Danny Ainge Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Humphries, Turner, Young

April 3rd, 2014 at 7:21pm CST by Ryan Raroque

As a guest on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher and Rich show, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge revealed that he’s had discussions with forward Kris Humphries about the possibility of returning next season:

“I have had a few conversations with Kris…(he) knows where we are as an organization and he knows we like him. And he knows there is a lot of uncertainty, depending on which direction we choose to go this summer. None of us know…he knows we like him, his coaches and teammates like him, (but) we just can’t make any promises” (interview transcribed by Gary Dzen of Boston.com).

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Dzen points out that Ainge was also asked about Jerryd Bayless and Phil Pressey but only offered comment on Humphries.
Having gone from a team with the NBA’s second-worst record to playing for the second seed in the Eastern Conference, Evan Turner has conceivably endured his share of challenges in trying to fit in. The fact that the Pacers have compiled a 12-10 record since the deal while Turner continues to struggle offensively hasn’t helped the situation, but the 6’7 guard tells NBA.com’s Manny Randhawa that he’s confident about being able to contribute sooner rather than later.
Once considered a possible candidate to be traded, Thaddeus Young is looking more and more like a keeper in Philadelphia, writes Dei Lynam of CSN Philly. The 25-year-old forward spoke glowingly about playing for 76ers head coach Brett Brown: “Coach (Doug Collins) didn’t want me to shoot a lot of threes…I didn’t like that at all. And this year Brett tells me, ‘I want you to shoot threes, get to the basket, I want you to do everything.’ I am back to playing the way I was before Coach Collins and Eddie Jordan, just a more free flowing offense…I think I have transitioned and turned things around where (as a player) I can just focus on my job.”
Based on the numbers this season, Brandon Knight‘s production may not have unequivocally surpassed what Brandon Jennings brought to the table during his four-year tenure in Milwaukee; However, Knight being two years younger and more affordable than his predecessor is proof of why the Bucks are better off with him now, opines Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.

Celtics GM Ainge Talks Trade Deadline

February 15th, 2014 at 11:38am CST by Cray Allred

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is staying in Boston during the All-Star festivities to work through the final week of Thursday’s trade deadline, along with many of his colleagues. He told Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald how the final days could shape up for the Celtics and the rest of the league. The whole interview is worth a read, and here are some of the highlights:

On what kind of deal the Celtics are looking for:

“We would do a deal to make our team better and use assets to get better right away. And we would also move veteran players to create flexibility and get draft picks. So we could go either way right now. But right now I think it’s a feeling-out process. I’m not talking about getting three wins better. I’m talking about being able to be significantly better next year.”

On the current landscape of buyers and sellers across the league:

“I don’t have a trading partner as of this moment. Right now there’s just a lot of people trying to feel out what everybody’s trying to accomplish. A lot of it is teams wanting to find out where everybody is in case there’s a chance to do a three- or four-team, multiple-team deal, in case there isn’t something that will work with just two teams. But I think everybody’s still trying to figure out what are the goals of each team going forward. And some teams don’t have as clear goals as other teams have.”

On the continued rumors of Rajon Rondo‘s availability, despite the team’s insistence to the contrary:

“I honestly haven’t paid that much attention to it. I’ve been asked those questions before, but I don’t know anything about those rumors. It’s all a little crazy.”

Celtics GM On Trading Garnett, Pierce To Nets

January 26th, 2014 at 10:22am CST by Jonathan Nehring

Prior to Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce‘s return today to their joint home of six years in Boston, Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe sat down with Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge to discuss the NBA’s biggest offseason trade. You can read the entire interview here but below are some of the major takeaways from their discussion.

On how the deal transpired:

“[The trade came] together fairly quickly. What I was excited about was that it appeared at the time to be a great situation for everybody — I think that for Paul and KG and Jason Terry and for us. It looked like it was going to be a good situation for them to be a major contender again and be vying for a championship. Their year hasn’t gone that way, but before the season started, it sure looked like it. I think it was a happy way to make a very difficult decision.”

On his personal thoughts about the deal:

“[Trading away Pierce, Garnett, and Jason Terry is] nothing that anybody wants to do, and is looking forward to doing. But I think that when the opportunity presented itself, it was a deal that I had to do for the franchise.”

On who got the better end of the deal:

Well, what I felt at the time was, I thought it was a really gutsy move by Brooklyn. I admired it. I thought the way KG finished last year, and Paul — both of them looked like they had a lot of basketball left in them, as the season finished last year. And so, I felt that it was a good deal for both teams. Like, I wasn’t able to put Joe Johnson and Deron Williams and Brook Lopez around Paul and KG. I wish I could have. They still would’ve been Celtics. But we weren’t in that position, to become a contender, I don’t think. I didn’t think that Paul and KG could carry us like they had for the five or six years previous. We were a team, I felt, that was destined to mediocrity as opposed to excellence with those guys. And especially with [Rajon] Rondo being out and so forth, it was going to be a long year for us with those two guys at the stage of their careers. It wouldn’t have done them justice. So, I was happy for Brooklyn. They were taking a chance. I thought it was a really good trade. I thought it was good for us and where we were as a franchise. And I thought it was really good for Jet, Paul, and KG and for [new Nets coach] Jason Kidd. I didn’t know if they’d win a championship or not, because I knew Indiana and Miami were going to be very good, and I thought Chicago was going to be very good. But I really thought it was going to be a four-horse race in the East, with those four teams. That’s what it looked like to me when the season started.

On how he judges trades around the league:

Really, all you can go on is the information that you have and the reasons you do it at the time. Sometimes you’re making a trade to get a final piece to put you over the top. And sometimes you’re making trades that are trades along the way that you do that are going to lead to things down the road. We live in the economic climate of the NBA and the new CBA where luxury taxes are more penalizing, salary-cap management is very important. So, I think the trades, you can look at immediately, when they happen, as to why every team did them — and as I look at trades, they almost always make sense for all the teams involved. Every now and then, years down the road, a player becomes a way better player than he was when he was traded and a team looks better in a trade. But you can’t be worried about that. You’ve got to do what you think is best for your franchise at the time, whether it’s making a trade for the advantage of salary, or making a trade to project a younger player into a bigger role that would’ve been difficult had you not made a trade. There’s just a lot of factors that go into trades. But to me, most of the trades I’ve seen, in the NBA, because I respect the people in our business — they make sense. But there’s always some risk, when you’re dealing with people and players. People are capable of being injured. There’s always some risk.

Amick On Knicks, Lowry, Rondo

December 26th, 2013 at 10:10pm CST by Ryan Raroque

USA Today’s Sam Amick offered his New Year’s resolutions for a handful of teams who appear badly in need of help, touching base with issues currently encompassing the Knicks, Warriors, and Timberwolves. Aside from lamenting about the Eastern Conference’s shortage of winning records, Amick provides some fascinating tidbits on what’s been going on in New York, particularly with regard to their recent pursuit of Kyle Lowry and their reported interest in Rajon Rondo. Being that Amick’s discussion of Golden State and Minnesota is more-or-less tied to point differential and strength of schedule, we’ll focus on the Knicks-related topics from his piece, and you can find the highlights below:

New York would be wise to consolidate all their efforts and assets toward acquiring Rondo and not Lowry, especially if they’re willing to discuss trading their already limited supply of draft picks, suggests Amick.
According to a person with knowledge of the Raptors’ dealings, the Knicks had first raised the idea of sending a 2018 pick to Toronto during trade discussions for Lowry. Interestingly enough, it appears that GM Steve Mills was the one who ultimately vetoed this particular approach altogether, opting to remain patient for more worthwhile pursuits.
Regardless of how many times Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge insists that Rondo isn’t on the trading block, the belief from rival executives remains that the star point guard can be had for the right price. With two months and change left before the NBA’s trade deadline, it doesn’t look like the rumors of New York’s pursuit of Rondo will go away anytime soon, especially if Carmelo Anthony remains part of the Knicks’ plans. Even if Rondo becomes available, the Knicks face another hurdle of being one of many teams in line looking to make a pitch to the Celtics for his services.

Atlantic Links: Noel, Celtics, Vasquez

December 12th, 2013 at 10:34pm CST by Ryan Raroque

76ers prospect Nerlens Noel hasn’t let his knee rehab prevent him from working on other parts of his game, as Dei Lynam of CSN Philly reports that head coach Brett Brown has been tutoring the young big man on defensive principles in addition to working with him on his shooting form. As per Brown:

“I am thrilled [with] what he has done with his shot…We said from the very beginning that this is an opportunity and one that I hope he never has again…There is far more fluid to his shot and I think the carryover from this year will be significant if we can get it right for his future.”

Here are a few more minor notes to pass along out of the Atlantic Division:

In his latest Celtics mailbag, Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston answers questions about Jordan Crawford‘s emergence, what happens to the rotation once Rajon Rondo is cleared to play, and which players have improved their trade value since the start of the season.
According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is taking a cautious approach with the team’s Atlantic Division-leading 10-14 start to the season (Subscribers only).
Eric Koreen of the National Post writes about how Greivis Vasquez‘s affinity for playing for playing pick-and-roll basketball on a Raptors team that welcomes plenty of those opportunities will be an important development as the team looks to move on from Kyle Lowry.
Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops explores the Knicks and Nets’ proposed deals with Toronto for Lowry and discusses whether or not they make sense.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Celtics, Anderson

October 24th, 2013 at 10:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

According to Zach Braziller of the New York Post, Knicks coach Mike Woodson plans to meet with GM Steve Mills and team brass either tonight or tomorrow to determine the five cuts he has to make before Monday’s deadline. In another piece, Braziller writes about how Carmelo Anthony took it upon himself to have a heart-to-heart talk with J.R. Smith about the importance of staying focused and keeping out of trouble moving forward.

You can find more of tonight’s links out of the Atlantic Division below:

Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston notes that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is “very proud” of Rajon Rondo‘s progress in rehab: “I think he’s working as hard as he can. I’ve been very proud of him of how he really wants to get out there and I think he wants to get out there, not for his own benefit, but he wants to really help the team. He sees how he’s missed and he just loves to play. He wants to get back for all the right reasons.”
Ainge also elaborated on why he wants to keep the team under the luxury tax: “Right now we’re barely under the luxury tax, so we really have no choice…If there are deals made later in the year, that would open up roster spots and open up to keep us under the tax. But we will stay under the tax this year. We have to. As we’re rebuilding, not just from a standpoint of the financial budget, but as a competitive advantage.”
Yesterday, we heard that James Anderson was one player who had “all but wrapped up” a spot on the 76ers’ roster. Today, Tom Moore of The Intelligencer discusses how Anderson secured a spot in Philadelphia after establishing himself as a starter and the team’s top perimeter threat.
Former NBA executive and current NBA analyst Steve Kerr explains why he thinks the Knicks are the fifth-best team in the East (Justin Terranova of the New York Post).
Clippers coach Doc Rivers took time to defend current Nets Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from the criticism hurled at them by LeBron James last week, who insinuated that they had abandoned Boston: “Paul and Kevin were traded…They were traded. Paul was traded whether he wanted to be or not. Kevin was the only one who had to agree to be traded even though he had already been traded. He had to agree to the trade. That’s completely different…You could make more of a case for me leaving than Paul and Kevin” (Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News [hat tip to ESPN Radio in Miami]).

Celtics Links: Rondo, Roster, Bradley

October 24th, 2013 at 5:43pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Danny Ainge tells Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe that Rajon Rondo is “absolutely” the centerpiece to the Celtics’ rebuilding project. Also, just as we had heard yesterday, Ainge confirmed that the team plans to keep the roster to 14 guaranteed contracts in order to stay under the luxury tax (Twitter links). Here are a few more noteworthy links to share out of Boston tonight:

When asked about the approaching deadline regarding a potential contract extension for Avery Bradley, Ainge told Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston that he’s currently in negotiations with the 6’2 guard, which suggests that a new deal could still be reached before October 31st (Twitter links). Forsberg notes that this is a considerable change in stance compared to earlier this summer, when Ainge said he planned to curb contract talks until Bradley hit restricted free agency during the 2014 offseason.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (via Twitter) notes that Ainge admitted to being in contract talks with Bradley’s camp but chose not to elaborate on where those discussions currently stand.

Danny Ainge On Rivers, Garnett, Pierce

June 25th, 2013 at 6:21pm CST by Michael Pina

Earlier today, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge conducted a press conference to address Doc Rivers' departure, as well as the team's immediate future surrounding the likes of Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and how the team will fill its vacant head coaching position.

Ainge told reporters he was ready for the upcoming rebuild, but that he wasn't sure if there would be complete renovation of the team's core players this summer or next, according to a tweet from ESPNBoston's Chris Forsberg.
With regards the team's vacancy at head coach, Ainge said he has yet to contact or communicate with any candidates, tweets CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely.
Blakely also tweeted Ainge's confirmation of earlier reports that the league has mandated the Celtics and Clippers make no trades with one another throughout the 2013/14 season.
According to a tweet from the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, no decision has yet been made on what the team will do with Pierce and Garnett.
Ainge confirmed that the team's star point guard, Rondo, had nothing to do with Rivers wanting to leave for Los Angeles (tweet).
Ainge ruled himself out as an option to replace Rivers as Celtics head coach, according to a Forsberg tweet.

Clippers Drop Trade Offer For Rivers

June 15th, 2013 at 8:40pm CST by Spencer Lund

8:40pm: Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski writes that discussions between the Clippers and Celtics have stalled and the primary reason is Bledsoe.

The Clippers are willing to part with Jordan and a first round pick for Garnett and the rights to Rivers, but have refused to include Bledsoe in the package, according to Wojnarowski's sources. Garnett will only waive the no-trade clause in his contract if Rivers joins him with the Clippers, the sources added.

Danny Ainge has requested Bledsoe and a second first-round pick for Garnett and Rivers' rights, but everyone involved believes Bledsoe's inclusion would get the deal done.

Not only that, but sources tell Wojnarowski that Rivers has informed Clippers management they shouldn't give up Bledsoe so they can acquire him as coach, saying he'd like to coach him with the Clippers.

Rivers has yet to talk with Chris Paul about his plans for the summer and would need to do so, if he were to come west. It's believed that if Garnett and Rivers are traded to the Clippers that will lead Paul to sign with them in July.

It should also be noted that all sides involved in the trade discussions want to get a deal done soon, and don't want the discussions to linger much longer.

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald confirms that the Celtics-Clippers deal appears dead for now and the only question is whether the trade discussions have made it too awkward for coach Rivers to return to the Celtics. Rivers has three years, at $7MM per, remaining on his contract.

8:10pm: The Boston Herald's Steve Bulpett reports that sources have told him the Celtics-Clippers trade talks are "dead," and now the bigger question is whether Doc will feel awkward he expressed interest in coaching another team (Twitter links).

7:42pm: Wojnarowski says discussions between the Clippers and Celtics have "stalled," and the question becomes how soon before one side–or both–bails (Twitter).

Wojo adds that throughout the back-and-forth with the Clippers, the Celtics have insisted to Doc Rivers that if it doesn't go through, they want him back as coach (Twitter).

7:34pm: Sources tell Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski the Clippers–Celtics trade for Rivers and Garnett is "not looking good, but I wouldn't say (it's over) for sure" (Twitter).

Wojnarowski continues to reiterate the primary obstacle standing in the way of the deal: the Clippers are unwilling to part with Jordan and Bledsoe, and sources tell Yahoo Sports that Celtics GM Danny Ainge wants Bledsoe. (Twitter).

Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com says that the Clippers were looking for a long-term asset for Bledsoe (Twitter).

6:34pm: After flirting with the possibility of seizing Celtics coach, Doc Rivers, as well as Kevin Garnett, in a deal we've been following all day, it seems the Clippers will be moving on and will offer their head coaching position to either Brian Shaw or Lionel Hollins some time this week, according to the Los Angeles Times' Brad Turner (Twitter).

Rivers has been informed the Clippers won't accept the Celtics' offer, and he's prepared to stay with the Celtics moving forward (Twitter). Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com adds that the Clippers were very resistant to parting with DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe in the effort to acquire Rivers and Garnett since Garnett is only under contract for two more years and the younger Bledsoe is more valuable (Twitter).

Shelburne adds that the Clippers felt strong about the Hollins and Shaw coaching options and weren't ready to "mortgage the farm" for Doc (Twitter).

Mutual Interest Between Doc Rivers, Clippers

June 13th, 2013 at 8:52pm CST by Luke Adams

8:52pm: Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports that Danny Ainge had denied the Clippers permission to contact Rivers earlier this week, though Rivers is said to now be intrigued at the prospect of other coaching opportunities.

7:57pm: Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) cites a source who tells him that Rivers ending up with the Clippers is "gaining momentum."

4:01pm: If Doc Rivers decides to part ways with the Celtics this offseason, there would be "strong mutual interest" between Rivers and the Clippers, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The ESPN.com duo reports that the idea of coaching the Clippers would be highly intriguing to Rivers, and that the current Celtics coach would be L.A.'s number one choice should he become available.

According to Stein and Shelburne, the Celtics would like Rivers to return and don't want to see him coaching another team next season, considering he has three years left on his contract in Boston. However, if Rivers decided he wanted to leave, the C's could potentially be persuaded to let him go to the Clippers if they received compensation, whether that came in the form of a veteran player or draft picks.

The ESPN.com report also includes a number of other juicy Clippers and Celtics tidbits, so we'll round them up here:

Trade discussions between the two teams prior to February's deadline included expanded deals which would have sent both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Clippers, with Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan among the pieces going to Boston. While those talks were unsuccessful at the time, it's possible the two sides could revisit them this summer. As the ESPN.com scribes point out, the L.A. job could become even more appealing to Rivers if Garnett or Pierce were heading west with him.
No matter who is hired as the Clippers' head coach, the team is expected to very aggressive when it comes to roster moves, looking to re-sign Chris Paul and then upgrade the roster around CP3 and Blake Griffin.
The Clippers have some interest in the rumored deal that would send Bledsoe and Caron Butler to the Magic in exchange for Arron Afflalo, but would likely want at least one more asset to part with Bledsoe.
If the Celtics decide to bring back Pierce, it would greatly increase the odds of Garnett playing another season, which in turn would figure to improve the chances of Rivers returning as well.