an article this week for The Players Tribune, which Ainge called a “fabulous job.” As a former player, Ainge said he empathizes with the feelings of being sent from one organization to another.

Ainge refused to explain his motivation for the deal, but explained that he is always trying to improve the team. “It’s in everybody’s best interest that I don’t share all the reasons [for the trade],” he said. “But the bottom line is obviously I felt like it was the right thing for our franchise to do. But it’s a deep and complicated process. It’s not as simple as people think it is. … It’s not easy for these office people that become great friends with the players. There’s a reality that I see and that’s what makes any sort of trade challenging. But it’s just part of the world that we live in, but it’s got to be done. You’ve got to do what’s best for the franchise. The franchise is bigger than all of us. Bigger than one individual.”

There’s more out of Boston:

Terry Rozier wasn’t worried about being traded over the offseason, he told Adam Kaufman of 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston. Entering his third season with the Celtics, Rozier is among the most tenured players on the team following this summer’s roster shakeup. He said he concentrates on producing on the court and leaves the personnel decisions to the front office. “The guys up top, their job is to get the team together and our job is to play,” Rozier said. “I’m pretty sure Danny and all our organization who make the decisions will have us ready, put us in the right spot.”
Paul Pierce is ready to end his feud with Ray Allen, according to Adam Reisinger of ESPN. Pierce posted a photo on social media of himself and Allen, who are both serving as coaches for a celebrity basketball game in Shanghai, with a caption that read, “Time to get the band back together.” Allen has been an outcast with many of his former teammates since leaving Boston to sign with the Heat in 2012.

Crowder Believed He Wouldn't Be In Boston Long

September 9th, 2017 at 2:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics‘ offseason moves gave Jae Crowder reason to think he wouldn’t be in Boston much longer, writes A. Sherrod Brown of CSNNE. Crowder, part of the package sent to Cleveland in the Kyrie Irving deal, was the Celtics’ starting small forward in all 72 games he played last season. However, he watched the team draft Jayson Tatum in June and sign free agent Gordon Hayward a few days later. “There was some concern because you have a lot of wing players stacked up,” Crowder said. “And I made it clear to the organization that I was concerned about it and wanted some direction. They showed me what they wanted to do and I respected it.”
Former Cavaliers GM David Griffin thinks the Celtics are facing an adjustment period and might not see the benefits right away from their offseason maneuvering, relays Kevin Spain of USA Today. Although Boston picked up two All-Stars in Irving and Hayward, Griffin believes the loss of Crowder and Isaiah Thomas will be difficult to overcome, along with Avery Bradley, who was traded to the Pistons to free up cap room to sign Hayward. “Losing Bradley, Crowder and Isaiah is losing a lot of grit and overachievers that identified that team,” Griffin stated. “So they’ve had so much change. I think they’re going to be better in the long term, but I think in the short term you can make the argument that they’re going to be worse.”

Celtics Notes: Irving, Horford, Morris, Smart

September 7th, 2017 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers left the Celtics several years ago as Boston entered a rebuilding period, so he’s as impressed as anyone with how quickly the C’s have managed to retool their roster and become a legit contender. As Stephen Hewitt of The Boston Herald details, Rivers still has a fondness for Boston, along with many members of the organization, and admires the work the front office has done in recent years.

“[I] love Danny (Ainge), love (owner Steve Pagliuca), that whole group, and I just want them to do well. I really do,” Rivers said. “I love what they’ve done. I think the turnaround in four years starting with hiring Brad (Stevens). … (Ainge) and (assistant general manager) Mike Zarren have done the best job I’ve seen in sports in a long, long time of rebuilding. Maybe ever.”

Rivers also had praise this week specifically for the acquisition of Kyrie Irving. Attending a fundraising event in Boston, Rivers joked that he’d rather have seen Irving land in Los Angeles, but expects the young point guard to thrive with the Celtics.

“This is a perfect situation for him,” Rivers said. “The Celtics gave up a lot to get him, but he’s 25 years old and that’s the other thing people forget about: He’s so young. He’s going to be a star here for a long time.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge answered questions this week about completing the Irving trade, why Boston was willing to give up so much to get him, and how Irving and Gordon Hayward will mesh on the court (video link).
Although Al Horford spent a good chunk of last season playing power forward, the Celtics sound as if they’re leaning toward having him start the 2017/18 campaign at center, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe (link via Jay King of MassLive.com). That would allow Boston to start Horford alongside a power forward like Marcus Morris rather than a center like Aron Baynes.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com provides an update on the upcoming trial for Morris and his brother Markieff Morris, who face aggravated assault charges.
Marcus Smart, who is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, said this week that he’s lost 20 pounds since the end of last season and feels more “explosive” than he used to (Twitter link via Taylor C. Snow of Celtics.com). Smart also spoke about the trade that sent Isaiah Thomas to Cleveland, suggesting that losing Thomas “still feels unreal” (video link via CSNNE.com).
Michael Lee of The Vertical spoke to some of Irving’s old coaches, who believe the star point guard is ready to show that he can be a franchise player.

Latest On Isaiah Thomas

September 6th, 2017 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

One of the newest members of the Cavaliers, Isaiah Thomas is in the process of parting ways with his current agent at Excel Sports Management, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). With unrestricted free agency looming in 2018, Thomas will be seeking new representation to negotiate his next contract.

It’s an interesting move for Thomas, who has previously expressed a belief that he’s worth a maximum salary investment. Given the questions surrounding the health of Thomas’ hip, along with the diminishing market for point guards – Kyle Lowry, George Hill, and Jeff Teague all received less than expected this offseason – landing a max deal will be a challenge no matter who his new agent is.

Thomas will have to show this season that he can replicate last season’s performance – or at least come close to it – and will also have to put any concerns about that troublesome hip to rest. Even then, as this year’s class of free agent point guards showed, a max contract is no guarantee.

Here’s more on Thomas as he adjust to his new team:

As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details, Thomas begun to open up about the trade to Cleveland this week, posting an Instagram video that showed his reaction to the deal, along with several clips of him working out.
Thomas went into far more detail in a piece for The Players’ Tribune, expressing a love for Boston, but calling himself and the Cavaliers a “match made in heaven.” The piece – which includes reactions from Thomas’ sons to the trade, along with a post-trade text message exchange with Tom Brady – is worth checking out in full.
One notable excerpt from Thomas’ piece saw him contrast the reaction to his being traded to Kevin Durant choosing to sign with the Warriors: “I want [people] to see how my getting traded — just like that, without any warning — by the franchise that I scratched and clawed for, and bled for, and put my everything on the line for? That’s why people need to fix their perspective. It’s like, man — with a few exceptions, unless we’re free agents, 99 times out of 100, it’s the owners with the power. So when players are getting moved left and right, and having their lives changed without any say-so, and it’s no big deal … but then the handful of times it flips, and the player has control … then it’s some scandal?”
In an excellent article for ESPN.com, Tom Haberstroh takes a deep dive on Thomas’ hip injury, suggesting that the point guard may have actually suffered his labral tear in December, not March.

Celtics Sign Jabari Bird To Two-Way Contract

September 5th, 2017 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 5: The Celtics have officially signed Bird to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 11: The Celtics have struck a deal to fill the second two-way contract opening on their roster, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has agreed to sign second-round pick Jabari Bird to a two-way deal. Boston previously signed Kadeem Allen to a two-way contract.

Bird, a shooting guard out of Cal, enjoyed his best college season as a senior in 2016/17, averaging 14.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 2.4 3PG with a shooting line of .439/.363/.764. He wasn’t viewed as a likely draft pick, ranking 39th on DraftExpress’ list of 2017’s top seniors. However, the Celtics used their fourth and final 2017 draft pick on him, nabbing him with the No. 56 overall selection.

Boston’s two-way deal with Bird will give the club 18 players on its offseason roster, including 16 on the NBA roster, leaving a couple more openings to fill for training camp, if the team so chooses.

Bird’s deal also ensures that only three 2017 draft picks don’t yet have resolution on their contract situations for 2017/18. As I detailed at the end of July, Ivan Rabb (Grizzlies), Isaiah Hartenstein (Rockets), and Nigel Williams-Goss (Jazz) are the other unsigned second-rounders.

For more details on how two-way contracts work, be sure to check out our FAQ.

Irving, Hayward Made Sacrifices To Join Celtics

September 4th, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Austin Kent

Between Gordon Hayward leaving money on the table in Utah and Kyrie Irving leaving a team that made three straight Finals appearances, the newest Celtics made big sacrifices to be where they are now. “They were doing what I thought was fair game and very grateful that both of them chose to come here and make those sacrifices,” Danny Ainge told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England.