Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Willing To Deal Marcus Smart For High Pick

June 25th, 2015 at 4:20pm CST by Zachary Links

4:20pm: The Pacers are a potential landing spot for Smart, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (on Twitter). Indiana owns the No. 11 pick.

2:06pm: There’s more and more buzz around the idea that the Celtics are willing to surrender guard Marcus Smart if it gets them into the upper reaches of the lottery, Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. On Wednesday, it was reported that the Celtics proposed a deal to the Sixers involving Smart to get the No. 3 pick, but were rebuffed.

Earlier today, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe heard that the C’s would have to be blown away in order to part with Smart. If the latest word is accurate, Boston sees a high draft pick as enough of a prize to part ways with the promising young guard. Smart, 21, averaged 7.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 3.1 APG in 27 minutes per contest in his rookie season.

The offer reportedly made to Philly would have seen Smart and the 16th and 28th picks in this year’s draft heading to the Sixers for Nerlens Noel and the No. 3 pick. Smart was a Second-Team All-Rookie pick in 2014/15.

Draft Rumors: Lakers, Okafor, Russell

June 25th, 2015 at 3:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lakers are leaning towards taking Jahlil Okafor with the No. 2 overall pick, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). However, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) hears that the Lakers are undecided with both Okafor and D’Angelo Russell in play. Of course, the only word that counts will come from commissioner Adam Silver later tonight. Here’s the latest draft news..

Frank Kaminsky is moving up draft boards in the final hours, league sources tell David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter). He could very well go higher than No. 9, which is where the Hornets would like him.
Kings owner Vivek Ranadive was known to be very high on Willie Cauley-Stein but Sam Amick of USA Today Sports (on Twitter) isn’t hearing much of that today.
Several league sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter) that they expect Cauley-Stein to slip. The big man didn’t shine in workouts or interviews and his ankle is a concern.
The Jazz are targeting Stanley Johnson and Justise Winslow at No. 12 and they’re willing to trade up if they feel it’s necessary, according to Spencer Checketts of 1280 The Zone (via Twitter links). If those trade-up scenarios don’t pan out, Utah could instead move down. If they do move down, Checketts lists the Celtics (No. 16), Bucks (17) and, Rockets (No. 18) as possible partners.
Marcin Gortat during a press conference in Poland said the Pistons asked him about prospect Mateusz Ponitka, according to Sportando (on Twitter). Ponitka worked out for Detroit earlier this week. The shooting guard looks to be a second round (or, undrafted) prospect.
The Bucks like UNLV forward Christian Wood, but feel that he’ll be chosen later in the first round, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times tweets. Milwaukee owns the No. 17 pick in the first round and the No 46 pick in the second.
David Pick of Eurobasket.net (on Twitter) hears that projected second-round pick Shawn Dawson hopes to slide under the radar and go undrafted. Dawson is currently ranked as the No. 66 prospect in the draft by DraftExpress.

Lakers Talk Deal For Cousins With Kings

June 25th, 2015 at 3:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 3:15pm: The Lakers are unwilling to part with Julius Randle in the Cousins trade talks, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The scribe adds that Randle has dropped 20 pounds and improved his outside shot.

WEDNESDAY, 10:18pm: The Kings and Lakers have exchanged frameworks for potential deals for Cousins, and talks are expected to intensify on Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports relays. The Kings have also started to engage with teams and explore possible trade scenarios beyond the Lakers, Wojnarowski’s sources have informed him. Sacramento is reportedly seeking the No. 2 overall pick, Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and other draft assets in return for Cousins, Wojnarowski adds. The Kings would also want to unload forward Carl Landry‘s contract in any deal, according to the Yahoo! scribe’s sources. Los Angeles is currently unwilling to part with Randle, and are reluctant to do so with Clarkson as well, according to Wojnarowski.

3:06pm: Cousins “would not be unhappy” if the Lakers acquired him, a league source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, and he’d be thrilled if the Kings traded him to a large market or a playoff team, as Medina heard a source familiar with Cousins’ thinking.

WEDNESDAY, 2:23pm: The Lakers are offering the No. 2 pick as the teams continue to talk, reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. L.A. would probably have to include Randle, too, according to Bresnahan, but it’s not clear if he is indeed in any proposal so far.

TUESDAY, 9:17am: The Magic aren’t involved, a league source tells Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Randle and the No. 2 pick are “in play” for a trade that brings Cousins to the Lakers, a source tells Chris Mannix of SI.com, who writes in his mock draft. Still, Sacramento would rather take back veterans, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported overnight.

4:46pm: Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has also made it clear publicly that he doesn’t want to trade Cousins, and that’s been the case privately as well, according to Jones, as well as Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter links).

MONDAY, 3:54pm: The Lakers, Kings and Magic have had exploratory talks about a proposal that wound send DeMarcus Cousins to the Lakers, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. However, the Kings and Sacramento vice president of basketball and franchise operations Vlade Divac continue to insist that Cousins is off limits, Stein notes. Still, the Lakers have “actively pursuing” trade possibilities over the past few weeks to find a way to get the talented 24-year-old to L.A., as Stein details.

Stein mentions the Magic’s Nikola Vucevic as someone who could theoretically step in for Cousins at center in Sacramento, but it’s unclear if Vucevic has been a part of the talks. Stein lists Julius Randle and the No. 2 pick as trade assets for the Lakers, but it’s similarly uncertain whether the Lakers have spoken about giving them up. The Nuggets have drawn increasing mention as a team likely to go after Cousins since Denver’s hiring of ex-Kings coach Michael Malone this month, according to Stein. Still, they don’t have the sort of trade chips that would allow them to compete with the Celtics, whom Stein reported last month were also likely suitors, the ESPN scribe writes. Realistically, a host of teams would seemingly have interest in trading for Cousins, who’d become the top trade candidate on the market if the Kings relent and give him up.

Divac has said time and again that he values Cousins and isn’t looking to trade him, at one point calling him “untradeable.” The notion that he might be on the block was ignited earlier this season amid Sacramento’s pair of midseason coaching changes. Cousins, who connected with Malone, released a statement expressing support for then-candidate George Karl, whom the team has since hired. The Kings also hired Divac late in the season to a role that put him in charge of basketball operations and displaced GM Pete D’Alessandro, who’s now with the Nuggets. Cousins has asked not to be traded, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee notes (Twitter link).

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Smart, Nets

June 25th, 2015 at 12:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the Atlantic Division..

The Celtics have indicated that they “would have to be blown away” by an opportunity to move Marcus Smart, a source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). Earlier this week it was reported that the Celtics were seeking Nerlens Noel in a deal for the guard. Smart and Noel were No. 6 overall picks in back-to-back years.
Nets GM Billy King told reporters there is a possibility the Nets could go into next season with Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young, Joe Johnson, and Deron Williams all on the roster, Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com tweets.
When asked if Lopez and Young are max players, the Nets GM replied, “Next question,” according to Mazzeo (Twitter links).
One agent representing a fringe first-rounder the Sixers called for told Jake Fischer of SI (on Twitter) that he doesn’t want his client “to be the next K.J. McDaniels.” McDaniels was a high second round selection of the Sixers last year but wound up signing a one-year, minimum contract offer with them after a protracted contract battle. Later in the year, he was traded to the Rockets, and he’ll now hit free agency this summer.

Draft Rumors: Hornets, Lakers, Russell

June 25th, 2015 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Hornets have been extremely active this week and sources have indicated to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that they’re probably not done. The Celtics and Suns, according to a source, have been the most ardent suitors of Charlotte’s No. 9 pick. The Suns have the No. 13 pick but want to move up to draft Frank Kaminsky, who they fear could be a target of the Heat at No. 10 or the Pacers at No. 11. The Celtics, meanwhile, have interest in Willie Cauley-Stein. If the Hornets stay at No. 9, Deveney believes they will want to add shooting, which could lead them to Kentucky guard Devin Booker.

Jahlil Okafor did not perform well in his second pre-draft workout with the Lakers, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. While Okafor had a drop-off from his first showing in Los Angeles, D’Angelo Russell flourished and knocked down his shots. Ding expects the Lakers to target Russell at No. 2 in Thursday night’s draft.
Oregon guard Joseph Young does not have a first round promise from the Lakers or anyone else, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News tweets. Young’s foot injury remains a concern and he’ll be reevaluated to see if he needs surgery.
The Lakers, Sixers, Knicks, Magic, Kings, Hornets, Pacers are all talking trades and could shake up the draft order, Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweets.
Richaun Holmes is drawing consideration from several teams picking in the 20s, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter). Holmes spoke with Hoops Rumors recently as a part of our Draft Prospect Q&A series.

Celtics To Pursue Paul Pierce, Robin Lopez

June 24th, 2015 at 3:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:45pm: The Celtics consider a frontcourt tandem of Love and Lopez a “dream scenario,” but it’s not one they expect to happen as of right now, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops tweets.

1:45pm: The Celtics plan to pursue Paul Pierce and Robin Lopez as complementary players to sell Kevin Love on the idea of signing with Boston, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Celtics have about $40MM on the books against a projected $67.1MM cap already, and if they sign Love to a deal starting at an estimated max of $18.96MM, they’d be hard-pressed to find room for both Pierce and Lopez without making salary-clearing trades. They also face a stiff challenge from the Clippers for Pierce, as the Clips seek to offload bench players in deals that could net them trade exceptions to allow them to sign-and-trade for the 37-year-old small forward, but Pierce is “in play” for the C’s if they can get Love, Wojnarowski adds (on Twitter).

Pierce told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald in December that he would probably speak with president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and co-owner Wyc Grousbeck about a role with the Celtics for after his playing days. Pierce would like to become a GM someday, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). It appears that Boston has a different sort of return planned for him if the circumstances are right. Pierce intends to play next season, as Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reported, and he’s turning down a player option worth nearly $5.544MM on the contract he signed last summer with the Wizards, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

The Clippers will have only the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level to spend on outside free agents if they re-sign DeAndre Jordan for the max. They could aggregate bench players to create a trade exception for larger than that amount, as Wojnarowski suggests, though doing so would require the team to find willing trade partners, and they’d also have to convince the Wizards to go along with the plan if they want to sign-and-trade for Pierce. The Nets reportedly resisted the Clips’ efforts to construct sign-and-trade scenarios involving Pierce last year.

Lopez has said he’d prefer to re-sign with the Blazers, though Portland is in flux. Many executives around the league expect LaMarcus Aldridge, for whom Lopez has been a strong complement, to leave the Blazers, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote today.

Q&A With NBA Draft Prospect Jordan Mickey

June 24th, 2015 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

In advance of Thursday’s draft, Hoops Rumors has been talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s class. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with LSU big man Jordan Mickey, who is ranked No. 31 in this year’s class by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and No. 44 by Chad Ford of ESPN.com.

LSU big man Jordan Mickey has been climbing up draft boards all spring and summer and, as Hoops Rumors reported Tuesday afternoon, his meteoric rise could land him in the first round when all is said and done. Mickey said that officials from a team picking in the 20s told him that if he’s available, they intend on pouncing on him. Meanwhile, the Celtics are bringing him in for a second look on Wednesday and it’s quite possible that they’re considering him for the No. 16 selection. The C’s could also be eyeing him for their No. 28 or No. 33 picks, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be on the board at that point.

Why has Mickey been such a fast riser in recent weeks? There are multiple answers to that question, but his greatest appeal undoubtedly is his uncanny shot-blocking ability. Blessed with a 7′ 3.25″ wingspan, the 6′ 8″ big man plays much bigger than his size and swats shot with ease. In fact, as a sophomore this season at LSU, Mickey recorded an average of 3.6 blocks per game to go along with 15.4 PPG and 9.9 RPG.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mickey spoke with Hoops Rumors on Tuesday to talk about his draft stock, the art of shot blocking, and much more.

Zach Links: I understand that you’re working out for the Celtics on Wednesday. What’s that workout going to be like? Will it be a solo audition or will you be going up against other prospects?

Jordan Mickey: You know, I’m not exactly sure. I haven’t heard anything about it yet, so as far as I know, it might just be me by myself.

ZL:The Celtics have a lot of picks (Nos. 16, 28, 33, and 45) this year. Have they indicated to you that they’re looking at you for No. 16?

JM: My understanding is that I’m being brought in for a second workout for that exact reason.

ZL: Obviously your shot blocking prowess comes largely from your athleticism and wingspan, but how much of that do you attribute to timing?

JM: A lot of it is about timing. You watch some guys in their first season and they have everything down when it comes to blocking, except for the timing, and it shows. You have to know when to jump and when to initiate body contact. Otherwise, you’re not going to get far as a shot blocker.

ZL: As an excellent shot blocker out of LSU, I’m sure that you’ve heard Shaq’s name mentioned more than once. Have you gotten the chance to speak with him?

JM: I haven’t had a chance to speak with him personally, but he’s come to our games before.

ZL: Growing up, did you emulate him at all?

JM: I can’t say I ever did. We’re very different players. He’s more of a post guy and I’m more of an athlete.

ZL: Who would you say you’re similar to in today’s NBA?

JM: Draymond Green and Paul Millsap. We’re all about the same height and kind of undersized for the position. When I look at Green, that’s a guy that can play the 5, 4, or 3 and he guards everything from the 1 to the 5. That’s something I feel I can do.

ZL: At LSU, you showed that you can score effectively with a jump hook, a move that some big men tend to neglect. Did you always have that in your arsenal or is that something you developed in college?

JM: I’ve always had a pretty good jump hook for as long as I’ve played the game. It’s one of the first things that I ever learned, and I always worked hard at that.

ZL: You had a pretty strong freshman season for yourself. Did you consider going pro last year?

JM: I did, I considered it. I looked at it but I thought that if I came back my sophomore year, I could continue to improve my stock.

ZL: I saw a report recently indicating that you have a promise from a team drafting late in the first round. Is that the case?

JM: This month a team picking in the 20s told me that if I’m available, they’ll definitely take me.

ZL: Your teammate Jarell Martin is also projected to hear his name called on Thursday. If someone asked you for a scouting report on him, what would you say about him?

JM: I would say he’s very athletic and he gets around pretty easily. He goes to the rim hard. … I’d also say he’s a pretty good jump shooter. He has a great three-point shot and he’s just a very capable shooter and scorer.

ZL: What led you to choose Adie von Gontard and Matt Babcock of APAA Sports Group as your representation?

JM: Well, I didn’t want to go with a big agency. I kind of wanted to stay small and I didn’t want to go to an agency just because of the big name appeal alone. I wanted personal attention and I felt like I could get that with Adie. He’s based out of Dallas too, and that’s where I’m working out of now. I just felt comfortable talking to him and he had confidence in me and believed that I could be a first-round pick. All of that made me want to join up with him.

Timberwolves, Celtics Discuss Anthony Bennett

June 24th, 2015 at 10:19am CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 10:19am: Boston and Minnesota have discussed a deal that would send Bennett and the Nos. 31 and 36 picks to the Celtics for the 28th pick, a source tells Jake Fischer of SI Now (Twitter links).

MONDAY, 1:00pm: The Timberwolves are making Anthony Bennett available to trade suitors, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The team’s frontcourt is apparently about to get that much more crowded with Minnesota reportedly having told forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns that he’s their choice for the No. 1 overall pick. Minnesota also spoke about trading Bennett at the trade deadline this past February, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported then.

Bennett’s name came up earlier today in speculation regarding the Raptors and Greivis Vasquez, though it doesn’t appear as though there’s interest on Toronto’s part, even though the former No. 1 overall pick is a Canadian and GM Masai Ujiri has expressed enthusiasm for bringing Canadian players onto the roster. The 22-year-old Bennett is set to make nearly $5.804MM on his rookie scale contract this coming season, and an October 31st deadline looms for a decision on a team option for 2016/17 worth more than $7.318MM.

The Wolves have more than $56MM in guaranteed salary for next season, with a $4.753MM cap hold earmarked for the No. 1 overall pick, as well as a new deal with Kevin Garnett seemingly on the horizon. The team would have difficulty clearing cap space even if it trades Bennett for no guaranteed salary in return, so it would seem as though the Timberwolves would prioritize taking back players who can contribute on the roster over assets that would provide cap flexibility, though that’s just my speculation.

Celtics Sought Nerlens Noel For Marcus Smart?

June 24th, 2015 at 10:05am CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 10:05am: The Celtics also offered Kelly Olynyk in the proposal, a league source tells Jake Fischer of SI Now (Twitter link). The offer included another Boston player, too, Fischer reported earlier (on Twitter).

TUESDAY, 11:13am: The Celtics were looking to trade Marcus Smart and the 16th and 28th picks in this year’s draft to the Sixers for Nerlens Noel and the No. 3 pick, but the Sixers were uninterested, league executives told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. That the Sixers would turn away such a proposal is not altogether surprising, since Noel, a First-Team All Rookie selection, would seemingly have value that’s higher than or at least equal to that of Smart, a Second-Team All-Rookie pick. Plus, the Nos. 16 and 28 picks probably wouldn’t be nearly as coveted as the third pick would be. It’s unclear when the Celtics made their play.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed to reporters today that he’s trying to move up with his pair of first-rounders, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (Twitter link), though he didn’t make mention of any other component to Turner’s report. Ainge did say that no one on Boston’s roster is untouchable, tweets Herald scribe Mark Murphy. Boston has a pair of second-rounders, too, at Nos. 33 and 45, while the Sixers have their first-rounder at No. 3 and five second-round picks.

Smart and Noel were No. 6 overall picks in back-to-back years, and while Noel, a 2013 selection, sat out 2013/14 with injury, he’s one year closer to the end of his rookie scale contract than Smart is. That might have allowed the Celtics to believe they had a shot at obtaining Noel in such a package, though that’s just my speculation.

Kings Have Strong Interest In JaVale McGee

June 23rd, 2015 at 11:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With star center DeMarcus Cousins potentially heading out of Sacramento via a trade, the Kings have expressed strong interest in free agent big man JaVale McGee, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). McGee previously played for Kings head coach George Karl in Denver, so there is obviously some familiarity between the two sides. There have also been reports of mutual interest between McGee and the Celtics, so the Kings may have some competition for the seven-footer’s services. The Mavs also apparently had serious interest in McGee this spring but later dropped out, and he was also linked to the Rockets, Raptors and Heat.

I would speculate that the Kings could have interest in inking McGee even if Cousins remains with the team. Cousins has indicated his desire to be used at power forward more often, and Sacramento was indeed interested in acquiring a rim-protecting big man at the trade deadline this year. McGee, when he’s healthy and motivated, can certainly be an asset on the defensive end, though he has been plagued by maturity issues throughout his career. It’s unclear just how much the veteran would be seeking on a new contract, and for what length. A sticking point in his negotiations with the Celtics back in March was McGee’s insistence on a player option for 2015/16, though he later backed off of that request, but no deal was ever struck. He could be worth taking a flier on for Sacramento on a short-term, non-guaranteed minimum salary arrangement. It wouldn’t be entirely shocking to see McGee settle for the minimum, since Philadelphia’s obligated to pay $12MM to McGee next season after waiving him shortly after the trade deadline without agreeing to any sort of buyout arrangement.

The 27-year-old put up career lows this past campaign in several categories, including his 11.1 minutes per game across 23 appearances split between Denver and Philadelphia as he struggled to regain his health after missing all but five games during the 2013/14 season with a stress fracture in his left leg. His career numbers through 382 contests are 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. McGee’s career shooting numbers are .540/.200/.587.