Avery Bradley Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Links: Pierce, Roster, Bradley, Ainge

December 7th, 2012 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics will jockey for early-season Atlantic Division position tonight when they play the Sixers in Philadelphia, as both teams enter the game with 10-8 records. In advance of the evening's contest, here are a few C's notes:

Appearing on WEEI in Boston, Paul Pierce discussed the Celtics' slow start, the effect Jason Terry has had on the locker room, and the value of Rajon Rondo, among other topics. Steven Cuce of Sports Radio Interviews has the quotes.
Within his ESPNBoston.com mailbag, Chris Forsberg says there's no rush for the Celtics to fill their 15th roster spot, and that the best opportunity for an addition likely won't happen until the trade or waiver deadline.
Although Danny Ainge didn't commit to a specific timetable, he said yesterday that Avery Bradley is "getting closer" to returning, writes Greg Payne of ESPBoston.com. Bradley is still unlikely to play for the C's before the new year.
Jerry Spar of WEEI.com examines the moves Ainge has made since the Celtics' last title, suggesting that the Celtics president's moves have missed more than they've hit over the last few years.

Odds & Ends: Howard, Robinson, Kaman, Bradley

December 5th, 2012 at 10:55pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Wednesday evening:

SportsDayDFW.com's Kevin Sherrington doesn't believe Dwight Howard would leave the Lakers for the Mavericks despite LA's current struggles.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes that Bulls guard Nate Robinson is working on improving his consistency this season.
Mavericks center Chris Kaman tells Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram that his former team, the Clippers, have a bright future.
Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com reports that Celtics guard Avery Bradley is making progress towards a return.
Doug Smith of the Toronto Star praises Raptors forward Amir Johnson for his energy and effort.
Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports that Knicks center Marcus Camby will miss time with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Eastern Notes: Lopez, J.R. Smith, Wall, Harkless

November 14th, 2012 at 10:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

It was a successful night for a pair of teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, as the Pistons blew out the Sixers en route to their first win after an 0-8 start, while the Bobcats dropped the Wolves for their third win in a row, moving to 4-3. The Wizards failed to join that group, and are the NBA's lone remaining winless team after losing to the Mavericks tonight. There's more on Washington and other news from the East right here.

After committing to Brook Lopez this summer, the Nets have raised their expectations of the fifth-year center, according to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt, who says the team signed Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche so they could help Lopez improve.
J.R. Smith said in training camp he wanted to start at shooting guard, but now he says he's "loving" his role as sixth man for the unbeaten Knicks, for whom he's off to a hot start, observes Nate Taylor of The New York Times.
As the 0-7 Wizards search in vain for their first win, the frustration is mounting for John Wall, who's without a timetable for a return from a stress fracture in his right knee, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. Wall will be eligible for an extension to his rookie-scale contract next summer.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says rookie Maurice Harkless, who missed preseason while recovering from sports hernia surgery, is already starting to show his worth a week after his debut for the Magic.
Hedo Turkoglu had hoped to be back from his broken left hand about two weeks from now, but after doctors had to put the hand back in a cast today, he could be out for another month, reports John Denton of Magic.com.
Richard Hamilton, whose $5MM deal for next season is only guaranteed for $1MM, could be a free agent next summer, but he's okay with Tom Thibodeau's plans to limit his minutes to keep him healthy, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes.
The Celtics are considering a D-League rehab stint for Avery Bradley once he's healthy, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.

Odds & Ends: Harden, Bradley, Suns

November 4th, 2012 at 4:03pm CST by Michael Pina

In a column by Adrian Wojnarowski, the Yahoo! sports scribe writes that the Rockets are already James Harden's team. How Harden reacts to being a leader could dictate where the franchise goes from here, according to Wojnarowski. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league:

Celtics guard Avery Bradley is on schedule to return to the team in six weeks after undergoing surgery on both shoulders in the offseason, writes the Boston Herald's Steve Bulpett.
On SheridanHoops.com, Jan Hubbard writes that the Suns have a questionable future with no superstar on their roster.
South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman reports that Heat second round pick Jarvis Varnado is in the D-League, and the team has lost his rights.
Hoopsworld.com looks at some underrated offseason acquisitions.
The Washington Post's Michael Lee gives a closer look at the importance of 2014, and what it means for the NBA.

Celtics Pick Up Option On Avery Bradley

October 30th, 2012 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have exercised their fourth-year option on guard Avery Bradley, the team announced today in a press release. The move will ensure that the 21-year-old is on the books for a guaranteed $2.51MM salary in 2013/14.

With Bradley officially under contract for '13/14, the Celtics will receive the opportunity to sign him to a contract extension next offseason. If the two sides don't work out a deal at that point, Bradley will become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2014.

After undergoing surgeries on both his shoulders this offseason, Bradley will miss the start of the season as he continues to rehab. He hopes to return to the court for the Celtics at some point in December.

Celtics Notes: Offseason, Allen, Barbosa, Bradley

October 21st, 2012 at 10:25pm CST by Alex Lee

It seems hard to steal the NBA's offseason headlines without landing a star these days. While the Celtics didn't do that, the team had an extremely effective offseason, adding Jeff Green, Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Leandro Barbosa and drafting Jared Sullinger, Fab Melo and Kris Joseph. Chuck Myron posted some Celtic-specific links this morning, and here are a couple more:

Doc Rivers said the Celtics will carry 15 players and that the team will announce the final cuts soon, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely. Blakely also says that Kris Joseph will get the 15th spot, meaning Rob Kurz and Micah Downs will be cut. We will keep an eye out for official word from the C's in the coming days.
Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald tweets that he doesn't think that Kurz and Downs will be on the Celtics roster for much longer. The signing of Leandro Barbosa seems to have closed the door on their roster hopes.
In this CSN New England video, former NBAer turned
Celtics analyst Donny Marshall addresses Ray Allen's comments over the weekend
that the Celtics put him in a position where he had to leave.
Marshall, who played 119 games for the Cavs and Nets, said it is easy to blame
the player, but many times the teams are just as much at fault in situations like this one.
We heard earlier that Barbosa talked to the
Lakers before joining the Celtics. While the newly-signed Barbosa won't be
playing for the team until his visa issues are resolved, the veteran guard has said all the right things since arriving in
Boston, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston.
Jimmy Toscano of CSN New England caught up with Avery Bradley, who is now shooting every other day to work his way back from two offseason shoulder surgeries. Bradley is on track to come back in mid-December and while the team is deeper than they were last year, Bradley is hoping to come back stronger than ever: "I just have to be ready for my team. If I'm starting, I'm starting. If I'm not, I'm not. I just have to be prepared for what Doc wants me to do, and I'm going to. Like I tell everybody, I'm going to come back stronger than last year."

Atlantic Rumors: Iguodala, Sixers, Moon, Bradley

October 11th, 2012 at 8:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sixers swingman Jason Richardson made waves earlier today, telling reporters he expected the Magic to trade him because of his representation by Dan Fegan, who also serves as Dwight Howard's agent. He's not the only player involved in the Howard/Andrew Bynum blockbuster causing a stir, as news from around the Atlantic Division trickles in.

Former Sixers star Andre Iguodala recently told Matt Moore of CBSSports.com that he hasn't really enjoyed the game the past couple of years and felt drained by constant criticism. Doug Collins doesn't perceive that as a swipe at him, telling Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News, "I feel great about our time together."
Evan Turner also took Iguodala's remarks in stride, as Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com reports.
Free agent Jamario Moon, who saw his best days with the Raptors, has switched agents as he continues to hold out hope of latching on with an NBA team, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets. He's now with Jared Karnes after having been represented by Wallace Prather.
Avery Bradley and Celtics coach Doc Rivers agree on a mid-December timetable for the guard's return from surgery on both shoulders, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. There's no return date for center Chris Wilcox, who's suffering from back spasms as he battles back from heart surgery.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers is searching for one more player to join Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green in the team's crunch-time lineup, Blakely writes.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders whether Chris Smith's injury will open the door for fellow shooting guard and training camp invitee Mychel Thompson to make the Knicks opening-day roster. Smith and Thompson are on non-guaranteed minimum-salary deals.

Eastern Notes: Calderon, Bradley, Harkless, Singler

September 24th, 2012 at 6:12pm CST by Michael Pina

Here's a quick look around at what's going on in the busy Eastern Conference.

A point guard who spent much of the summer embroiled in relentless trade rumors, Jose Calderon told the Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat that he never demanded a trade, and that he wants to win games in Toronto. (Twitter link) Rumors first began to surface when the Raptors traded a lottery pick for former Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry, making Calderon his backup. Given his contract as one of the team's highest paid players, (he's due $10.5MM for the 2012/13 season), the Spanish guard was also seen as a likely amnesty candidate, but it appears he's steadied both those storms and will head to Raptors training camp feeling comfortable about his situation. Calderon is set to become a free agent next summer.
After undergoing offseason surgery on both of his shoulders, Celtics guard Avery Bradley will not be back until at least December, possibly January, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers told ESPNBoston.com's Jackie MacMullan. An earlier report by CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely surmised that Bradley could return as soon as opening day.
Rookie guard Moe Harkless will miss all of Magic training camp as he recovers from sports hernia surgery he had in August. The Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins believes the missed time could be a crucial hindrance for Harkless' development. He isn't expected back until the middle of November.
MLive.com's Brendan Savage writes a profile on former Duke and current Pistons forward Kyle Singler.

Celtics Rumors: Fisher, Bibby, Barbosa, Pietrus

September 22nd, 2012 at 4:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Keyon Dooling's retirement reduced the number of fully guaranteed contracts on the Celtics roster to 13. Though Dionte Christmas and Jamar Smith have small partial guarantees of $237K and $25K, respectively, the team appears to have the flexibility to add another free agent. They still possess their $1.957MM biannual exception, and with Dooling retired and Avery Bradley recovering from right shoulder surgery, they could be in the market for an experienced backup to point guard Rajon Rondo. In the meantime Jason Terry will serve in that capacity, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, who believes the former Mav will make the greatest contribution of all the new Celtics this year (Twitter links). Blakely unleashed a series of tweets full of notable Celtics rumors, and we've rounded them up here:

While Dooling will be missed, Blakely doesn't think the team will go after Derek Fisher or Mike Bibby to replace him (Twitter links).
Leandro Barbosa and Mickael Pietrus aren't likely to join the Celtics either, Blakely says (Twitter links). Barbosa has indicated a willingness to sign for the minimum with a contender, while Pietrus expressed an interest in returning to Boston, but for the biannual exception instead of the minimum.
Darko Milicic, who signed a guaranteed one-year minimum deal, is a worthwhile gamble given his low price, Blakely thinks (Twitter link).
The last we heard on Bradley's recovery was that it might keep him out until mid-December. Blakely says it's possible, although not likely, that he'll be back for the regular season opener, and believes Bradley will eventually retake the starting shooting guard job from Courtney Lee. (All Twitter links).
Amongst the team's rookies, Jared Sullinger figures to get the most playing time, Blakely tweets.
The Celtics have "a very good shot" at a championship, but it hinges on the team's health, Blakely opines (Twitter link).
Kenyon Martin has been linked to the Celtics recently, but he'll require more than the minimum, according to Timberwolves assistant coach Bill Bayno, who says that's why his team isn't pursuing the big man, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 radio.

Doc Rivers Talks Garnett, Bass, Lee, Heat

September 17th, 2012 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

At Boston Community Development's Hoop Dreams event last week, Celtics coach Doc Rivers sat down with longtime Boston sportswriter Bob Ryan to answer a few questions about his team heading into the 2012/13 season. The Fab Empire provided video of the Q&A session in three parts, and CelticsBlog did a great job of recapping Rivers' most interesting comments, so let's check out the highlights….

Kevin Garnett feels fantastic — "the best he has felt in years," according to Rivers.
Rivers felt that playing Brandon Bass and Garnett at the four and five respectively created matchup problems, since opposing big men didn't want to come out of the paint to defend the duo's jump shots.
Even before Ray Allen was injured and Avery Bradley emerged as the starting two guard last season, Rivers had hoped to bring Allen off the bench to provide scoring for the second unit. Rivers added that he expects Courtney Lee to start at shooting guard this year, at least until Bradley is fully healthy.
Noting that the Celtics were third in field-goal percentage but 30th in field-goal attempts last season, Rivers stressed that his team has to play at a faster pace. He'd also like to see his players getting to the foul line more often, since that gives the team time to set up its defense at the other end.
The Heat are "always on my mind," says Rivers, who adds that he brings the Eastern Conference champs up constantly to his players and wants his guys to hate Miami. The C's coach confessed that his team wouldn't likely win a "track meet" with the Heat, but said that if the game became a "thinking meet," he would give his team the edge.