Brad Stevens Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Notes: Free Agency, Zizic, Durant

June 26th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Celtics will be aggressive in free agency this summer and coach Brad Stevens offered some insight on the team’s strategy, as Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com passes along. “The biggest needs as we look at it are continuing to grow ourselves on the offensive end, and what we decide to do with regard to protecting the rim,” Stevens said. “You can protect the rim in a couple of different ways. No. 1 is you have somebody in there to protect it. No. 2 is you don’t let the ball get there, and you need versatile guys at a bunch of different positions. You need to keep guys out of rotations. If you look at our team right now, No. 2 would be more of the option.”

Here’s more out of Boston:

No.16 overall pick Guerschon Yabusele and No. 23 overall pick Ante Zizic both believe they can play for the Celtics right away. However, they are both open to playing overseas initially, Petraglia passes along in the same piece.
Team president Danny Ainge said that flexibility in free agency this offseason was a factor in the Celtics not making a major deal on draft night, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe passes along via Twitter.
Isaiah Thomas plans to assist in the recruiting process to bring Kevin Durant to the Celtics and he took to Twitter on Saturday to promote one of Durant’s signature shoes, writes Petraglia in a separate piece. The scribe notes that this is not the first time Thomas has taken to Twitter to reach out to Durant.

Celtics Notes: Thomas, Durant, Stevens

June 5th, 2016 at 3:27pm CST by Will Joseph

Isaiah Thomas will continue to try and lure Kevin Durant to the Celtics after the Boston guard deleted a tweet he had posted with the No. 35 next to a green shamrock, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe writes. It’s unlikely that Durant joins the Celtics, as Himmelsbach points out, but Thomas secured Durant’s number and plans to make a pitch via phone to the superstar.

“I definitely want to give him some time,” Thomas said. “I know that was a tough series and a long season for him. I wouldn’t want anyone calling me up about the biggest decision of my life right after the season’s over. So I’ll probably give him some time and casually talk to him, and then go all-in.”

Here’s more out of Boston:

Thomas, in the same piece from Himmelsbach, said the Celtics’ decisions to extend the contracts of head coach Brad Stevens and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge sent a “great message” to current and future players of the organization. Thomas also hopes restricted free agent Jared Sullinger and unrestricted free agent Evan Turner return to the Celtics, Himmelsbach relays.
Stevens’ wife, Tracy Wilhelmy Stevens, who is an attorney by trade, helped negotiate the deal and Stevens said that process began in the middle of the season, Mike Petraglia of WEEI relays. Talks of the extension started in early January at a time when the Celtics were scuffling so that indicates how much the front office and ownership believes in Stevens, Petraglia adds. “I guess I was kinda surprised,” Stevens said. “Again, it tells you the way that they think and the way that they value people around here. It’s why you enjoy working here.”

Atlantic Notes: Stevens, Austin, Hornacek

June 2nd, 2016 at 6:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who received a contract extension from the team this week, isn’t looking for a larger role or louder voice in the franchise’s decision-making process, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. “My voice is plenty loud,” said Stevens. “I’m not worried about that.” The coach trusts not only the front office, but the members of his coaching staff as well, to do their jobs, leaving him to coach, Blakely adds. “Those guys have a lot of responsibility to help, grow and enhance young players,” Stevens continued. “We all have a role to play. Certainly my opinion is asked but I’m not involved in the day to day. It’s good. We all just try to play our role as well as we can. We have great ownership that allows us to do that.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Former Northwest Florida State swingman Brandon Austin worked out for the Sixers today and has upcoming workouts set with the Raptors on June 6 and the Knicks on June 10th, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly relays (via Twitter).
French shooting guard Isaia Cordinier also worked out for the Sixers today and also has workouts scheduled with the Hawks, Celtics, Raptors and Pelicans, Camerato tweets.
With free agents reportedly turned off by the prospect of playing in the triangle offense last summer, the hope around the Knicks is that the addition of coach Jeff Hornacek and his faster-paced offense will attract players to New York, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes.
The Celtics liked what they saw from Dragan Bender during their overseas scouting trip despite the big man only seeing limited action while playing on a talented Maccabi Tel Aviv squad, Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald relays. “It’s a small body of work, but he was very good last year as a junior,” said Austin Ainge, Boston’s director of player personnel. “Combine that with the tools he has, and you can see it all come together in 10 minutes of playing time.”

Celtics Extend Danny Ainge, Brad Stevens

June 1st, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Before the NBA offseason gets underway in earnest, the Celtics have given new contracts to two key members of their organization, announcing today in a press release that general manager Danny Ainge and head coach Brad Stevens have signed extensions. Terms of those new deals have not yet been disclosed.

“A major job of ownership is to find the right people to run the basketball side,” Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck said in a statement. “We believe we have found them in Danny and Brad. Once you find your people, you need to support them in their efforts and create a work environment that enables them and the team to succeed. If all of that is in place, the topic of extending contracts becomes an easy one, because everybody wants to keep moving forward together.”

Stevens, who took over as the Celtics’ head coach in 2013, has a losing record overall, but the team has made tremendous strides under his watch. After winning just 25 games in 2013/14, Boston won 40 and 48 in Stevens’ next two seasons, earning playoff berths in both years. Stevens’ contract with the Celtics was a six-year pact and wasn’t set to expire until 2019, so the team has made a very early decision to extend it, signalling how pleased the franchise is with its coach.

“Brad has demonstrated the ability to get the very best out of his players,” Grousbeck said. “A number of guys have had career years playing for him: Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder, for example. And our young players have been developing very nicely. [Stevens] is a natural leader and a very skilled, strategic coach who is the right man to coach the Celtics.”

As for Ainge, he has been the Celtics’ GM since 2003, so his latest extension doesn’t come as a surprise. As a result of Ainge’s maneuvering, Boston holds eight picks in this year’s draft – including the No. 3 overall selection from Brooklyn – and has an excess of picks lined up for future years as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Celtics Notes: Draft, Stevens, Ainge

May 7th, 2016 at 2:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Armed with eight picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, the Celtics intend to work out as many players as is logistically possible, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com writes. “This is always a fun time, just to get to know so many players,” team executive Danny Ainge said. “I think this year is a really unique opportunity for us to get to interview and spend time with and have workouts with so many different players. Often when you’re in the middle or latter part of the first round, you don’t get to evaluate fully the top players in the draft. But with eight picks in this year’s draft, we have a full range of players that we’ll have an opportunity to see. So our draft workouts will be much busier this year than ever before.”

Ainge is optimistic about the talent in this year’s draft, but the team hasn’t zeroed in on whom it would take if the first-rounder coming its way from Brooklyn lands at No. 1 overall, Forsberg relays. “[The talent is] good, but we haven’t really seen it yet. I mean, we’ve seen [the top players] as [college] freshmen, but I think that there’s a lot of change that happens between now and the draft or from when the college season ends in March to the draft also, especially with the young kids,” Ainge said. “So there will be a lot of young kids at the top of this draft, and so I think it’s too early to evaluate. I think that we have a tendency to be more critical of kids and say they’re not this or they’re not that. And then we see them two years later in the All-Star Game. So I’ll reserve judgment on that for now and look forward to the opportunity of meeting the kids at the top of the draft.”

Here’s more from Boston:

Amid all the coaching turnover that has occurred this season, Brad Stevens gushed about his love for the city of Boston and how lucky he feels to be a member of the Celtics organization, Forsberg relays in a separate piece. “I will say this: Just doing the research before coming here and taking this job, I’m so fortunate to be here and so fortunate to be a head coach here because there’s obviously a lot of movement, but this is a great place to work and these are great people to work for,” Stevens said. “I have felt empowered every single day I’ve been here. That means that you feel like you made a great decision, and I’m very fortunate.“
The Celtics enter the offseason with a wealth of draft picks and ample cap space, which the team will need to transform into at least one star player if it hopes to move forward as a franchise, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes in his offseason primer. The scribe also opines that while Boston has a number of talented players on its roster, none of them project to develop into true stars.

Atlantic Notes: Afflalo, Durant, Powell, Early

April 1st, 2016 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Executives around the league believed Arron Afflalo was likely to turn down his $8MM player option for next season with the Knicks even before the shooting guard and interim coach Kurt Rambis began publicly disagreeing about whether they discussed Afflalo’s benching, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Afflalo’s choice is key since the team would have the cap flexibility necessary to chase middle-tier max free agents if he opts out, Begley notes. Afflalo and teammate Derrick Williams must decide on their player options no later than June 22nd, the day before the draft.

See more from the Atlantic Division:

Former Providence College head coach Tim Welsh said in an appearance on “Toucher & Rich” on WBZ-FM that his conversations with NBA types of late indicate that the Celtics will be on the list of teams Kevin Durant‘s will at least look at in free agency this summer, in large measure because of the allure of coach Brad Stevens (video link via Comcast Sports Net Northeast).
DeMarre Carroll‘s injury has given Raptors 2015 second-round pick Norman Powell more of a chance at the NBA level that first-rounder Delon Wright has had, and Powell is playing a much different role in Toronto than he did early this season on assignment with the team’s D-League affiliate, notes Eric Koreen of Sportsnet. Still, Raptors D-League coach Jesse Mermuys sees Powell’s time with Raptors 905 reflected in his play of late. “All he saw was the rim, no matter how many bodies were there,” Mermuys said of Powell’s D-League performance. “We really wanted to try to develop when he got to the paint and got to the rim and there was a crowd, [that he would be] able to make the right play and the simple play, which he dramatically improved in his time. The more time he played and worked at it, it was a pretty rapid improvement, which was a huge sign for him. His ability to improve at that rate is why he is in the position he’s in now.”
The Knicks have recalled Cleanthony Early from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). Early has made only one 19-second appearance at the NBA level since he was injured in a December shooting.

Atlantic Notes: Carroll, Afflalo, Stevens

March 29th, 2016 at 8:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

DeMarre Carroll may not return to action this season from right knee surgery, which underwent in early January, but Raptors coach Dwane Casey still maintains that no final decision has been made regarding the swingman, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays in a series of tweets. “I expect him [to return]; I’ve heard nothing else other than that,” Casey told reporters when asked if Carroll would play again this season. Kyle Lowry‘s balky right elbow is also a worry for Toronto, but Casey said the point guard’s injury merely involves a bursa sac and added that there’s no reason to shut him down for that sort of malady, Lewenberg writes. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun noted previously that Lowry’s elbow issues were affecting his shot and the team was seriously concerned as the season winds down.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks shooting guard Arron Afflalo isn’t thrilled with interim coach Kurt Rambis‘ decision to bring him off the bench and indicated that his role will influence his decision-making process this offseason, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Afflalo has a player option worth $8MM for the 2016/17 campaign. “It’s different, but all I can do is get out there and try my best,’’ Afflalo said. “With seven games to go, I’ll be able to assess what’s best for me as a player. Right now I got to do what the team asks me and play the minutes and role they ask me. Hopefully I’ll have more good games than bad.’’ The veteran also added that he doesn’t expect his role to change before the season ends, Berman notes. “I doubt it. It doesn’t matter to me at this point,” Afflalo said. “If things go well, I have intentions of it going well, [but] if not, I will move on to the next.’’
Boston was initially upset when Doc Rivers departed for the Clippers, but Brad Stevens remains the perfect coach to guide the Celtics through their rebuilding process, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. “I would have been into it if I kept the job, obviously, but I just think it worked out the way it was going to work out,” Rivers said. “It’s a great situation for them, but I think it would have worked either way, honestly. But Brad comes in with great energy, with youth. Having had to rebuild twice, this would have been my third, and that’s hard to do. People don’t appreciate that. I mean, talk to Brad. He’ll tell you how hard it is — and in nine years he won’t want to do it again either.” Bulpett notes that Stevens is far better equipped to develop and relate to the franchise’s younger players, having joined the Celtics directly from the college ranks.

Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Rambis, Galloway, Clarke

March 28th, 2016 at 3:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sixers chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo has an in with plenty of NBA stars as managing director of USA Basketball, but it’s off-base to suggest marquee players will flock to the Sixers anytime soon because of that, contends Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine. The Sixers are too far from contention to become the rare NBA team capable of convincing top-flight free agents to take discounts to sign with them, Bodner argues, suggesting the onus instead is on Colangelo and the rest of the Philly front office to make wise choices without any inherent advantage. The year ahead is critical for Colangelo and the Sixers, as Liberty Ballers managing editor Jake Pavorsky detailed Friday in the latest edition of our Top Bloggers series.

See more from the Atlantic Division:

Kristaps Porzingis has broken out of his slump, as Fred Kerber of the New York Post examines, and the numbers show he’s putting up essentially the same sort of production under Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis as he did under the fired Derek Fisher, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. That dismisses one of the arguments against the team removing the interim tag from Rambis’ title, Begley suggests.
The Knicks have reportedly given up on the idea of Langston Galloway as a point guard, but Rambis insists the team is still high on the soon-to-be free agent, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone relays. New York can make him a restricted free agent with a qualifying offer of about $1.18MM. “We like his defense, we like his ability to organize and execute our offense,” Rambis said. “We just continue to challenge him to broaden his game . . . He’s just not playing at his best right now.”
A versatile forward is what the Celtics probably want if they’re to fill their roster vacancy, coach Brad Stevens said today, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). Coty Clarke, whom the team has elected not to re-sign following the expiration of his second 10-day contract, would ostensibly fit that bill, but Boston prefers the flexibility of an open roster spot over another deal for him, wary of the possibility that an injury will create a need at another position, Himmelsbach wrote this weekend. Any new deal for Clarke would have to cover the rest of the season and the playoffs.

Celtics Rumors: Clarke, Crowder, Thomas, Smart

March 27th, 2016 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics won’t give Coty Clarke another contract after his second 10-day deal expires today, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston would have needed to sign the 6’7″ small forward for the rest of the season to keep him on the roster. A source told Himmelsbach the Celtics will consider bringing back Clarke in the future, but the team prefers to keep an open roster spot heading into the playoffs to guard against injury. Clarke, who spent most of the season with Boston’s D-League affiliate in Maine, first signed with the Celtics on March 7th. He saw six minutes of action in three games.

There’s more this morning out of Boston:

Jae Crowder, who hasn’t played since suffering a high ankle sprain March 11th, is considered day-to-day and could return this week, Himmelsbach relays in the same piece. There were initially fears that the injury could sideline Crowder through the first round of the playoffs.
Isaiah Thomas, who on Saturday made his second trip to Phoenix since being traded in February of 2015, told Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic that this visit was much less emotional. “Everybody when I got to the arena was showing a lot of love, like the workers and all that,'” the All-Star point guard said. “It’s a place that I like. I like the city. When I was here, they showed me a good time. There’s no bad feelings no more. It was just that one game. Now, it’s just another team, another game.”
Marcus Smart, whose recent shooting woes have led to trade speculation, impressed coach Brad Stevens with his all-around game in Saturday’s win, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Smart was just 2 of 7 from the field but had eight rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. “Those are the things that make Marcus special,” Stevens said. “Sometimes those go in a box score, sometimes they don’t. But he does them every game.”

Atlantic Notes: Turner, Crowder, Kilpatrick, Casey

March 21st, 2016 at 7:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics‘ Evan Turner is finally getting past the burden of being the second player taken in the 2010 draft, and it’s showing in his performance, writes Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly. The sixth-year swingman, who is rumored to be an offseason target for the Knicks, has become a valuable contributor in Boston, averaging 10 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 70 games this season. Turner never became the star the Sixers hoped he would be when they selected him, and he seemed out of place during a brief stay in Indiana in 2014. However, Turner has put together two solid seasons with the Celtics and seems well-positioned headed into free agency. “I just feel like the freedom to come in and play in a system that doesn’t demand and expect, ‘Hey, you’re the second player chosen.’ He took some hits in that early path,” said Sixers coach Brett Brown. “I see, like in a lot of young guys, they find their stride at a little bit later date. I’m proud of him.”

There’s more news out of Boston and the rest of the division:

Celtics coach Brad Stevens says Jae Crowder should be back on the court in about two weeks, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Crowder suffered a high ankle sprain in a March 11th game, and a report last week said he could be sidelined through the first round of the playoffs. But Stevens is more optimistic today, saying Crowder is making progress.
Sean Kilpatrick‘s 6’4″ size cast him as a tweener and helped him slip through the cracks up until recently, but his scoring versatility makes him a promising addition for the Nets, NetsDaily concludes in a video analysis. Kilpatrick signed a multiyear deal with Brooklyn this weekend following a pair of 10-day contracts.
Coach Dwane Casey’s tough-minded approach has helped the Raptors become a serious challenger for the Eastern Conference title, according to Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Entering tonight, Toronto was 48-21, just a game behind the Cavaliers for the No. 1 seed. It was widely expected that Masai Ujiri would make a coaching change when he took over as GM in 2013, but he stuck with Casey and later retained free agent point guard Kyle Lowry and the pair have become the emotional leaders of the franchise.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.