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Southwest Notes: Green, Brown, Grizzlies

June 3rd, 2018 at 4:16pm CST by marksuleymanov

Danny Green has a $10MM player option on his contract and could hit free agency this summer, potentially leaving the Spurs. Given that he recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection for an ailing left groin, it’s possible Green returns to San Antonio, but he’s weighing all options, Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News writes.

“I’m taking some time. I don’t know what the decision is going to be. It depends on the feedback I get from my agent and what I get back from the organization,” Green said. “I think they are taking some time as well to take a breath because so much has gone with the organization outside of the players with Pop (Gregg Popovich) and the draft stuff is going on. There is a lot to be processed and taken into account on both sides. Not just the player’s side but the organizational side.”

Green made some headlines recently claiming that, based on his conversations with Kawhi Leonard, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year wants to stay in San Antonio. It’s unclear what will happen with both Leonard and Green but as Green tells Young, “things can change.”

Check out more Southwest Division notes below:

Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes that the Celtics maintain possible interest in Texas big man Mohamed Bamba. The Mavericks, who have the fifth overall pick, have been linked as a possibility for Bamba but if Boston decides to move up in the draft, Deveney writes that Jaylen Brown would likely be the starting point in any conversation for the fifth pick.
The Grizzlies own the fourth overall pick in this month’s draft. Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal looks at four possible ways Memphis could utilize that fourth pick, noting that trading it seems unlikely.
In an earlier edition of Southwest Notes, we looked at the Pelicans‘ possible free agency plans, the Rockets‘ confidence in landing a top free agent, and more.

Celtics Rumors: Bamba, Ownership, Morris, Monroe

May 30th, 2018 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

For the first time since 2015, the Celtics won’t have a top-five pick in the draft this year. However, it sounds like they may still have their eye on a top-five prospect.

According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, sources say that Boston has expressed interest in Texas big man Mohamed Bamba, including interviewing him at the draft combine in Chicago earlier this month. The Celtics’ first-round pick is at No. 27, and Bamba is expected to come off the board within the first six or seven picks on draft night, so in order to have a shot at the young center, the C’s would need to move way up.

While a trade doesn’t seem particularly likely, Deveney has previously reported that the Grizzlies are open to making a move with the No. 4 pick, and suggests today that the Mavericks may be willing to discuss the No. 5 selection. Additionally, Boston has no shortage of potential trade chips. The team could own up to four first-round picks in 2019, including the Kings’ selection (if it doesn’t end up first overall). Plus, given the Celtics’ backcourt and wing depth, players like Terry Rozier or Jaylen Brown could become trade candidates for the right return.

The Celtics made a big draft trade last year when they sent the No. 1 pick to Philadelphia, but going from No. 27 into the top five would be an even more drastic move. As we wait to see if Boston seriously explores that possibility, let’s round up a few more Celtics notes…

While Celtics CEO Wyc Grousbeck didn’t want to discuss specific dollar figures, he told Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that ownership will have no qualms about spending to keep Boston’s roster together and pursue championships. “We put winning ahead of everything else,” Grousbeck said. “Every now and then you’ve got to make room and play the kids and get a Gordon Hayward in free agency, and other times you just try to keep a core together and build onto it. And we’re in the latter stage right now in trying to keep this group together and build onto it as best we can.”
More from Grousbeck, via Bulpett: “We can’t keep everybody if we’re going to keep adding (because of roster size limitations), but everybody who’s watched this team for 15 years knows what we’re about. … We live for banners. We live for rings. That’s what we live for.”
In a look at the Celtics’ potential roster and rotation for 2018/19, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe notes that Marcus Morris seems aware that a healthy lineup could create a minutes crunch for the team. “There’s going to be a lot of players next year, so I’m not 100% sure where I fit totally yet,” Morris said. “It’s just something I’m still kind of wary about.”
Within that same story, Himmelsbach says it’s “quite unlikely” that the Celtics will have interest in re-signing Greg Monroe this summer.

East Finals Roundup: LeBron, Tatum, J. Green

May 28th, 2018 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

While LeBron James‘ upcoming free agency will be the biggest storyline of the NBA offseason, James himself has avoided discussing his future all season long, and the Cavaliers – including owner Dan Gilbert – are following suit. After the Cavs’ Game 7 win over the Celtics on Sunday night, Gilbert told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that the organization is completely locked in on its next series, not on the summer.

“We’re just focused – and it’s the truth, it’s not avoiding the question – we’re literally focused on (the now),” Gilbert said. “It’s just so intense in the playoffs and getting to the Finals and now the Finals, I don’t think – and I know he doesn’t – I don’t think even our guys are talking (about anything other than) what’s in front of them. … So, everybody knows, obviously what we want to happen and we’ll take the Finals first and take it from there.”

While the Cavaliers will head into the Finals as the underdogs, pulling off the upset could have a major impact on the club’s upcoming offseason plans — it would be hard for James to leave Cleveland right after leading the Cavs to another championship.

Here are a few more items worth rounding up from the Eastern Conference Finals:

Jayson Tatum couldn’t lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals, but he received plenty of praise from James as his impressive rookie season came to an end, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN. “I just love everything about (Tatum), the way he plays the game, his demeanor, where he comes from,” James said. “I just know he’s built for stardom. He’s built for success. And that’s both on and off the floor.”
James was also complimentary of the Cavaliers teammates who are headed to the Finals despite hearing for weeks that they weren’t doing enough to help LeBron. “I know I get a lot of the headlines – win, lose or draw, whatever the case may be – but in order to be successful, it’s a team game,” James told ESPN’s Doris Burke after the Game 7 win (link via Andrew Joseph of USA Today). “That’s why we’re going to another Finals — because my teammates played a hell of a game.”
One of those teammates, Jeff Green, spoke after the game about not taking anything for granted after undergoing open-heart surgery in 2012. Jeff Zilgitt and AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today have the story on Green, who was the Cavaliers‘ second-best player in Game 7.
Their disappointing Game 7 performances will likely haunt Celtics youngsters Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown for a while, but that may not be the worst thing in the world, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston, who writes that this year’s loss can be a learning experience for Rozier and Brown as they continue to develop.

Jaylen Brown To Remain On Minutes Restriction In Game 3

May 5th, 2018 at 3:54pm CST by clarkcrum

After originally being listed as doubtful for Game 2 of the Celtics’ series against the Sixers, swingman Jaylen Brown ended up playing 25 minutes in the team’s Game 2 come-from-behind win.

And, according to multiple reports, including an official release from the team’s Twitter account, head coach Brad Stevens has told reporters that Brown is again only expected to be available for about 25 minutes in tonight’s Game 3. Chris Forsberg of ESPN adds that in order to help manage Brown’s minutes, he will again come off the bench.

Brown, who missed Game 1 because of a right hamstring strain, played in Game 2 against medical recommendation, per Tom Westerholm of MassLive.com.

“I’m not really sure what the numbers are and the risk is,” Brown said of the injury. “Pretty sizable risk probably. (But) it was my call. The doctors didn’t want me to play, I told them I’d be fine. It was all on me, but you manage it right, be smart with it, I don’t expect to miss any games.”

The Celtics go into tonight’s Game 3 in Philadelphia with a 2-0 series lead on the Sixers.

Celtics Notes: Smart, Rozier, Ainge, Youth, Brown

May 3rd, 2018 at 8:00pm CST by marksuleymanov

There was a point this year when it seemed that injuries and an off-the-court family issue could end Marcus Smart‘s season. However, he’s back now and helping the Celtics as they try to get past the Sixers and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. ESPN’s Chris Forsberg writes that Smart’s ability to help Boston in multiple facets of the game has been a help to their case.

“I think it all starts with his competitiveness,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said. “He has the ability to make plays that nobody else makes. Like, whether it’s ripping the ball out of somebody’s hands, or the [offensive rebound] he made against [Joel] Embiid where he laid it in and got fouled [in Game 1]. We have a number of clips over the years of him rebounding over the top in traffic where no guard can get that ball. He brings a contagious element to our team that you can try all you want to quantify it, but other than winning and losing, you can’t quantify it.”

Smart’s defense on Ben Simmons in Game 1 is specifically highlighted as one of the ways Smart helped Boston. Forsberg’s story also covers Smart’s mother battling cancer and how she still supports him back home in Texas.

Check out more Celtics notes below:

In a separate story, Forsberg writes that the Celtics’ youngsters have been playing like veterans, which has enabled the team to play well in the face of multiple injuries.
Entering the offseason, Terry Rozier envisioned himself as the Celtics’ starting point guard leading the team to the playoffs. However, the acquisition of Kyrie Irving put that vision on hold. Then, Irving went under the knife and Rozier found himself leading the Celtics through the postseason, Yaron Weitzman of Bleacher Report details.
The Celtics’ roster has withstood massive injuries to Gordon Hayward, Irving, Smart, and others. Taylor C. Snow of NBA.com writes that president and general manager, Danny Ainge, deserves the credit for the Celtics’ depth and resilience.
Jaylen Brown, who seemed doubtful for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals with a right hamstring strain, was upgraded to probable on Thursday, the Celtics announced. Brown did not start Game 2, but did play in the game.

Jaylen Brown Remains Doubtful For Game 2

May 2nd, 2018 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

Despite his assertion that he’ll be ready to return for Game 2 of the Celtics’ series against the Sixers, Jaylen Brown remains doubtful for that game, head coach Brad Stevens said today (Twitter link via Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com).

Brown, who is on the shelf due to a right hamstring strain, will be re-evaluated on Thursday before Game 2 tips off, per Stevens. However, for now, it sounds as if the second-year swingman will miss at least one more contest.

As A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston details, Brown attempted to convince the Celtics’ medical staff that he could play in Game 1, and said after sitting out that game that he planned on returning for Game 2 of the Eastern Semifinals.

However, Brown acknowledged to Blakely that the Celtics have some concern about him re-aggravating the injury and turning it into a season-ending ailment. With Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Daniel Theis among their key players already on the shelf, the C’s figure to play it safe with Brown, particularly with a 1-0 edge in the series heading into Game 2.

Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Knicks, Brown, Crabbe

May 1st, 2018 at 9:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers need to make some hard decisions this offseason on where top pick Markelle Fultz fits into their future plans, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer argues. Now that they’ve established themselves as a playoff team, they have to decide how to get as deep as possible in future seasons with Fultz playing a bigger role. If Fultz isn’t a playoff-caliber two-guard by this time next year, the dream of a championship season could be dashed, Murphy continues. Ideally. Fultz will soon establish himself as a legitimate third option but they have guard against the possibility it never happens, Murphy adds.

In other news and musings around the Atlantic Division:

Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry have taken a much more thorough, well-thought-out approach to their coaching search, unlike predecessor Phil Jackson, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The amount of candidates interviewed has reached double digits and the duo has traveled across the country and over the Atlantic Ocean in order to find the right fit, Berman continues. They don’t pretend to know everything and that’s a stark contrast to Jackson, who stopped listening and learning, according to Berman.
Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown vows to play Game 2 of the series against the Sixers on Thursday, as he told A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports. Brown, who was a game-time decision in the opener, is nursing a right hamstring injury. “I’ll be back. I’m playing,” he told Blakely, though he added, “I’m basically trying to come back in two days from a two-week type injury.”
Nets guard Allen Crabbe promises to improve his efficiency and production in his second season with the club, according to BrooklynNets.com. Crabbe averaged a career-best 13.2 PPG and set the team record for most 3-pointers made, but his long-range percentage dropped from 44.4% to 37.8%. “I didn’t have the consistent season I wanted to have,” Crabbe said. “But I got one year under my belt [in Brooklyn] and I know where I can be effective on this team and what I can bring – what I can do. Just go into off-season and come back a completely different player.”

Celtics Notes: Brown, Horford, Theis, Hayward

April 29th, 2018 at 8:50am CST by Arthur Hill

Jaylen Brown missed the second half of Saturday’s close-out game against the Bucks because of a Grade 1 right hamstring strain, but he’s optimistic he’ll be ready for the start of the next series, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPN. Brown will have an MRI today to learn the full extent of the damage.

“Massage, rest, ice, all of the above,” he said in describing his treatment plan. “I hate taking pills. Like, I probably haven’t taken a pill in over 10 years. But they’ve got me taking anti-inflammatories and stuff like that. So just whatever it takes. Because I wouldn’t miss this next series for the world.”

Coach Brad Stevens said Brown probably could have returned to the game if needed, but he decided to be cautious, especially as the Celtics pulled away in the second half. Brown ran some test sprints and rode an exercise bike at courtside before taking a seat on the bench for the fourth quarter.

There’s more this morning from Boston:

With the two stars they added last summer both sidelined by injuries, the Celtics have turned to their top free agent addition from 2016, notes Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. Al Horford helped finish off Milwaukee with 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists in Game 7 and seems to have won over a Boston fan base that was skeptical after he was given a $113MM contract over four years. “He’s such a pro with how he approaches his job,” said president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. “And he knew what Boston was about. He knew the history. We get so much out of Al. He’s been such a stabilizing force for our team.”
Rookie center Daniel Theis reached a milestone in his recovery this weekend when he was cleared to walk without crutches for the first time since surgery, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Theis, who had his left knee lateral meniscus repaired in mid-March, probably won’t be cleared to start playing again until July, according to Stevens.
Gordon Hayward continues to do rehab in Indiana as he works his way back from a fractured ankle, Blakely tweets. Hayward was at Saturday’s game, but doesn’t expect to travel with the team in the next round.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Kanter, Blatt, Celtics

April 26th, 2018 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

While much has been made of the Sixers‘ “Process,” the team has also taken a melting-pot approach to building its roster, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, who observes that Philadelphia’s lineup features key contributors from Australia, Croatia, Cameroon, Italy, and Turkey. As Reynolds writes, Brett Brown, who spent nearly two decades living overseas, is an ideal head coach for that sort of diverse locker room.

“It’s all basketball, but the true side of how people coach, speak, say, play the game is different,” Brown said. “And that collection now that I have with everybody is like is a melting pot of all people’s experiences. That equals a team. I mean, I love it. I love the geo-political conversations. I love that diversity on the court, off the court. I enjoy it.

“This global instinct and sort of global feeling that we have in Philadelphia interests me very much,” Brown added. “I embrace it. For me, it’s another layer of why I enjoy coaching this team.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Speaking to Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript, Enes Kanter continues to sound like a man thinking about opting out of his contract. After being reminded that he’s technically a member of the Knicks, Kanter replied, “Until July 1, yes. We’ll talk to teams. We’ll see.” Kanter previously suggested that he’s leaning toward declining his player option, but agent Mark Bartelstein quickly walked those comments back. For what it’s worth, Kanter could sign a new deal with New York if he opts out, and has said multiple times that he’d like to stick with the Knicks.
Former Cavaliers head coach David Blatt wants another shot to coach an NBA team, indicating that he wants to redeem himself after feeling that he didn’t “realize my potential” in Cleveland. Marc Berman of The New York Post passes along the quotes from Blatt and explores the possibility of the veteran coach landing the Knicks job.
While the odds of the Celtics making a deep postseason run are significantly reduced as long as Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are sidelined, youngsters Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have stepped up and are showing star potential. Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com and ESPN’s Chris Forsberg both examine the impressive development of Tatum and Brown.

Southwest Notes: Leonard, Capela, Conley, Barnes

April 22nd, 2018 at 4:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers might be the logical landing spot if the Spurs decide not to offer Kawhi Leonard a supermax deal or if he tells them he’ll walk after next season, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe speculates. Leonard can opt out of his deal next summer and the Spurs would want to acquire assets rather than wind up with nothing, as the Thunder experienced when Kevin Durant bolted, Washburn continues. The Lakers have enough assets to make such a deal happen, but the Celtics would likely decline the Spurs’ advances if they were asked to give up Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and a first-rounder for him, Washburn adds.

In other news around the Southwest Division:

Clint Capela‘s value to the Rockets hasn’t gone unnoticed and should lead to a lucrative offseason for the impending restricted free agent, as Stefano Fusaro of The Undefeated notes. Houston went 42-3 this season when Capela, Chris Paul and James Harden were all in the lineup, and Paul told Fusaro it’s no coincidence. “Y’all know the record when we all play together, and I’ll tell you it’s not because of me and James,” Paul said. “Clint is really the X factor. He opens up so much for us.”
Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley anticipates playing a full season after his injury-marred 2017/18 campaign, the team’s PR department tweets. Conley opted for season-ending heel surgery in late January after appearing in just 12 games. “Thankfully I had the surgery early enough to where I have a full summer of work and getting my body ready for an 82-game season,” Conley told reporters.
Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes wants to play for the U.S. national team again, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports. Barnes, who had a limited role in the 2016 Olympics, is one of 35 players USA Basketball has named as candidates to play in the 2019 World Championships and 2020 Olympics. “Everybody would love to play in a World Cup and the Olympics,” Barnes told Sefko. “Those are bucket-list experiences. If I could be included in that group, it would be really special.”