Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Biggest Eastern Conference Threat To Cavs?

February 2nd, 2017 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

While oddsmakers – and most NBA fans – still expect to see a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals this June, there’s no guarantee that the Warriors and Cavaliers will come out of their respective conferences once again. The Cavs, in particular, looked ordinary in January, finishing one game below .500 for the month, with a 7-8 record.

Last spring, it was the Raptors who battled the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals, pushing LeBron James and company to six games before eventually losing the series. And for most of the first half of this season, Toronto appeared to be Cleveland’s top challenger in the conference once again.

However, the Raptors’ January struggles (8-9) mirrored the Cavs’, and Toronto has already compiled an 0-3 record this year against the defending champions. Injuries to Patrick Patterson and DeMar DeRozan have played a part in the Raptors’ swoon, but there’s still reason to question whether they’ll be the biggest threat out of the East to the Cavs in the postseason.

Led by Eastern Conference Player of the Month Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics have moved into second place in the East, pulling within just two and a half games of the Cavs. The Wizards have also surged in recent weeks — the team is 26-12 since its 2-8 start, and has matched the Celtics’ current five-game winning streak.

Behind those top four teams in the standings, the Hawks have continued to play well even after trading Kyle Korver, and the Pacers have looked very impressive at times, including on their current four-game winning streak.

The Cavs may ultimately make it out of the East once again, but these clubs – and others – will look to give the champs all they can handle in the series leading up to the Finals. Teams like the Raptors and Celtics also have plenty of assets available to potentially fortify their rosters in the coming weeks, making them even more dangerous.

What do you think? Which of the Eastern Conference contenders has the best chance to knock off the Cavs this spring?

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Knicks Haven’t Given Up Pursuit Of Kevin Love

February 1st, 2017 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite the Cavaliers’ unwillingness to move Kevin Love in a deal involving Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks continue to pursue Love, league sources tell Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Shelburne and Stein first reported last week that Cleveland had rebuffed New York’s efforts to work out a swap involving Love and Anthony.

According to the ESPN duo, the Cavaliers do have some interest in Anthony, but would only be interested in such a deal if it didn’t mean surrendering Love. Without any of the Cavs’ Big Three in a trade, the team would likely have to include at least two players out of a group that includes Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Channing Frye in order to make the salaries work. That’s my speculation though — there’s no indication the two sides have specifically discussed those players.

As Stein and Shelburne report, the Knicks have been focused on engaging the Cavaliers, Clippers, and Celtics in trade talks, believing that Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to accept a move to one of those teams.

However, Cleveland and Los Angeles are both in tax territory, with the Cavs reluctant to add much more salary and the Clippers up against a hard cap, which will make it difficult to complete a deal with either team. Anthony’s 15% trade kicker further complicates trade discussions, as it would add approximately $9.6MM to his remaining salary.

Per ESPN’s report, many of New York’s recent discussions with the Clippers and Cavs have had to include a theoretical third or fourth team to create a plausible trade scenario. As for Boston, the Celtics don’t appear to have substantial interest in Anthony, and any talks with the Knicks so far are believed to be exploratory in nature.

Anthony, who has a formal no-trade clause in his contract and has maintained that he prefers to stay with the Knicks, has conceded that he’d be willing to consider approving a deal if New York wants to rebuild. Still, he told reporters on Tuesday that he hasn’t given the Knicks any list of teams he’d approve. Anthony added that his family will be an important consideration if he’s presented with a possible trade opportunity, since he’s not eager to uproot his wife and son.

Celtics’ Stashed 2016 Draftees Drawing Interest

February 1st, 2017 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

Most Celtics-related trade speculation focuses on players on their current roster, or their collection of future draft picks, but the team has another group of assets that is drawing trade interest around the NBA, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. According to Deveney, potential trade partners are keeping a close eye on the Celtics’ 2016 draft-and-stash players, including Ante Zizic and Guerschon Yabusele.

“They did a nice job of getting guys they could develop, and if you know you can’t get the big picks they have this year or next year, [then] the players they took last year, that is where you can get a lot of value,” one NBA general manager told Deveney.

Zizic, in particular, has attracted attention from teams and scouts around the league. After starting the season with Cibona Zagreb in Croatia, the 20-year-old made the move to Darussafaka, David Blatt‘s team in Turkey. It was a step up in competition for Zizic, who was selected 23rd overall in the 2016 draft, and he has responded well so far. In fact, the GM who spoke to Deveney believes Zizic would be a lottery pick if he were draft-eligible in 2017, even though this year’s draft class is viewed as deeper than 2016’s.

As for Yabusele, the 16th overall pick in 2016 has played second fiddle to Jimmer Fredette on the Shanghai Sharks this season, as Fredette has averaged a CBA-best 37.0 PPG. However, Yabusele has been a key piece for the CBA’s top team, averaging 21.1 PPG and 9.4 RPG in 31 contests.

“He is built sort of like Jae Crowder, he is big up top and is a physical player,” an international scout said of the French forward. “But he has more offensive potential. He is already a pretty good shooter from the perimeter, and he is athletic, but he needs to get smoother with his game. He is not going to back anyone down, even at his size, so he needs to work on his ballhandling. But he can rebound and he can score, he will be a very solid NBA player.”

In addition to their two first-round draft-and-stash prospects, the Celtics selected Abdel Nader in the second round of last year’s draft and had him sign an NBADL contract, stashing him in the D-League. Nader isn’t receiving the same sort of trade interest as Boston’s first-round selections, but he has arguably been the D-League’s best rookie so far this season, averaging 22.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 3.6 APG.

The Celtics, already stacked with young players and future picks, are unlikely to overload their roster next season with more first-year players, so Zizic and Yabusele will be worth keeping an eye on as this month’s trade deadline nears.

Celtics Expected To Be Involved In Deal; Bradley Nears Return

January 31st, 2017 at 6:17pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics remain the most likely team to make a splash before the deadline, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. The abundance of draft picks and valuable supplementary assets put them in a unique position to either get a deal done directly or facilitate one for others.

“I don’t think any move of significance gets done before the deadline without [Celtics general manager] Danny Ainge being given the chance to put his fingerprints on it,” one executive tells Bulpett.

The Celtics, of course, have been featured in trade speculation all season and are one of the possible destinations that Carmelo Anthony would supposedly consider waiving his no-trade clause for. Sources around the league, Bulpett writes, say that Ainge is “patrolling the marketplace in hopes that a player worthy of some of the assets he has accumulated becomes available.”

The steady growth of Avery Bradley has been invaluable for the Celtics, writes Steve Bulpett in a separate story for the Boston Herald. “Isaiah’s having a spectacular year, and I think that’s a little bit overshadowed how great of a year Avery’s having,” said president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. “[…] Listen, he is our best defensive player, and he’s our second-best offensive player. And that’s a rare combination for a player.” Bradley has been out of action since January 16 but is expected to return this week.

New York Notes: Carmelo, Knicks, Fisher, Nets

January 31st, 2017 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

After a weekend report suggested that Carmelo Anthony may be willing to waive his no-trade clause and approve a deal to the Celtics, New York media has engaged in renewed speculation about a possible trade with Boston.

However, on Monday night, Anthony evaded the question of whether the C’s would interest him, as Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. ‘Melo then told reporters today that he hasn’t provided the Knicks any sort of list of which teams he’d approve, and he’s still not thinking about waiving his NTC and leaving New York (link via Frank Isola of The New York Daily News). If Anthony does consider approving a deal, his family will be his first priority, he said today.

Of course, the discussion of a move to Boston may be moot, since there’s no indication that the Celtics have real interest in adding Anthony to their roster. In fact, a report last week suggested that the C’s have informed the Knicks they’re not interested. Perhaps that stance will change in the coming weeks, but for now it appears the Knicks will have to look elsewhere for a trade partner.

Here’s more from out of New York and Brooklyn:

After signing a four-year, $48MM deal with the Knicks in the offseason, Courtney Lee is showing lately why the club was willing to make that sort of investment in him, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Derek Fisher, who was fired by Phil Jackson last season, had led the Knicks to a similar record at this time in 2015/16 when he was given his walking papers. As he explains to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, Fisher believes he was able to get more out of a roster that’s less talented than the current version.
It’s time for the Knicks to shift their focus to the future, which means trading Anthony and buying out Derrick Rose, argues Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
The backcourt duo that helped lead the Heat over the Nets on Monday was a reminder of what might have been for Brooklyn, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who points out that the Nets pursued both Dion Waiters and Tyler Johnson last summer.
When I highlighted the six NBA teams below the salary floor on Monday, no team was further below that mark than the Nets. However, after signing Quincy Acy, Brooklyn has moved closer to the floor than the Sixers and Nuggets. Check out our Nets’ Salary Cap Snapshot for details.

Bulls Notes: Butler, Valentine, Gibson, Rondo

January 31st, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

There are some rival executives who think that the Bulls and Celtics will revisit trade talks involving Jimmy Butler in the coming weeks, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The two teams discussed Butler around the time of the 2016 draft, and as Johnson points out, Boston still holds the same assets that were a major part of those June talks: Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and multiple first-round picks.

Johnson rightly notes that Butler has a chance to become eligible for a designated veteran extension in the summer of 2018, if he makes an All-NBA team next season. The possibility of qualifying for that mega-extension may sour Butler on the idea of a trade, since he wouldn’t be eligible for a designated veteran deal if he changes teams. Of course, the veteran swingman doesn’t have any sort of no-trade clause, so he couldn’t stop a deal if the Bulls wanted to move him.

Since those June trade talks, there has been little to no indication that Chicago intends to move its biggest star. However, as Johnson writes, it’s not out of the question that last week’s drama involving Butler, Dwyane Wade, and Rajon Rondo generates a new round of “internal debate” about the team’s long-term core.

As we wait to see whether Butler stays put through the trade deadline, let’s round up a few more Bulls notes…

The 14th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Denzel Valentine has endured an up-and-down rookie season so far. In his aforementioned piece for The Tribune, Johnson details how Valentine has responded to the injury issues, illnesses, and coaching decisions that have slowed him down in his first NBA season.
Bobby Portis is another young Bulls player who has seen his playing time fluctuate this season under Fred Hoiberg, but he got a chance to see some action on Sunday with Taj Gibson ailing, Johnson writes in a separate article for The Tribune. As for Gibson, he hopes to return to Chicago’s lineup on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City after receiving a cortisone shot on Sunday.
In the wake of Rondo’s Instagram post last week, in which he defended his younger teammates and criticized the actions of Butler and Wade, the veteran point guard has received praise from those younger teammates, according to Johnson. Nikola Mirotic and Jerian Grant are among the Bulls players that referred to Rondo as a great teammate.

Magic Exploring Possible Serge Ibaka Deal?

January 30th, 2017 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have “picked up their attempts” to trade Serge Ibaka before next month’s deadline, league sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. According to Deveney, Orlando has experienced some “buyers’ remorse” after trading for Ibaka last summer, and the team is looking to get something for him to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing in free agency.

Although Deveney suggests that there’s pessimism about Ibaka re-signing with the Magic this summer, he adds that people around the NBA aren’t sure what the former Oklahoma City big man will do in free agency, which complicates his trade market. Teams would be unwilling to give up a significant return to rent Ibaka for a few months.

“They’re asking too much,” one front office executive said of the Magic, per Deveney. “(The Magic) would probably like to make a few moves there, but Ibaka is the one they’re really pushing because he is going to leave. But they have had too high a price. They want a young player and a pick, two young players — you know, a package that can get them back some assets. They’re not going to get that. Not for three, maybe four months of Serge Ibaka.”

The Magic surrendered their 2016 lottery pick (Domantas Sabonis) along with Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova when they acquired Ibaka, signaling that they expected the 27-year-old to be a part of the long-term plan. However, the club has struggled this season and appears to be slipping out of playoff contention, with a 19-30 record, reducing the odds of Ibaka wanting to re-sign with Orlando in July.

General manager Rob Hennigan said last week that he expects to be “aggressive” in pursuing ways to improve Orlando’s roster, and addressing the club’s frontcourt logjam would be a good place to start. With Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo joining a group that already featured Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon, there aren’t enough minutes to go around, and Gordon has spent a lot of time playing out of position.

According to Deveney, there’s “no chance” of a trade involving Biyombo, who signed a four-year, $68MM deal last summer. Gordon is also a key part of the Magic’s long-term plan, which leaves Ibaka and Vucevic as possible trade candidates. We heard last week that the Celtics were among the teams to talk to Orlando about Vucevic.

As for Ibaka, even if he’s no more than a rental piece, there should be several teams with interest in talking to the Magic about a deal. Deveney identifies the Celtics, Rockets, and Raptors as a few potential suitors, though he cites a source who says Toronto isn’t very interested in giving up Terrence Ross in a trade for Ibaka.

Ainge Aware Team Needs More Rebounding

January 29th, 2017 at 5:53pm CST by Austin Kent

The fact that the Celtics need to improve their rebounding is not lost on general manager Danny Ainge, says A. Sherrod Blakeley of CSN New England. “I knew going into the year that rebounding would be an issue for us,” Ainge said. The reporter adds that Ainge wasn’t ready to start discussing possible trade scenarios, however.

Latest On Carmelo Anthony

January 29th, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Although the Celtics have stated that they’re not interested in dealing for Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks haven’t given up on them as a trade partner, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. New York had a scout at Saturday’s Celtics game and the organization is “intrigued” by several of Boston’s players.

A source told Washburn that Knicks president Phil Jackson has issued orders to move Anthony, who has indicated that the Celtics are one of the teams he would consider waiving his no-trade clause to join. Another source says Brad Stevens would love to coach Anthony, but president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has rejected the Knicks’ overtures. Washburn adds that Boston could serve as a third team to help send Anthony to the Clippers.

There’s more this morning on the Anthony trade front:

The Celtics present the only realistic trade destination for Anthony, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. In a video posted on CSNNE, Mannix says Ainge is in a “great position” to present the Knicks with a lowball offer and dare them to keep Anthony past the February 23rd deadline. Mannix speculates that any deal wouldn’t involve the Nets’ first-rounders that Boston owns for the next two seasons, but may include other Celtics draft picks. He also dismissed recent rumors of a Knicks-Clippers deal, saying it won’t happen unless New York is willing to accept a “garbage package” involving Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford and others.
Anthony admits the trade rumors can be a distraction, relays Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. “You’ve got to deal with that, even though I try not to read it,” he told reporters. “And everywhere you go, even if you don’t hear about it, somebody is telling you about it, somebody is saying something. It can be mentally draining, mentally fatiguing.”
If the Knicks trade Anthony, they should also get rid of Derrick Rose and some of the other veterans they added over the offseason, suggests Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. Rose is a defensive liability and has already deserted the team once, Iannazzone notes, adding that he doesn’t appear to be part of the team’s “long-term solution.” He also writes that free agent additions Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings didn’t come to New York to play for a team without Anthony, and believes the organization should commit to rebuilding if Anthony is traded.

And-Ones: Sanders, Brown, All-Star Game

January 28th, 2017 at 10:56am CST by Austin Kent

Former Bucks big man Larry Sanders caused a stir Thursday night when he tweeted that he was ready to return to the NBA. In 2015, the center walked away from the game at 26 years of age, ultimately citing personal struggles with mental health in a video essay for the Players Tribune.

Sanders last saw consistent action in 2012/13, before playing 23 games in an injury-compromised 2013/14 season and 27 games in a 2014/15 season beset by drug-related suspensions absences for personal reasons.

Sanders has reportedly worked out for the Celtics and, while reports that he’s had a meeting with the Wizards are said to be false, he has been training at the team’s facility.

Sanders averaged 9.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the Bucks during that 2012/13 campaign.

Former NBA head coach Larry Brown is open to coaching in EuroLeague, writes E. Carchia of Sportando via Italian newspaper La Gazetta. Brown had reportedly been in touch with Maccabi Tel Aviv but was scared off when they quickly cycled through three head coaches already this season.
The Windy City Bulls of the NBA D-League have acquired forward Duje Dukan in a trade for a 2017 fifth-round pick, tweets Chris Reichert of The Step Back. Dukan’s last taste of NBA action was with Kings at the start of the 2015/16 season. Earlier this year he had been under contract in Croatia, but the parties mutually split.
Journeyman point guard Bryce Cotton has reportedly received a 10-day contract offer from an NBA team, writes O. Cauchi of Sportando. The 24-year-old, however, has elected to stay with the Perth Wildcats for the time being. The report originated from Australian journalist Boti Nagy.
The NBA All-Star Game reserves have been announced. Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated looks at the biggest snubs that didn’t make the roster, including rookie Joel Embiid and injured Chris Paul.