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Eastern Notes: Cavs, Mitchell, Sirvydis, Tatum, Raptors

August 24th, 2022 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest roundup of Donovan Mitchell rumors, Ian Begley of SNY.tv confirms that the Cavaliers have “touched base” with the Jazz about Mitchell in recent days. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 named Cleveland as one of the teams with interest in Mitchell in a Tuesday report.

Begley observes that the Cavaliers have the young players and draft picks necessary to make a competitive offer for Mitchell, but stresses that their level of interest in the Jazz star is unknown.

As I noted on Tuesday, it would be a little surprising to see the Cavaliers make a serious bid for someone like Mitchell after just locking up Darius Garland to a maximum-salary extension. Garland and Mitchell could theoretically play together, but going all-in to acquire another ball-dominant guard may not be the best use of assets for a Cavs team that has a greater need for a two-way forward.

Here’s more from around the East:

  • Deividas Sirvydis‘ new one-year contract with the Pacers includes Exhibit 10 language, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means it could be converted into a two-way deal before opening night or could put Sirvydis in line to earn a $50K bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with Indiana’s G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
  • Reacting to the revelation that Jayson Tatum played through a non-displaced fracture in his wrist during the second half of the 2021/22 season, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston observes that Tatum’s ability to stay on the court enhances his value to the Celtics. Since entering the NBA in 2017, Tatum has missed just 25 of 390 regular season games and has appeared in all 74 of Boston’s playoff contests.
  • In the second installment of a two-part mailbag, Eric Koreen of The Athletic considers whether the Raptors would have real interest in Myles Turner as a trade target, evaluates what two-way player Jeff Dowtin brings to Toronto, and weighs whether another Canadian city could get an NBA expansion team.
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Brad Stevens Met With Jaylen Brown, Likes Roster

August 23rd, 2022 at 10:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While the news of Kevin Durant withdrawing his demand to be traded broke on Tuesday, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens already had a candid discussion with Jaylen Brown regarding trade chatter, as Christopher Price of the Boston Globe relays.

Speaking on radio station WEEI, Stevens said that he met with Brown — the most prominent player that any Durant suitor was reportedly willing to part with — in Los Angeles last week.

“Jaylen’s been through this from the standpoint of listening and the noise has been around him for a long time,” Stevens said. “I think one of the things you have to be able to do is ignore the noise and know what’s important. Also, [to] be able to reach out and have candid and transparent communications with the people involved. We’ve had those, and been very open from the get-go as all of this has been going on for any of our guys.”

Stevens indicated that the Celtics front office hasn’t been engaged in trade discussions for awhile, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets.

Stevens believes that the acquisition of point guard Malcolm Brogdon from Indiana has already upgraded the team’s chances for another deep playoff run.

“Since the Brogdon trade, we’ve felt really good about our team,” he said. “We felt really good about building around these guys that we’ve been building around, trying to accentuate our best players. We’re excited to move forward with our team, and that’s really been our focus for a while.”

Extension talks with Brown are also on the agenda. Stevens says he’d like to lock up Brown beyond his current contract, which runs through the 2023/24 season, Forsberg adds in another tweet.

“He is a huge core piece of what we’re doing and has been for six years now,” Stevens said. “We’re excited to hopefully put our best foot forward to have him here for a long time.”

The Celtics wing is eligible for a three-year extension this offseason. However, it’s probably in his best interests to wait until next offseason or until free agency to maximize his earnings and to try to qualify for a designated veteran extension.

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Celtics To Sign Denzel Valentine To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 22nd, 2022 at 10:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have agreed to a deal with free agent swingman Denzel Valentine, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that Valentine will be signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Boston and will compete in training camp for a spot on the regular season roster.

The 14th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Valentine spent the first five years of his NBA career in Chicago before signing last offseason with the Cavaliers. He played a minor role in 22 games for Cleveland, then was dealt in January to the Knicks, who waived him. Following a 10-day contract with the Jazz, Valentine played in the G League for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

Considered a strong three-point shooter, Valentine has made 36.0% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 256 NBA appearances (18.8 MPG). He has also knocked down 41.2% of his three-pointers in a small G League sample (16 games). Valentine appeared in 12 games (31.9 MPG) last season with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate, filling up the box score with 14.6 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 7.0 APG.

The Celtics have at least 11 players expected to make their regular season roster, with Luke Kornet viewed as a strong candidate to be the 12th. The team has reportedly reached deals with Valentine, Bruno Caboclo, and Noah Vonleh to compete for the 13th and 14th spots — free agents like Brodric Thomas and Justin Jackson are also expected by local reporters to vie for a spot on Boston’s roster.

Because Valentine has been in the NBA for five seasons, he’s ineligible to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal, but he could earn a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and reports back to Maine for at least 60 days.

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Grizzlies Among Teams Inquiring On Kevin Durant

August 22nd, 2022 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies are showing interest in Kevin Durant and have made “new inquiries” on the Nets‘ star forward, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

As Charania writes within his round-up of the latest Durant-related rumors from around the NBA, the Grizzlies could include up to five first-round picks in a package for the two-time Finals MVP (their own 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029 selections, plus Golden State’s top-four protected 2024 pick). The team also has a bevy of young talent on its roster beyond star guard Ja Morant, including Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams, Brandon Clarke, Kennedy Chandler, and David Roddy.

However, according to Charania, Memphis hasn’t appeared inclined to offer Jackson or Bane (or, of course, Morant) in a deal for Durant, preferring to build an offer around their draft picks. Given that the Nets are reportedly seeking a win-now return for Durant, that sort of offer is unlikely to pique their interest, even if the picks are unprotected — those first-rounders may have to be rerouted to a third team that could send Brooklyn the kind of impact players the team is seeking.

While the Grizzlies are an intriguing new suitor for Durant, there are still a number of other teams in the mix. The Celtics, Raptors, and Heat remain among the most significant threats to land the 33-year-old, Charania says, though Toronto has continued to resist including Scottie Barnes and Miami has “yet to seriously engage” in any discussions involving Bam Adebayo. Boston, meanwhile, has been unwilling to include Marcus Smart or Robert Williams in addition to Jaylen Brown, Charania says.

The Suns also remain involved, offering up Mikal Bridges and a series of draft picks, according to Charania, but they appear to be behind those Eastern teams among Durant’s most serious suitors.

Charania identifies the Sixers, Bucks, Nuggets, and Pelicans as some of the other teams that have expressed interest in Durant, though he confirms that New Orleans deemed Brandon Ingram untouchable.

According to Charania, the Hawks also made an offer for Durant, putting John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and a draft pick on the table. The details of that pick are unclear, but Atlanta could trade its own 2023 and 2029 first-rounders or Sacramento’s lottery-protected 2024 pick.

Although Charania doesn’t specify exactly how the Nets felt about the Hawks’ offer, he says none of Brooklyn’s discussions have gained any serious traction. There are still five weeks before training camps get underway, which could be a fraught week for the Nets, assuming Durant remains on the roster — it’s unclear whether or not he’ll show up to camp if his trade request hasn’t been granted.

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Eastern Notes: Tatum, Herro, Oubre, Thibodeau, Brunson

August 21st, 2022 at 7:09pm CST by JD Shaw

Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum played with a small non-displaced fracture in his left wrist this past season, he revealed in an interview with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report. Tatum suffered the injury on February 13 against the Hawks.

In May, Tatum revealed he was dealing with wrist pain after being fouled by Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he wouldn’t go into more detail. He received a cortisone shot for the pain and continued playing.

Tatum sounded optimistic that the wrist won’t be an issue going forward, as he’s no longer dealing with pain. The 24-year-old led Boston to its first NBA Finals berth since 2010 this season, averaging 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the playoffs.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Heat guard Tyler Herro unsurprisingly wants the team to run it back with the same group this season, as relayed by Betr (Twitter link). This would require that the team doesn’t acquire Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell, both of whom would likely require Herro to be traded. Miami suffered a significant blow when P.J. Tucker signed with the Sixers in free agency, but otherwise looks very similar to last season’s team.
  • Hornets forward Kelly Oubre Jr. should be monitored as a potential trade piece this season, an NBA executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Oubre, 26, averaged 15.0 points on 44% shooting last season. If the Hornets look to improve their center position, it’s possible he could be included in a deal.
  • Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is “ecstatic” about the arrival of Jalen Brunson this season, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Thibodeau believes he can turn Brunson from a B-minus player to a B-plus one, a source tells Berman, which would largely start on the defensive end. Brunson signed a four-year, $104MM deal to join the Knicks this offseason.
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Celtics Notes: R. Williams, Roster Spots, Ryan

August 20th, 2022 at 9:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

There aren’t any long-term concerns about the knee injury that forced Celtics center Robert Williams to undergo late-season meniscus surgery, sources close to the team tell Brian Robb of MassLive. Williams experienced soreness and swelling in his left knee throughout the postseason, but was able to take part in 17 of Boston’s 24 playoff games.

No follow-up surgery was needed during the offseason, and Williams is expected to be 100% when training camp opens in about five weeks. Robb adds that Williams has been posting some of his workouts on Instagram, and they include a lot of strength training.

Robb doesn’t expect Williams’ role to change much in the upcoming season, but the coaching staff would like to see him become more aggressive with finishing around the rim on the theory that opposing defenses will be stretched further by the team’s improved outside shooting.

There’s more from Boston:

  • The Celtics will likely keep one roster spot open at the start of the season due to luxury tax considerations, which sets up an intense battle heading into camp, Robb adds in the same piece. Robb sees Noah Vonleh and Justin Jackson as the most likely candidates to make the final roster, but he expects Bruno Caboclo, Brodric Thomas and possibly other players to make it a difficult decision.
  • Matt Ryan, who ended last season on a two-way contract, won’t be with the Celtics in training camp, Robb writes in a separate story. A source tells Robb that a “roster crunch” doesn’t leave any room for Ryan. The 25-year-old small forward signed the deal at the end of February and appeared in one NBA game.
  • Heat guard Duncan Robinson and Bucks guard Pat Connaughton are both critical of the Celtics’ set-up for visiting teams. Appearing on Robinson’s “Long Shots” podcast (hat tip to Thomas Darro of Heavy), Connaughton said the TD Garden is “the worst visiting team locker room in the NBA.”
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Atlantic Notes: Russell, Celtics Roster, Durant, Nets

August 18th, 2022 at 7:23pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Celtics have revealed that they will wear Bill Russell-themed City Edition jerseys 12 times during the 2022/23 season to honor the life and legacy of the 11-time Boston champion, reports Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link), who recaps a Celtics press statement announcing the news. Two of those city jersey appearances will happen during a pair of Russell-themed home tribute contests, one against the Sixers in October and the other against the Grizzlies in February.

The Celtics’ press statement notes that Russell himself was consulted for the development of the tributary City Edition uniform in recent years, in collaboration with the team and the NBA. Russell, a 12-time All-Star and five-time NBA MVP, passed away last month at age 88.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Fresh off a 2022 Finals run, the Celtics are hoping a bolstered bench can help them win a title in 2023. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe unpacks the team’s current roster. The club added point guard Malcolm Brogdon – who started while with his prior club, the Pacers – but clarified that 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart will remain the team’s starting point guard. Another new addition, veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, will also help strengthen the club’s second unit. Himmelsbach notes that head coach Ime Udoka will prioritize Boston’s health heading into the postseason and lean on the team’s improved depth, particularly given the age of starting center Al Horford and the injury history of starting center Robert Williams.
  • The Nets are reportedly holding out hope that All-Star forward Kevin Durant will reconsider his request to be traded away from Brooklyn, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told Malika Andrews on NBA Today (YouTube video link). Windhorst revealed that, even as the Nets front office continues to parse through a variety of potential deals, the team is trying to suss out exactly what Durant would require for a return. He recently met with team owner Joe Tsai in London to demand that the team fire president of basketball operations Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.
  • Though the Nets were allotted 26 national television appearances during the 2021/22 regular season, the NBA has opted to slash that tally in half heading into 2022/23, perhaps indicating that the league itself is dubious Kevin Durant will remain with the club long-term, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Lewis notes that, amidst the uncertainty surrounding the futures of stars Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn may not hold as much national appeal to audiences.
  • In some more positive news, Lewis notes that the Nets‘ third star, Ben Simmons, should be fully healthy in time for the team’s October 19 season opener against the Pelicans.
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More Than 30 NBA Players On Track To Suit Up For EuroBasket

August 18th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The first EuroBasket tournament in five years will tip off in two weeks and there are currently 34 NBA players on track to participate in the event, representing 17 different countries, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net.

EuroBasket is a 24-team international basketball competition also known as the European Basketball Championship. It historically took place every two years, but that gap was recently adjusted to four years, emulating the FIBA World Cup schedule.

The last EuroBasket tournament was played in 2017 — the next one had been scheduled for 2021, but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. As a result, after being played every two years since 1947, it has now been five years since the last EuroBasket tournament, easily the longest layoff since World War II.

It’s possible that some NBA players will be cut from their teams’ rosters or will have to drop out due to injuries or personal reasons before the event begins on September 1, but in general enthusiasm to participate in the long-awaited event appears high.

Here’s the list of NBAers currently set to play in EuroBasket, per Eurohoops:

There are also multiple NBA free agents on EuroBasket rosters, including French swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and German guard Dennis Schröder.

A number of young NBA players, such as 2022 draftees Jeremy Sochan and Nikola Jovic, have dropped out to focus on getting ready for the 2022/23 season, while others, including Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) and Frank Ntilikina (France), were ruled out due to injuries.

Round robin play will begin on September 1, with each team facing the other five clubs in its group once. The top four teams in each group will advance to a 16-team bracket that begins on September 10. The final will take place on September 18, just over a week before NBA training camps get underway.

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Room for Pritchard, Hauser In Celtics' Rotation?

August 17th, 2022 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams
  • Jared Weiss of The Athletic takes a look at whether or not there will be regular minutes available in the Celtics‘ rotation for Payton Pritchard and/or Sam Hauser following the team’s offseason acquisition of Malcolm Brogdon. While Weiss believes both players are capable of contributing in Boston, he suggests they’ll have to earn their playing time.
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Pelicans Reportedly Unwilling To Offer Ingram In Package For Durant

August 16th, 2022 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are unwilling to include Brandon Ingram in a trade offer for Nets star Kevin Durant, league sources tell Christian Clark of NOLA.com.

New Orleans has been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Durant, who is pushing for a trade out of Brooklyn. Building an offer around Ingram would mean offering up a young forward with an All-Star nod on his résumé — the Pelicans would also be able to dip into their draft pick surplus from the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday blockbusters to give the Nets the kind of future assets they’re believed to be seeking.

However, according to Clark, the Pelicans want to see how Ingram and Zion Williamson play together in 2022/23, with Williamson on track to return from a foot injury that sidelined him for the entire ’21/22 season. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously reported in late July that the Pelicans had yet to put Ingram on the table in trade talks for Durant.

While it’s possible New Orleans will make some minor roster changes before opening night, Clark says not to expect any “earth-shattering” moves, adding that it’s unlikely the club will get seriously involved in the Durant sweepstakes.

In his latest look at the Durant situation, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes that executives around the league view the Celtics as the “unofficial” frontrunners to land the 33-year-old due to their reported willingness to include Jaylen Brown in their offer. However, league sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe the C’s aren’t close to making a deal for Durant and haven’t even really engaged in any “discussions of substance” with the Nets.

Brooklyn could accelerate the process by lowering the asking price for the former MVP, but there’s no indication that will happen anytime soon, if at all.

“(Nets general manager Sean) Marks is still asking for the world; that won’t change,” one front executive told Amick late last week.

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