Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Garnett, Hollins, Raptors, Knicks

February 6th, 2015 at 12:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

Grantland’s Zach Lowe suggests that Kevin Garnett will be the subject of trade discussions between now and the deadline. The 20th-year vet is appealing to teams looking for a either bench upgrade, an expiring contract or both, according to Lowe, identifying the Warriors, Hornets and Raptors in that group. However, it doesn’t appear from Lowe’s report that those teams are indeed going after Garnett, who has one of the NBA’s few true no-trade clauses. There’s more on the Nets amid the latest from around the Atlantic Division:

Nets GM Billy King denies that Lionel Hollins‘ job is in jeopardy in the wake of a report that the team had upped its scrutiny of the coach, observes Johnette Howard of ESPNNewYork.com. “I don’t know where that story came from about Lionel, but it’s not true,” King said. That report indicated that Hollins’ criticisms of Nets players had rankled ownership, but King says he likes the coach’s demanding approach, Howard writes.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri said Thursday that he’s always listening to trade proposals but added that he doesn’t have a lot going on for now, notes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. The team has reportedly been looking for an upgrade at power forward and has been linked to David West, Taj Gibson and Kenneth Faried.
Langston Galloway says he received “pretty significant” offers from multiple European teams but turned them down to play with New York’s D-League affiliate this season, as he tells Chris Mannix of SI.com, who writes in his Open Floor column. The Knicks signed Galloway out of the D-League last month to a pair of 10-day contracts before inking him to a multiyear pact.
If the Triangle Offense fails to work for the Knicks by next season and Phil Jackson continues to insist that coach Derek Fisher use it, that puts Fisher in a compromising position not just in New York but for any coaching job he’d want to take in the future, opines Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal.
The Celtics have recalled Phil Pressey from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). Pressey’s first career assignment to the D-League lasted but one day, long enough for him to record 34 points, nine assists and six turnovers in a single game for Boston’s affiliate.

And-Ones: Borrego, Smart, Draft

February 5th, 2015 at 11:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Magic interim coach James Borrego has played a major role in developing Nikola Vucevic into a dangerous low-post player, John Denton of NBA.com writes. “J.B. is my guy and that’s who I have worked with on a daily basis, watched the film with and talked about games with,’’ Vucevic said. “He’s a guy that I have a great relationship with and he’s a great guy. He always stays positive and brings energy to practice to pump us up. I know this will be tough for him because he was close with Jacque [Vaughn], but it’s on us as players to support [Borrego] and help him the best that we can.’’

Here’s more from around the league:

Rookie Marcus Smart is beginning to earn the trust of the Celtics‘ coaching staff, and the team has shown improvement since Smart took over as the starting point guard after Rajon Rondo was dealt to Dallas, Julian Edlow of WEEI 93.7 FM writes.
While the prospects for the 2015 NBA draft aren’t getting the hype that last year’s class did, there are still a number of intriguing players heading into the league. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com ran down the top 30 prospects according to the league insiders he has spoken with. The top three players available in the 2015 draft according to Howard-Cooper are Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Amid Syracuse’s subpar season, senior Rakeem Christmas has worked his way from relative obscurity to being a potential first round draft pick this June, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv writes. “He wasn’t on the board before,” one veteran NBA scout told Zagoria. “He’s averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds, he shoots over 72% from the free-throw line. There aren’t a lot of big guys who do that. He’s an example of a guy staying four years made all the difference. He would’ve made a mistake if he came out; he wasn’t going to the NBA. But you stay in all four years and work it…It’s interesting. I think he’s a bubble guy now, end of the first, beginning of the second [round].”

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Walton, Celtics

February 5th, 2015 at 4:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The success of the Sixers’ 2014/15 campaign will be gauged by the amount of players the team finds who are “keepers,” Sam Donnellon of The Philadelphia Daily News writes. Two players who just might fit that description are Hollis Thompson and Robert Covington, Donnellon notes. Both players are proving themselves to be valuable assets who could play large roles in Philadelphia’s future, the Daily News scribe adds.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics have assigned Andre Dawkins and Phil Pressey to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be the fourth trip of the season to the D-League for Dawkins, and the first trek for Pressey.
Luke Walton was all set to join Derek Fisher‘s staff as an assistant this past offseason, but with the blessing of Knicks president Phil Jackson, who is Walton’s mentor, Warriors coach Steve Kerr nabbed Walton first, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. The Knicks could have used Walton’s expertise with the triangle offense to help ease the transition, one that hasn’t gone smoothly, Berman adds. “It’s definitely tough,’’ Walton said. “I think Derek knows that. I know Phil knows that. It’s about patience and building. And I don’t think you come in right away and teach a brand-new team who has never known the triangle and executing it the way it needs to be executed in the first season. When we played triangle [in LA], we had the same core and then added a couple of new guys each year. And it was the same coaches running practice with it every day, drilling. Even then it takes players a while to fully grasp it.’’
The Sixers are making progress as a franchise but still have quite a bit of work to do before they can become a winning team, Tom Moore of Calkins Media writes. The primary void that the team has is in its distinct lack of a star player who GM Sam Hinkie can build around, Moore notes.

Sixers Sign Tim Frazier To 10-Day Contract

February 5th, 2015 at 1:50pm CST by Eddie Scarito

THURSDAY, 1:50pm: The deal is official, the team announced via press release. The statement makes no reference to a corresponding move, so the team remains at 16 players, with Kirilenko’s presence of the suspended list giving the team the chance to carry one more than the 15-man limit.

WEDNESDAY, 10:40pm: The Sixers intend to sign Tim Frazier to a 10-day contract on Thursday, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Philadelphia’s current roster count sits at 16 players, including the suspended Andrei Kirilenko. But Larry Drew II‘s second 10-day deal ends today, and with the team set to bring Frazier aboard, it doesn’t look like Drew will be signed by Philly for the remainder of the season, though that is just my speculation.

Frazier, a 24-year-old point guard, has been playing for the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics’ D-League affiliate. In 27 games, Frazier has averaged 15.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.9 assists in 35.8 minutes per contest. His slash line is .450/.271/.783.

Frazier went undrafted out of Penn State in 2014, and had worked out for both the Wolves and the Celtics this past summer. The 6’1″ guard attended training camp with Boston, but was waived a week after joining the team.

Celtics Sign Andre Dawkins To Second 10-Day

February 2nd, 2015 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

MONDAY, 3:35pm: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

SUNDAY, 3:15pm: Andre Dawkins told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (on Twitter) that he will be signing another 10-day deal with the Celtics. Dawkins’ first 10-day deal expires today.

Dawkins spent the bulk of this 10-day stint in the D-League, though he was recalled briefly to join Boston for a practice a few days ago and he was also brought back to the team earlier today. The 23-year-old was waived by the Heat in January as they opted not to guarantee his rookie minimum salary for the season.

Miami was reportedly interested in bringing back the John Spencer client on a 10-day contract at some point this season, but the Celtics ostensibly beat them to the punch. The former Duke Blue Devil went undrafted this summer, but he joined the Rockets and Heat for summer league and made Miami’s opening-night roster out of training camp. In four games with Miami, Dawkins played a grand total of 22 minutes.

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) first reported that a second 10-day deal for Dawkins was expected.

Spears On Prince, Plumlee, Kings, Kenyon

February 2nd, 2015 at 1:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s no surprise to see the Hawks and Warriors atop the latest power rankings from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, but Spears doesn’t just list the NBA’s 30 teams from top to bottom. He passes along several tidbits of note with the trade deadline just two and a half weeks away. He seconds an earlier report from Marc Stein and Ian Begley of ESPN.com that the Knicks are shopping Jose Calderon, but much of what Spears has is new information, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

Boston is unlikely to find a trade for Tayshaun Prince before the deadline, Spears hears from a source. Prince reportedly plans to push for his departure the Celtics, though he’s publicly said that he’s committed to playing for Boston, at least for the time being. A buyout deal appears likely should the Celtics fail to garner the draft pick they’re looking for in a swap, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald wrote last month, though coach Brad Stevens hopes to keep Prince for the balance of the season.
The Suns aren’t garnering much interest as they try to trade Miles Plumlee, a source tells Spears, though that’s not a shock, since the team is reportedly looking for at least one first-round pick.
Sacramento continues to pursue an “athletic big man” to pair with DeMarcus Cousins, according to Spears’ source. The Kings are reportedly shopping Derrick Williams, and Jason Thompson is among the Sacramento players the team is apparently open to trading.
The Knicks didn’t re-sign Kenyon Martin this summer after he spent the previous two seasons with them because the team felt he wouldn’t be a fit for the triangle offense, Spears says. Martin and the Bucks followed a pair of 10-day contracts with a deal for the rest of the season.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Garnett, Carmelo

February 1st, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The struggling Nets could use a return by Deron Williams, contends Reid Wallach of NetsDaily.com. Only the Knicks had a worse January offensively than Brooklyn, and Wallach argues that the point guard play of Jarrett Jack and Darius Morris is a big reason why. Williams, whose maximum contract runs through 2016/17, may not be the player he once was, but he could lead another late-season Nets run to the playoffs. Williams went through a full practice Sunday, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. (Twitter link). More from the Atlantic Division..

Amid speculation that the Nets could buy him out, Kevin Garnett says that he’s not thinking much about that possibility. “When that road comes, I’ll cross it and I’ll deal with it,“Garnett said, according to Stefan Bondy of the Daily News. “A lot of things with family, situation and things, it’s not just convenient to get up and move, to change things. It’s not as convenient as it once was when I was younger. I have a lot more responsibilities and things to take into account.” In December it was reported that Garnett has been telling people that this will be his last season in the NBA. Meanwhile, one has to imagine that KG could get a call from Doc Rivers and the Clippers if he’s freed from his current deal.
Knicks star Carmelo Anthony can only be so patient with the team’s rebuilding process. “The time is now ….I don’t think we can wait. Not just for my sake, just in general,” Anthony said, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
On Saturday, Jared Sullinger said that Celtics coach Brad Stevens has asked him to take more shots and to take shots off of different actions since Boston’s stretch of trades, according to the team’s official Twitter.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

D-League Notes: Young, Dawkins, Goodwin

February 1st, 2015 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest D-League moves..

The Celtics recalled James Young and Andre Dawkins from their D-League affiliate in Maine on Sunday, the team announced in a press release. Young has played nine games for the Red Claws with a slash line of 23.6/5.3/2.2. Dawkins, who averaged 20 points per game in four contests with Maine, agreed to another 10-day deal with the Celtics today.
The Suns have recalled Archie Goodwin and Reggie Bullock from the Bakersfield Jam, their D-League affiliate, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). The trip concludes Goodwin’s third D-League trip of the season and the first of Bullock’s career. Bullock averaged 25.5 PPG and 10.5 RPG in the D-League while Goodwin put up 26.0 and 11.0 RPG in his two games.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Young, Celtics, Heat

February 1st, 2015 at 8:59am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pistons are still searching for a third point guard after the season ending injury to Brandon Jennings, but with about two and a half weeks until the trade deadline, the team wants to remain as flexible as possible just in case it can find a trade partner, writes David Mayo of Mlive.com. “We could do two 10-days, and then if nothing materializes, we’ve got a guy who’s been with us for three weeks,” team president Stan Van Gundy said. “And if something does, then we make a move. That’s part of the timing issue.” Mayo identifies Norris Cole of the Heat as a potential trade target that makes sense. The Pistons were one of the teams interested in Cole, and our own Chuck Myron examined the point guard as a trade candidate earlier in the week.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The Celtics on Saturday assigned James Young to their D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, according to the team’s twitter feed. Young has already appeared in eight games for the Red Claws, averaging 22.4 points per game while shooting 47.9% from three point range.
Going into the season, the Celtics didn’t expect to contend for a playoff berth, but president of basketball operations Danny Ainge would love to make the playoffs as long as the team keeps improving, writes Kevin O’Connor of SB Nation. “I would love to see our team in the playoffs, but I don’t want to see us back into the playoffs with a really bad record and not even have a fighting chance. If our team can keep getting better by developing, if we can make some deals at the trade deadline that put us in position to actually get into the playoffs and have a chance to win a playoff series, I think that would be a lot of fun,” Ainge said. Boston is unlikely to make any moves that sacrifice the future in order to climb up the standings this season.
The Heat, with a record of 20-26, remain a good bet to make the playoffs thanks to the improved play of Hassan Whiteside, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Winderman argues that Whiteside has nearly become irreplaceable for Miami and with Dwyane Wade‘s recent injury, the center may take on an even bigger role. The 25-year-old has 15.3 points, 17.7 rebounds and 4.3 blocks in just 29.8 minutes per game over his last three contests.

Atlantic Notes: Sanchez, Grant, Stevens

January 31st, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Orlando Sanchez remains on the Knicks‘ radar as a player worth grooming for the future, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. The 26-year-old forward currently plays for New York’s D-League affiliate in Westchester, and the Knicks envision Sanchez making their roster out of training camp next season, Berman notes. Sanchez looks at the success that Langston Galloway has had turning a 10-day deal into a new contract as a source of inspiration, Berman adds.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Despite Celtics coach Brad Stevens owning a career NBA record of 41-86, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge insists that Stevens’ job is secure, Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald writes. “When I was going through things at Butler and we were having all kinds of success, I just kept learning how important it was to just keep coaching your team,” Stevens said. “Here we’re experiencing our fair share of growing pains and it’s the same answer. Here the biggest thing is our ownership and our leadership team. They’ve been very good with me and very supportive. As I said, at the end of the day you’re just coaching your team as best as you can every day.”
The Celtics‘ challenge of trying to field a playoff-caliber team while trying to acquire talent and draft picks for the future is one that Ainge embraces, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. “I would love to see our team in the playoffs, but I don’t want to see us back into the playoffs with a really bad record and not even have a fighting chance,” Ainge said. “If our team can keep getting better by developing, if we can make some deals at the trade deadline that put us in position to actually get into the playoffs and have a chance to win a playoff series, I think that would be a lot of fun.“
The Knicks have spoken with Horace Grant regarding a position within the organization, Andy Adler of PIX 11 News reports (Twitter link). Adler adds that the former NBA player has met with coach Derek Fisher, and that the discussions could have been about a position on Fisher’s coaching staff. Grant has ties to team president Phil Jackson, who coached Grant in Chicago and with the Lakers, and he is familiar with the triangle offense as well.