Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: J. Brown, Raptors, J. Howard, Sixers

July 14th, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics and Jaylen Brown are expected to temporarily pause their negotiations on a super-max extension for the All-NBA swingman, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

As Himmelsbach explains, the stoppage in negotiations will come as a result of logistics, not any tension or animosity between the two sides. Brown, who is a vice president of the players’ union, is traveling overseas for an NBPA event.

Although it’s unclear when exactly the two sides will resume their talks, it now appears unlikely that a new deal for Brown will be in place before the Las Vegas Summer League ends. Still, as Himmelsbach writes, Brown and the Celtics have until October to finalize a super-max extension and there’s no indication that there have been any setbacks.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Michael Pina of The Ringer makes the case that the Raptors should go all-in for Damian Lillard by acquiring the star point for a package centered around 2022 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. Pina argues that such a move would provide clarity of direction for a team that appears to be stuck in the middle, giving the Raptors a Fred VanVleet replacement at point guard and allowing them to focus on extending – rather than potentially trading – veteran forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.
In a conversation with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, new Magic guard Jett Howard – the No. 11 pick in last month’s draft – said he likely would have stayed in college for another year if he hadn’t gotten the blessing of his father (Juwan Howard) to go pro. “If my dad told me to come back another year, I probably would’ve,” Jett said. “It being my dream is the reason I came out. This has always been my main dream. But you actually have to be honest with yourself and ask people if you’re ready. My dad said I’m ready now.”
Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com surveys the free agent market to see whether any of the available veterans would make sense as targets for the Sixers, considering players like Christian Wood, Jaylen Nowell, and Kelly Oubre. Neubeck isn’t convinced that anyone on the free agent market would be a great addition for Philadelphia, but acknowledges that some could become better fits depending on whether James Harden‘s trade request ultimately shakes up the roster.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Wieskamp, Anunoby, Harden, Walsh

July 13th, 2023 at 6:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam is still a potential trade candidate for Toronto, but the club is taking its time and showing no urgency to make a move, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star.

There’s “more smoke than fire” around Siakam, according to Star, who says the Raptors do not feel a particular obligation to move their veteran star, who at present appears happy to remain with the only NBA team he’s ever known.

The 6’9″ forward submitted his most prolific scoring season yet on a middling 41-41 club in 2022/23, averaging 24.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.8 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.5 BPG.

Smith adds that the $1.9MM non-guaranteed contract of sharpshooter Joe Wieskamp is due to be fully guaranteed Monday, but predicts that Wieskamp is more likely be released than retained.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks, who boast one of the best collections of assets in the league, may have the inclination and the pieces to make a trade for Raptors 3-and-D swingman OG Anunoby, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Anunoby was one of the most coveted players to not be moved during this past season’s trade deadline. The 2022/23 All-Defensive Second Teamer averaged 16.8 PPG on .476/.387/.838 shooting splits, 5.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.9 SPG across his 67 available contests last year.
Although rival front offices believe the Sixers are hoping to hold on to star point guard James Harden, a source close to the 2018 MVP says he still wants to be traded for the third time in three seasons, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Celtics rookie forward Jordan Walsh has been solid enough during his Summer League run with Boston that it’s conceivable he could eventually slot into the team’s rotation as a possible Grant Williams replacement this year, opines Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Williams, of course, was sent to Dallas in a three-team sign-and-trade earlier this week.

Celtics Notes: Brown, Porzingis, Brogdon, G. Williams, Roster

July 13th, 2023 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Nearly two weeks have passed since Jaylen Brown became eligible for an extension, but Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens didn’t appear worried about the situation on Wednesday night, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Stevens explained that he’s limited in what he can reveal, but he indicated that talks are going well.

“It’s been all good discussion,” Stevens said. “We want Jaylen to be here for a long, long time and we’ve made that clear. We’re looking forward to all sitting down, and we’ve got time here. I probably shouldn’t say anything else, but I feel optimistic.”

There are no signs that Boston plans to offer Brown any less than the projected $295MM he’s eligible to receive in a five-year super-max contract, Himmelsbach states. He adds that the sides have until October to finalize an extension, and the delay seems to involve the incentive structure and the possibility of a fifth-year player option for Brown like the organization gave to Jayson Tatum.

There’s more on the Celtics, all from Himmelsbach:

The team finalized a two-year, $60MM extension on Wednesday with Kristaps Porzingis, who was acquired from the Wizards in a three-team deal last month. Stevens said Porzingis provides numerous options for the Celtics because of his versatility. “I just think we’re fortunate to do that, a guy that can play with either of our bigs and play as the lone big,” Stevens said. “I mean, that’s a big part of what we need to be moving forward, as far as we have a little bit more balance there in that group. He’s a good player and to have him here for a few years is obviously a good thing.”
Stevens also provided a health update on Malcolm Brogdon, who was included in an early version of the Porzingis trade. The Clippers were originally going to acquire Brogdon, but they pulled out of the deal because they didn’t have time to review his medical records before Porzingis had to pick up his option. Stevens said Brogdon, who suffered a torn tendon in his right elbow during the Eastern Conference Finals, has been rehabbing the injury and is close to resuming basketball activities.
Stevens acknowledged Grant Williams‘ contributions during his four years with the team, as a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks become official on Wednesday. “I do think it’ll be a good opportunity for him and it gives us some flexibility here as we move forward,” Stevens said. “But he did a good job. He’s a hard guy to lose.”
Stevens indicated that more roster moves could be coming as the Williams trade creates an open spot, and Justin Champagnie and Luke Kornet both have non-guaranteed contracts. “I think we’ll try to add, obviously, a little bit,” Stevens said. “I’d like to get a little more depth, maybe on the wing, and then also maybe with a (power forward/small forward) type. I feel pretty good about our bigs. We’ve got a couple two-way (contract openings), so we’ve got some things we’re still very much looking at.”

Celtics Notes: J. Brown, Jefferson, G. Williams, Banton, Madar

July 12th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

A fifth-year player option and a trade kicker could be among the contract details being haggled over as the Celtics and Jaylen Brown continue to negotiate a potential super-max extension, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe and Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

Given that Brown has been the subject of frequent trade speculation in recent years and might be the odd man out down the road if the Celtics want to shake up their roster and/or reduce their payroll, the possible inclusion of a trade kicker could be a key point of contention for both sides, Robb speculates.

According to Himmelsbach, the Celtics and Brown’s camp continued to talk over the weekend and into this week, and league sources remain confident that an extension will be completed sooner or later, but one source told The Globe that “there is work to be done” still.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

In a separate story for The Boston Globe, Himmelsbach looks at the friendship between former Duke teammates Jayson Tatum and Amile Jefferson, who is joining the Celtics’ coaching staff as an assistant for the 2023/24 season.
Grant Williams, whose sign-and-trade to Dallas was finalized on Wednesday, spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy Sports about leaving the Celtics, referring to it as a situation where “both sides just did what’s best for each.”
Dalano Banton, who said he’s excited to be joining a “championship organization,” wasn’t able to play in the Celtics’ first two Summer League games in Las Vegas due to a minor injury, according to Souchi Terada of MassLive.com. However, Banton apparently plans to play in Wednesday’s game. His two-year deal with Boston isn’t yet official but will presumably be finalized shortly.
Celtics draft-and-stash prospect Yam Madar, a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, has signed with Turkish club Fenerbahce, per a press release from the team. It’s a two-year deal with a third-year option, though it may include NBA outs.
In case you missed it, the Celtics officially signed Kristaps Porzingis to his two-year extension on Wednesday.

Celtics, Kristaps Porzingis Finalize Two-Year Extension

July 12th, 2023 at 3:44pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 12: Porzingis’ two-year extension with the Celtics is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

The deal, which is worth exactly $60MM, will pay the big man approximately $29.3MM in 2024/25 and $30.7MM in ’25/26, Hoops Rumors has learned.

JUNE 30: The Celtics and newly acquired big man Kristaps Porzingis are expected to finalize a two-year contract extension worth $60MM, reports Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link).

Porzingis, who was acquired by Boston in a trade last week, is extension-eligible but can only tack on a maximum of two new years to his current deal due to the NBA’s extend-and-trade restrictions. Marc Stein reported multiple times that Porzingis was likely to receive an extension from Boston.

A former All-Star with the Knicks, Porzingis has dealt with a series of injuries throughout his career, including a torn ACL that sidelined him for the entire 2018/19 season. However, he enjoyed his finest NBA season in ’22/23 with the Wizards, averaging 23.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.9 SPG and 1.5 BPG in 65 games (32.6 MPG).

In addition to his strong rim protection at 7’3″, Porzingis was also a very efficient scorer last season, posting a .498/.385/.851 shooting line, good for a 62.7% true shooting percentage, which accounts for twos, threes and free throws. He isn’t a traditional back-to-the-basket big man, but he excelled in the post in ’22/23 by using his size to shoot over opponents.

While the 27-year-old had a great season, it’s a major risk to add another $60MM to Porzingis’ contract. With Jaylen Brown highly likely to receive a super-max extension this summer (it will kick in next year) and Jayson Tatum certain to receive the same in 2024 (it would start in 2025), the Celtics are looking like a repeat taxpayer for the foreseeable future.

Still, if they can break through and win a title (or titles) in the coming years, I’m sure ownership will be happy to foot the bill.

Rory Maher contributed to this story.

Mavs Acquire Grant Williams In Three-Team Sign-And-Trade

July 12th, 2023 at 2:40pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 12: The Mavericks, Celtics, and Spurs have put out press releases officially confirming that their three-team deal is official. The terms of the deal are as follows:

Mavericks acquire Williams (via sign-and-trade), the Spurs’ 2025 second-round pick, and the Spurs’ 2028 second-round pick.
Spurs acquire Bullock and the right to swap 2030 first-round picks with the Mavericks.
Celtics acquire either the Pelicans’ or Bulls’ 2024 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable; from Spurs), the Mavericks’ 2030 second-round pick, and the right to swap the most favorable of the Wizards’, Warriors’, and Pistons’ 2025 second-round picks with the Mavericks’ 2025 second-round pick.

JULY 5: The Mavericks, Celtics and Spurs are finalizing a three-team trade that will send restricted free agent forward Grant Williams to Dallas, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

According to Charania, the Spurs will receive Reggie Bullock and an unprotected 2030 pick swap from the Mavs, while the Celtics will receive multiple second-round picks.

Charania hears Williams will receive a four-year, $54MM contract as part of the transaction, while ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has heard (via Twitter) it’s $53MM. The deal is fully guaranteed and does not feature any options, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The Celtics and Mavericks will each receive two second-rounders as part of the trade, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link). According to Adam Himmselsbach of The Boston Globe, the Celtics will also receive a 2025 second-round pick swap (Twitter link).

Interestingly, the reported figure Williams will receive is the value of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will be worth $53.34MM over four years. However, since the Mavs are acquiring him via sign-and-trade, they will preserve their MLE and still have “strong interest” in using it to sign restricted free agent Matisse Thybulle to an offer sheet, per Marc Stein (Twitter links). Dallas will be hard-capped at the first luxury tax apron due to the sign-and-trade, Stein notes.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks has a detailed list of the cap complications from the deal (via Twitter). The Mavs are approximately $9MM below the first apron, so they’ll have to clear some additional cap space to have access to the full MLE, which starts at $12.4MM in 2023/24.

They could open up an additional $3.4MM — the exact difference between those two figures — by releasing JaVale McGee and using the stretch provision on his contract, Marks adds. Dallas will also generate a $10.5MM trade exception, equivalent to Bullock’s outgoing salary.

The Celtics, meanwhile, will create a $6.2MM trade exception of their own, which is half of Williams’ projected salary. It would have cost Boston $40MM against the luxury tax to pay Williams’ salary, per Marks.

As for the Spurs, they’ll use some of their cap room to accommodate Bullocks’ $10.5MM salary, according to Marks, who notes they’ll have about $12.5MM in space remaining after the deal.

Himmelsbach was the first to point out (via Twitter) that Williams’ contract is right in the ballpark of what he was rumored to be seeking in an extension before the ’22/23 season started. Jared Weiss of The Athletic hears (Twitter link) the Celtics were willing to meet Williams’ asking price in the fall, but only if the deal included incentives.

Williams, 24, just completed his rookie scale contract and hit restricted free agency after four seasons with Boston. He turned himself into a valuable 3-and-D player in recent years, playing an important role in helping the Celtics make the Finals and Eastern Conference finals the past two seasons.

Since the start of ’21/22, Williams averaged 8.0 PPG and 4.1 RPG on .464/.403/.829 shooting in 156 games (44 starts, 25.1 MPG). His versatile defense was particularly essential in the postseason, and he could be a nice complementary fit next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who aren’t known for their play on that end. It’s also worth noting that Williams is from Houston, about 240 miles from Dallas.

Veteran wing Bullock, 32, is another 3-and-D player who often guards top perimeter players, though his defense slipped a bit last season to my eyes (Bullock’s 116.5 defensive rating was 0.4 worse than the team’s 25th-ranked D at 116.1). He has been a rotation regular over the past two seasons for Dallas and is a career 38.4% shooter from behind the arc.

As Marks noted, paying Williams would have been exorbitantly expensive, but he will be missed. His departure seemed likely after the Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis and his $36MM deal in a trade. They’ll reportedly receive some draft compensation to try and recoup some value in the sign-and-trade (they were rumored to be looking for a first-round pick).

Atlantic Notes: Beverley, Harden, J. Brown, Duke, Knicks

July 11th, 2023 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

Patrick Beverley played with James Harden in Houston for five seasons from 2012-17 and is hoping to get the opportunity to reunite with his old backcourt mate in Philadelphia. Acknowledging that the decision on how to handle Harden’s trade request is “above my pay grade,” Beverley said during his introductory press conference on Monday that he’d love it if Harden is still with the Sixers when the season begins.

“One of my decisions coming here was because James Harden was here,” Beverley said, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “So I hope he stays. Hope that everybody can kind of work something out and put that behind us and kind of move forward. I think it’s important.

“… I love him. James, I love you, bro. Stay. … I’m very familiar with James. And I’m excited. I’m excited to get it going. He knows I’m here. So we’ll see.”

Beverley officially signed his one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Sixers over the weekend. Harden’s future – or lack thereof – in Philadelphia will be one of the factors that determines what Beverley’s role looks like in 2023/24.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Extension discussions between Jaylen Brown and the Celtics have progressed as expected so far, and the two sides appear to be moving closer to an agreement, potentially within the next week, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Weiss adds that the three teams involved in the Grant Williams sign-and-trade – Boston, Dallas, and San Antonio – are still finalizing the details on all the draft picks involved in that complex deal, which should become official soon.
Although he didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Nets in June, David Duke has been playing for their Summer League team and remains hopeful about returning to Brooklyn, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Duke, who finished the season on a standard contract with the Nets after being promoted from his two-way deal, admitted that he was a little surprised not to be given a QO. “You know, things don’t always happen as you really expect it. So yeah, I can say that I was expecting (a qualifying offer),” he said. “But my whole career I feel like there’s been things that have kind of been thrown at me that I didn’t expect, so it’s not really something that shook me or anything like that. … I think if I take care of the stuff on the court, everything will fall into place.”
In a story for The Athletic, Fred Katz examines the impact Donte DiVincenzo could have on the Knicks‘ defense, outlines the unlikely incentives in DiVincenzo’s new contract, and weighs the value of the second-round picks the team got back in the Obi Toppin trade with Indiana.

Celtics Attend John Wall's Workout

July 10th, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics were among the teams that attended John Wall‘s private workout Sunday in Las Vegas, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. However, Brian Robb of MassLive doesn’t see Wall as a good fit in light of the team’s recent moves. Boston signed free agent point guard Dalano Banton this summer and already has Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Payton Pritchard on the roster. The Celtics are already facing a significant tax bill, Robb adds, and any free agent addition would bring millions more in tax penalties. Iko identifies the Trail Blazers as another team that sent representatives to watch Wall.

Celtics Sign JD Davison To Two-Way Deal

July 9th, 2023 at 7:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics have signed guard JD Davison to a two-way contract, according to a team press release.

Davison was chosen in the second round of the 2022 draft (No. 53 overall). He was on a two-way deal last season and appeared in 12 games during his rookie campaign, averaging 1.6 points and 0.9 assists in 5.5 minutes. Boston extended a qualifying offer to Davison last month, making him a restricted free agent.

Davison spent most of last season in the G League with the Maine Celtics. He appeared in 44 games and averaged 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 0.8 steals while shooting 49.7 percent from the field.

Davison attended Alabama during his college career and he’s still just 20 years old. He played just one season for the Crimson Tide, averaging 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game and earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team.

The Celtics still have two other two-way spots available.

NBA Reveals Dates, Groups For In-Season Tournament

July 8th, 2023 at 7:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA has announced the five-team groups that will used for the league’s first-ever in-season tournament, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The unveiling took place Saturday during a special episode of ESPN’s “NBA Today” held at “NBA Con” in Las Vegas.

The groups were determined in a draw similar to what is used in soccer’s World Cup. There are six groups — three each from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference — and each conference was split into five pots based on last season’s standings. One team was randomly selected from each of the pots to determine the opening-round matchups.

The results are:

Group 1: Sixers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Pacers and Pistons.
Group 2: Bucks, Knicks, Heat, Wizards and Hornets.
Group 3: Celtics, Nets, Raptors, Bulls and Magic.
Group 4: Grizzlies, Suns, Lakers, Jazz and Trail Blazers.
Group 5: Nuggets, Clippers, Pelicans, Mavericks and Rockets.
Group 6: Kings, Warriors, Timberwolves, Thunder and Spurs.

The tournament will start with group play, which will match each team with the other four in its grouping. Those games will take place on Nov. 3, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 and 28.

The winner of each group will advance to a knockout round, joined by the team with the best record in each conference among those who didn’t win a group. Quarterfinal games will be played Dec. 4 and 5, hosted by the higher-seeded teams. The four winners in that round will move on to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the Dec. 7 semifinals and the Dec. 9 championship game.

Bontemps points out that all teams will play within their conference until the last game, which guarantees an East vs. West matchup, just like the NBA Finals.

“Everybody’s not going to buy in right away,” admitted Joe Dumars, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations. “So that can’t be the goal that everybody’s going to buy in from day one. These things take time. And I think, as time goes on, I think you can build this up and people can really get into it.”

The championship trophy will be called the NBA Cup, and players will receive $500K each for winning it. Other prize money includes $200K for second place, $100K for losing in the semifinals and $50K for losing in the quarterfinals. The league opted not to provide other incentives, such as a guaranteed playoff spot, for the tournament winner.

We passed along more details on the in-season tournament right here.