Danny Ainge Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: J. Jackson, Ball, Fultz, Strategies To Avoid

May 30th, 2017 at 5:04pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Is Josh Jackson a better prospect than Lonzo Ball? In a fascinating detail-rich piece, Rob Dauster of NBC Sports tackles this question. The column focuses on Jackson, outlining his strengths and weaknesses. The Kansas product’s most prominent strengths include his length, superior athleticism, competitiveness, and versatility. Dauster considers the forward’s main weaknesses to be his jump shot and his tendency to make defensive lapses.

After a careful and extensive consideration of Jackson’s game, Dauster concludes that he is a better prospect than Ball and the second-best prospect in the draft. In fact, the writer contends that the gap between Markelle Fultz and Jackson is smaller than the gap between Jackson and Ball.

Here are a couple more draft-related items:

Speaking of Fultz, the point guard said Tuesday that he has had multiple conversations with Danny Ainge since the draft combine, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN. Fultz told ESPN: “I want to be the No. 1 pick really bad. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, and I feel like I would fit well in Boston.” The Washington freshman elaborated on his fit with the Celtics and star Isaiah Thomas: “We can both play on or off the ball. We can both score and also pass. I think we’d be great together. When we’ve talked since the lottery, we haven’t really talked about basketball much. He’s been through a lot lately.”
What are the most dangerous mistakes that NBA teams make during the draft? Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders describes the seven most common flawed strategies that can lead to “egregious error” in the draft. We strongly encourage you to read the full piece on the topic, as it includes juicy details, such as which players from this year’s draft class are potential busts based on each blunder from the list. Check out the piece to see Brigham’s full list.

Danny Ainge: ‘We Want To Keep Isaiah’

May 28th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge won’t let financial concerns force the team to get rid of Isaiah Thomas, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald.

Since Boston’s playoff run ended, there have been rumors that Thomas may not be part of the team’s long-term future, despite the outstanding season he just turned in. The two-time All-Star averaged 28.9 points per game and was considered part of the MVP race.

Thomas has one season left on his contract at about $6.26MM before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2018, when the Celtics will also face decisions about Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart. Thomas is eligible for an extension this summer, and while Ainge didn’t promise that will happen, he tried to quash rumors about a possible deal.

“Yeah, we can fit everybody in,” Ainge said. “But listen, those are questions that I don’t even have answers for yet. That’s part of the difficult puzzle that is all hard. All I’m saying is those are things I have to worry about that even I don’t like to think about. And I know that those are going to be difficult decisions at some point. But we want to keep Isaiah.

“All I know is that he’s had an amazing year, and who doesn’t want Isaiah Thomas on their team? Like, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Thomas was third in the league scoring race and earned second-team All-NBA honors. Ainge said he had one of the most impressive seasons ever compiled by a Celtics player, putting it in a class with the best of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Larry Bird and Bill Russell.

He also laughed at the idea that money will be a factor in keeping Thomas.

“Why do the fans need to worry about how much money he makes?” Ainge said. “I can understand if Isaiah and his wife and his agent are worried about that, but I don’t understand why that’s a conversation that needs to be had in the media.”

Ainge: Celtics Have Good Players But We Need Great Ones

May 27th, 2017 at 9:59am CST by marksuleymanov

Coming off a season in which the Celtics were the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference and stole a win against the Cavaliers in the conference finals, the team has every reason to be optimistic. However, team President Danny Ainge now enters the offseason with a lot of key decisions to make that could potentially restructure the entire roster.

Ainge spoke to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald to discuss his team and plans moving forward. While Ainge views the 2016/17 campaign as a positive step, he acknowledged that the road to a championship will be the biggest challenge moving forward.

“I feel like it doesn’t really matter what we’ve accomplished. If we’d lost Game 7 against the Wizards, I don’t feel any different than if we’re where we are today,” Ainge said. “I know that we’re good. I know that we’re not great. I know that we still have more to do, and, you know, that next step is by far the hardest.”

All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas will hit free agency after next season and is open to putting off extension talks to allow the Celtics to lure free agents. Also, the team holds the No.1 overall pick in the NBA Draft — which they’re expected to use on Washington product Markelle Fultz. In terms of free agents, the team will will have to make decisions on Gerald Green, Amir Johnson, and Jonas Jerebko with Kelly Olynyk a restricted free agent. Players like Al Horford, Marcus Smart, and Avery Bradley currently figure into next year’s plans but trades for superstar players could results in any one of them moving.

“We have a lot of good players,” Ainge said, “but we need some great ones.”

Also, the team’s young but successful head coach Brad Stevens will be a key influence in the team’s decisions. An argument can be made that Stevens’ presence will be as big a recruitment tool as any player on the the roster. All told, fans, players, coaches, executives, and anybody associated with the Celtics should expect a revamped team — in some form — next season.

“So I feel like, yeah, this will be a very busy summer with a lot of difficult decisions,” Ainge said. “I feel like we will be prepared and are prepared. The only person that hasn’t been involved in day-to-day discussions with what we’ll try to do is Brad [Stevens], and he will be filled in on everything once he gets a little bit of rest. He will be filled in and be a big part of the decisions that we make.”

Celtics Were Willing To Deal Thomas For Lottery Pick In ’16 Draft

May 20th, 2017 at 9:21pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Celtics had the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 draft and they used the selection to nab University of California’s Jaylen Brown. GM Danny Ainge wanted to acquire another lottery selection in addition to the team’s top-3 pick and he dangled everyone on the team in trade discussions, including Isaiah Thomas, ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan reports.

“Before the draft last year, Danny was trying to get two picks, not just Jaylen Brown,” MacMullan told Bob Ryan on his podcast (h/t Comcast Sportsnet). “He was on the phone with everybody from coast to coast, and he was offering everybody. That includes Marcus Smart and Isaiah Thomas, and anything else they needed to get where he wanted to go. There were no untouchables on that team last year.”

MacMullan believes the only untouchable on Boston’s roster this summer will be Al Horford. The big man signed a four-year, $113MM deal with the team last offseason.

The Celtics won the lottery earlier this week and earned the top selection in the 2017 draft. In addition to the No. 1 overall selection, the franchise owns three second round picks. Only the Sixers have more selections in the upcoming draft.

If Boston wants to acquire another lottery pick in this year’s draft, I’d speculate that trading Thomas would fetch them a top-14 selection this time around. The point guard had an excellent season, scoring 28.9 points per game, a figure which only trailed Russell Westbrook and James Harden. He has just one season at a salary of approximately $6.26MM left on his deal after this year.

Celtics Notes: Grousbeck, George, Butler, Ainge

May 17th, 2017 at 6:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are getting plenty of advice after landing the top pick in this year’s draft, but managing partner Wyc Grousbeck sounds like his decision is already made. Speaking with Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti in a video on CSNNE, Grousbeck said Boston will hold onto the selection “unless someone blows us away with an offer.”

“I think these picks are very, very valuable,” he said. “If you’re going to trade these picks for an established star making max, you’ve got to send max money out the door as well, so you’ve got to send more guys along, so this guy coming back had better be the second coming. What’s more, he’s going to be halfway through his career, whoever he is, and he’s going to be paid a lot of money, which restricts you in other ways.

“So if you can get a really good guy with this pick, you’ve got him, you can build with him, you can coach him up. You get to max money eventually, five to six years down the road, but it’s a totally different thing.”

There’s more out of Boston as the city prepares for the Eastern Conference finals and the No. 1 pick:

Winning the lottery gives the Celtics more leverage if they decide to reopen trade talks with the Pacers or Bulls, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. When Boston inquired about Paul George before the trade deadline, the Pacers were asking for a package that included the pick, along with Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown. According to Greene, the Celtics refused to part with Crowder in any deal, which shut down the pursuit of George. Boston also had interest in Jimmy Butler, and there have been reports that those talks will resume this summer.
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge is enjoying the rewards of his patience, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Ainge started the rebuilding process in 2013 by trading Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to the Nets for a package of draft picks that produced the No. 3 selection last year [Brown], the No. 1 this season and Brooklyn’s unprotected first-rounder in 2018. Ainge has resisted the temptation to part with those picks and is in the process of building a group of talented young players around his veteran core.
Ainge plans to keep his options open between now and the draft, but he understands that his assets increased significantly Tuesday night, relays Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. “At the trade deadline we were trading away the possibility of the No. 1 pick, a 25 percent chance of the No. 1 pick, but that’s a 75 percent chance of not having that pick, and that’s how teams look at it, which is probably why we didn’t get a deal done,” Ainge said. “Now we have the No. 1 pick and we will explore the value of it.”

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Raptors, Marks

April 21st, 2017 at 6:06pm CST by Austin Kent

As the top-seeded Celtics struggle against a Bulls team that nearly didn’t make the playoffs, all eyes are on general manager Danny Ainge who, to the chagrin of many, elected not to make any moves at the trade deadline, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post writes.

There were a number of moves that the Celtics could have made, Bontemps says, without necessarily making a major splash involving a superstar or giving up one of their coveted Nets draft picks. Serge Ibaka and Taj Gibson are two quality rebounding forwards who were obviously available that day. Lou Williams is another.

Alas, without the acquisition of a solid rebounder or an additional bench scorer, the Celtics are down two games to none against Chicago. Earlier this week, Ainge himself spoke with CSN New England saying that critcism of their decision to stand pat was “fair”.

Regardless, it won’t be long before the rest of the series unfolds and we find out whether sitting tight was the right call or not.

There’s more from the Atlantic:

While the Raptors have faced adversity and prevailed in the past, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes that change could be in the air regardless of how they make out over the rest of their first-round matchup. Additionally, Josh Lewenberg of TSN echoes the sentiment, tweeting that players and coaches are fighting to keep their jobs.
A team of writers at ESPN (Insider required) took a deep dive into the Knicks‘ upcoming offseason, discussing a number of issues like Phil Jackson‘s extension and whether or not Carmelo Anthony will finally be traded.
The Nets will need to approach their rebuild strategically, says general manager Sean Marks. Nets Daily broke down what the executive has said about his vision for the future thus far. “The objective for us is to be in the playoffs. When that comes, we’ll see,” Marks said. “You don’t want to go and sign free agents and then the next thing you know your payroll is capped out and you’re a 25-win team. We’re going to have to build this strategically, have patience with it.”

Celtics Notes: Ainge, Brogdon, Yabusele

March 30th, 2017 at 10:18pm CST by ChrisCrouse

With Cleveland losing tonight, Boston has reclaimed sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference. Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck is thrilled with how the team is playing and he’s pleased with the direction of the franchise, as A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet relays. “There’s no reason to put a ceiling on the season,” Grousbeck said. “I think this season already looks good to me. I love our coach. I love our young players. I love our draft picks and our potential cap room [this summer]; all of our fans. So I’m already happy with where the team is going.”

Here’s more from Boston:

The Celtics knew Malcolm Brogdon would be available in the second-round, but chose to pass on him because of the team’s surplus of guards, as GM Danny Ainge tells Comcast Sportsnet. Boston had the No. 31 overall and No. 35 overall picks but traded them to Memphis for a future first-rounder. Milwaukee selected Brogdon with the No. 36 overall pick last June.
No. 16 overall pick Guerschon Yabusele has officially joined the Maine Red Claws, the D-League affiliate of the Celtics, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com tweets. Yabusele played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association this season. The CBA’s season concludes earlier than the NBA’s, which gives Yabusele a chance to run with Boston’s D-League to close the season.

Atlantic Notes: Atkinson, Tucker, Thomas, Knicks

March 9th, 2017 at 7:10pm CST by Milo Taibi

Chris Mannix of The Vertical spoke with Nets coach Kenny Atkinson about the team’s rebuild; a process Atkinson admitted can be overwhelming.

“I look at it like I deserve … like I deserve to start at the bottom. This is how it should be. I shouldn’t be handed some prime job,” Atkinson said. “I really believe that I have to pay my dues, and it’s great. It’s funny the situation we are in, without our picks, we never use that as a crutch. We never talk about the past. We’re talking about getting better in the here and now, and getting better in the future.”

Atkinson certainly has paid his dues; the Nets are currently 11-52, having won just 3 of 34 Eastern Conference games. Atkinson discussed the vision he shares with GM Sean Marks.

“Sean and I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy task,” Atkinson said. “We needed guys that were going to be able to keep pushing through and guys with high character that, despite the won-loss record, they’re going to come in here with a smile on their face and keep working their tails off, and that’s exactly what we’ve gotten from one to 15. We push these guys pretty hard, but everyone wants to be coached, accepts coaching. That attitude, that work ethic, that’s eventually going to pay off.”

Celtics May Pursue Danilo Gallinari

February 18th, 2017 at 7:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics may try to pick up Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari before Thursday’s trade deadline, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald.

Boston GM Danny Ainge has long been a fan of Gallinari, according to Bulpett, and has tried to deal for him before. There haven’t been any trade rumors linking the Celtics and Gallinari this year, but the author notes that was also true with Isaiah Thomas before Ainge dealt for him two years ago.

Gallinari has been slowed by a groin injury and hasn’t played since February 1st. He has a player option worth $16.1MM next season.

Boston is hoping to add another scorer through trade, and Ainge has been active in talks during All-Star Weekend, both as a main participant and a facilitator, according to Bulpett. So far, Ainge hasn’t found a deal worth giving up his most valuable assets, which include the Nets’ first-rounders this season and in 2018.

“Danny’s let it be known that he’s willing to talk about the Nets’ picks,” said an unidentified executive. “But you want one of those guys, you have to be willing to give up a star.”

Ainge would also prefer to stay away from players whose contracts expire this year or next year. The Celtics had some interest in Serge Ibaka before Orlando traded him to Toronto, but they weren’t willing to part with much because they weren’t sure they could re-sign him in free agency.

Bulpett adds that the Celtics are very protective of their cap space and are reluctant to make a move that would hurt them on the free agent market. He speculates that it would take someone like Jimmy Butler or Paul George to tempt Boston to add significant salary in a pre-deadline trade.

The Celtics are also significantly less interested in trading for Jahlil Okafor than they were a year ago, Bulpett notes. They had talked to the Sixers about an Okafor deal at last year’s deadline, but after signing Al Horford the Celtics only want front-line players who they believe are compatible with him. Boston might have more interest in Philadelphia’s Nerlens Noel, but the team won’t offer as much as it would have in 2016.

The author believes the Celtics would love to pick up Andrew Bogut from Dallas if the Mavericks decide to be sellers, but again wouldn’t pay a high price in a deal.

Celtics Notes: Thomas, Trade Deadline, Draft

February 18th, 2017 at 9:09am CST by Austin Kent

A panel of CSN New England reporters agreed yesterday that the Celtics were unlikely to make a big trade before the February 23 trade deadline. Citing lofty “in-season” price tags, Chris Forsberg went so far as to say that there was “no way,” general manager Danny Ainge would give away too many assets for one star player.

When the conversation shifted to Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler in particular, there was consensus among the scribes that Chicago may be asking too much. “It’s going to take a godfather offer [from the Celtics],” Abby Chin explained, “including two of the Nets picks.”

Over the course of the last few seasons, the Celtics have shown patience in their rebuild and that pattern, they say, is unlikely to end.

There’s more Celtics news:

Despite the impending trade deadline Celtics head coach Brad Stevens doesn’t anticipate significant changes to his roster. “When we have a team like we have now, I don’t anticipate a ton of change but you never know what comes to the table,” Stevens told Kyle Draper of CSN New England. “Those are discussions that Danny and his staff will have and they’ll bring anything serious to my table.”
The Celtics need a better scorer to take some pressure off of Isaiah Thomas in the playoffs, says Bob Ryan of CSN New England, in addition to a role playing rebounder. The scribe echoes a popular sentiment that trading away the Nets’ 2017 first-rounder pick for a player of marginal impact, however, would be unwise. Ryan goes on to acknowledge Jimmy Butler’s strengths as a two-way player but says that the player he would want the C’s to pursue most is DeMarcus Cousins.
When Isaiah Thomas participates in All-Star festivities this weekend, he’ll be doing so with an ulterior motive. “I’m going to see what guys are talking about and dip my head in there and hopefully bring some more talent to Boston,” the guard told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England.
The Celtics will have plenty of decisions to make in the next six months, long after the trade deadline comes and goes. One such decision will involve which rookie to draft with the Nets’ 2017 first-round pick writes Johnny Auping of RealGM. Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, “two ball-dominant guards with unusually developed skillsets for freshmen,” sit atop most mock drafts at this point in the season.
The forthcoming trade deadline will give the NBA community a clear sense of whether the Celtics plan to win-now or build for the future, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Hamilton writes that, given the age of their core, the C’s may not want to wait three-to-four years for their young players (and a possible 2017 lottery pick) to develop.