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Wyc Grousbeck Explains Celtics’ Decision To Shake Up Roster

August 7th, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics reached the NBA Finals in 2022 and fell one game short of returning last season, but management decided changes were needed after the playoff loss to the Heat, co-owner Wyc Grousbeck said in an interview with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

Grousbeck characterized the last two seasons as “missed opportunities,” even though he admitted his team lost to two good opponents. Following the playoffs, he had a meeting with president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and head coach Joe Mazzulla in which they decided to explore chances to revamp the roster. That led to a three-team trade in late June that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston.

“The general tone was, how do we take this energy we’re feeling right now that was built up over having two good seasons, but then didn’t get all the way,” Grousbeck said. “The whole point is, how do we get to banner 18? If we’d all agreed we should keep things the same, that would have been fine. But the idea of bringing in another talented big popped up early in the conversation, and we ended up executing on that idea.”

They decided to focus on Porzingis, who was facing a decision on a $36MM player option after a productive season with the Wizards. Porzingis had other interested teams if he had opted for free agency, but Grousbeck said he was eager to join the Celtics.

“He is a committed and now seasoned and effective player. He’s a real force. I’m really impressed with his commitment to being part of a winning Celtics team,” Grousbeck said. “I met with him when he came up for the press conference and spent some real time with him, and he’s so happy to be here. He’s so ready to shine at this stage of his career. But he sees a team concept, not the KP show. He’s continually improved over his career, and he thinks this is his prime. But he’s about the team, his teammates and the banner. He chose us. There were other people, I hear, that wanted him. And he chose us. He wants to be here and he wants to win a ring.”

Grousbeck covers several other topics in the interview, including:

The commitment to Mazzulla, who faced criticism in the playoffs in his first year running the team:

“If Joe had done a poor job, I would have thought about replacing him, but he did a very good job. He took us within one game of the best record in the league and then one game of being in the Finals, as a rookie coach. So I’m comfortable and happy to have Joe as head coach.”

The Celtics’ willingness to spend despite restrictions in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement:

“The league doesn’t allow us to comment on the details of the CBA, but having said that, we’re obviously all in, with the record contract for Jaylen (Brown) and with our payroll this year and in coming years. Eventually, there are basketball penalties for spending, so that will go into the thought process down the road. But at the moment, the best basketball thing we can do is what we’re doing.”

Heading into the future with Brown and Jayson Tatum as franchise cornerstones:

“They’re the best two people I could imagine building a team around. We’ve had them since the beginning. We’ve been very lucky to have them here for their whole careers, and we’re building the team around them. But you add the next eight guys to the list. You take our top 10 and we’ve got a really good team. The focus is naturally on those two because they’re All-NBA players and All-Stars, but I like the whole roster.”

How 2024 Cap Increase Will Determine Value Of Brown’s Record-Setting Contract

July 29th, 2023 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

When Jaylen Brown agreed to a five-year, super-max extension with the Celtics, it was widely reported to be a $304MM deal. That number is subject to change though, since the value of the contract will depend on the value of the NBA’s 2024/25 salary cap, which won’t be officially determined until next June.

Brown’s contract will start at 35% of the ’24/25 cap and will feature 8% annual raises after that.

The $304MM estimate for Brown’s super-max deal is based on a projected salary cap increase of 10%. The NBA and NBPA have agreed not to increase the cap by more than 10% per year in order to avoid a repeat of the 2016 offseason, when a 34.5% bump helped create a Warriors super-team and resulted in a number of regrettable contracts for other teams around the league.

With that ceiling in mind, a 10% cap increase next summer would represent a best-case scenario for Brown. But it’s also a realistic outcome — the cap has risen by 10% in each of the past two offseasons, so it’s forecasting it to happen again is certainly within reason.

If the cap were to increase 10% for 2024/25, Brown’s contract would look like this:

Year	Salary
2024/25	$52,368,050
2025/26	$56,557,494
2026/27	$60,746,938
2027/28	$64,936,382
2028/29	$69,125,826
Total	$303,734,690

Of course, the NBA hasn’t actually formally projected a 10% cap increase for 2024/25, so it’s a little early to lock in those figures for Brown.

If the cap were to instead increase by a more modest 5%, his deal would instead look like this:

Year	Salary
2024/25	$49,987,700
2025/26	$53,986,716
2026/27	$57,985,732
2027/28	$61,984,748
2028/29	$65,983,764
Total	$289,928,660

In either case, Brown’s contract would become the richest deal in NBA history, comfortably surpassing Nikola Jokic‘s five-year, $276,122,630 deal that begins in 2023/24. The only scenario in which Brown’s extension wouldn’t exceed Jokic’s is if the salary cap doesn’t increase at all in a year — then Brown’s deal would look exactly the same as Jokic’s.

A lot could happen in the next 11 months, but it would require very unusual circumstances for the cap not to rise at all. Since 2010, that has only happened amidst shortened seasons (due to a lockout and the COVID-19 pandemic). So we can confidently project Brown’s contract to be worth more than Jokic’s.

For what it’s worth, Brown won’t be the only player earning 35% of the cap in 2024/25. Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns also signed super-max contracts that will go into effect a year from now, and their deals will look exactly the same as Brown’s from 2024-28. The only reason those aren’t considered record-setting contracts in their own right is because they’ll cover four years instead of five, since Booker and Towns signed extensions with two years left on their respective contracts rather than just one.

Of course, even Brown’s record is unlikely to stand for long. With an in-season tournament being introduced later this year and a new media rights deal around the corner, the NBA’s revenue and salary cap will likely only continue to grow in the coming years.

Brown’s Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum, who met the super-max performance criteria this spring and will meet the service time criteria in 2024, is the best bet to be the next recipient of the richest contract in league history. If the cap increases by 10% next year and another 10% in 2025, this is what a super-max deal for Tatum could look like:

Year	Salary
2025/26	$57,604,750
2026/27	$62,213,130
2027/28	$66,821,510
2028/29	$71,429,890
2029/30	$76,038,270
Total	$334,107,550

Jaylen Brown Extension Notes, Reactions

July 26th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

While it’s possible the Celtics will eventually regret giving Jaylen Brown a five-year super-max extension that projects to be the richest deal in NBA history, it was the only real option available to them, says Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

As O’Connor outlines, Boston has title aspirations in 2023/24 and there was likely no viable trade involving Brown that would have raised the team’s ceiling in the short term. The Celtics could have tried to pay Brown less than his maximum, but would’ve risked alienating him and compromising their chemistry heading into an important season — not to mention potentially losing him in unrestricted free agency a year from now.

Executives around the league who spoke to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com agreed that giving Brown a super-max extension was the most logical path for the Celtics.

“It is a good deal because he is a star player and that is what they had to pay him,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “I love the people who say they should not have given him that contract. Like, OK, then what should they have done? Traded him? Let him go to free agency? The same people who are beating them up for signing him would be beating them up if they did not sign him. It’s crazy.”

With Jayson Tatum due for a super-max extension of his own in 2024, the Celtics may face financial challenges down the road, but having two young stars on big contracts is a “champagne problem,” O’Connor writes, suggesting that it’s not something the team needs to worry about right away. If Boston ultimately decides that it can’t win a title with a roster built around Tatum and Brown, the club is now better positioned to eventually make a trade rather than having to undergo a full reset.

Here’s more on Brown’s new deal:

The extension signals that the Celtics intend to move forward with their plan to build around the trio of Brown, Tatum, and Kristaps Porzingis, all of whom are between 25 and 27 years old, writes Jay King of The Athletic. While they’ll likely miss Marcus Smart and Grant Williams, the C’s are optimistic that Porzingis’ presence will put them in a better position to attack certain defenses that have given them trouble in recent years, King explains.
Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston takes a look at the short- and long-term implications of Brown’s new contract, observing that there may be a financial squeeze on the Celtics’ supporting cast in future seasons.
While Brown’s extension is the new richest contract in NBA history, it won’t hold that title for long, notes Zach Kram of The Ringer. Given the rate at which the league’s salary cap is climbing, some massive contracts signed in the early 2020s already look like bargains, Kram writes. Brown’s deal may never qualify as team-friendly, but the super-max contracts being signed during the later years of his extension will be significantly more lucrative.

Celtics Notes: J. Brown, Jefferson, G. Williams, Banton, Madar

July 12th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

A fifth-year player option and a trade kicker could be among the contract details being haggled over as the Celtics and Jaylen Brown continue to negotiate a potential super-max extension, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe and Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

Given that Brown has been the subject of frequent trade speculation in recent years and might be the odd man out down the road if the Celtics want to shake up their roster and/or reduce their payroll, the possible inclusion of a trade kicker could be a key point of contention for both sides, Robb speculates.

According to Himmelsbach, the Celtics and Brown’s camp continued to talk over the weekend and into this week, and league sources remain confident that an extension will be completed sooner or later, but one source told The Globe that “there is work to be done” still.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

In a separate story for The Boston Globe, Himmelsbach looks at the friendship between former Duke teammates Jayson Tatum and Amile Jefferson, who is joining the Celtics’ coaching staff as an assistant for the 2023/24 season.
Grant Williams, whose sign-and-trade to Dallas was finalized on Wednesday, spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy Sports about leaving the Celtics, referring to it as a situation where “both sides just did what’s best for each.”
Dalano Banton, who said he’s excited to be joining a “championship organization,” wasn’t able to play in the Celtics’ first two Summer League games in Las Vegas due to a minor injury, according to Souchi Terada of MassLive.com. However, Banton apparently plans to play in Wednesday’s game. His two-year deal with Boston isn’t yet official but will presumably be finalized shortly.
Celtics draft-and-stash prospect Yam Madar, a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, has signed with Turkish club Fenerbahce, per a press release from the team. It’s a two-year deal with a third-year option, though it may include NBA outs.
In case you missed it, the Celtics officially signed Kristaps Porzingis to his two-year extension on Wednesday.

Celtics Rumors: Brown, Lillard, G. Williams, Tatum, Johnson

July 6th, 2023 at 1:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Just because the Celtics and Jaylen Brown didn’t immediately agree to a super-max extension once he became eligible on July 1 doesn’t mean anything is amiss, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). Sources tell Himmselsbach that the Celtics aren’t shopping Brown and don’t plan to low-ball him once they begin negotiating.

Himmselsbach reiterates a point that other reporters have made, that Boston might push for some incentives in the deal, but there’s still an expectation that Brown will eventually receive and sign his super-max at some point. The two sides are expected to discuss the massive extension on Friday during Las Vegas Summer League, Himmselsbach adds.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Boston has accumulated several draft picks via trade this offseason, leading to speculation the Celtics could be looking for a major deal. However, although the team eventually plans to cash in on its draft equity for a “seismic strike,” such a move appears unlikely this offseason, sources tell Himmelsbach.
According to Himmselsbach, the Celtics aren’t pursuing Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard and don’t intend to get involved in that situation unless they find something favorable as part of a multi-team deal. ESPN recently reported that Boston “expressed some interest” in the All-NBA guard.
While the Celtics valued Grant Williams, they recognized that his role was in flux after acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, whose acquisition came as a surprise to the organization, sources tell Himmselsbach. Williams wanted an opportunity for consistent playing time which Boston couldn’t guarantee, and that factored into Brad Stevens‘ decision to agree to sign-and-trade Williams to Dallas.
The Celtics are willing to exceed the second tax apron in the future and still project to be a taxpayer, but retaining Williams on the contract he received would have added $40MM to the tax bill. Boston didn’t think that made sense financially, given his uncertain role, says Himmelbach.
Losing Marcus Smart (as part of the Porzingis trade) and Williams will leave a leadership and toughness void, according to Himmselsbach. However, the Celtics expect stars Brown and Jayson Tatum to fill that void. The team felt the two wings deferred to Smart at times in key moments, but obviously that will change.
Tatum was close to Williams, but he understood the team’s decision to move the restricted free agent and is focused on improving the team’s roster, sources tell Himmelsbach.
Free agent forward Alize Johnson will workout for the Celtics this week, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The five-year NBA veteran played four games for the Spurs in 2022/23.

Celtics Rumors: G. Williams, Brogdon, Brown, Banton, Lillard

July 6th, 2023 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

When the Celtics struck a deal to acquire Kristaps Porzingis last month, Grant Williams recognized that there might not be as significant a role for him in Boston’s frontcourt if he were to re-sign with the team as a restricted free agent. However, he liked the trade for the Celtics, as he told Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

“With the (Porzingis) news, I was excited about it ’cause even if they did end up matching me, I would probably be playing less but my whole thing is about winning,” he said.

Still, Williams recognized that the addition of Porzingis’ salary made it less likely that the Celtics would be willing to spend to keep him when he reached restricted free agency. According to Weiss, the forward had a more competitive market when free agency opened last week, but the Celtics were asking for a first-round pick in sign-and-trade talks, which caused some potential suitors to move on.

“I had an understanding of that most of the way. I know how the numbers work out and yeah, they could have afforded to keep me,” Williams said of the Celtics. “But it’s one of those things where you’re really committing and after the prior year, I didn’t think it was realistic. Hey, Boston was trying to maintain their leverage. It’s one of those where you can’t be mad at them for it because it just shows they want you to be there in a way.”

With Williams’ market drying up, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe heard from a source as late as Wednesday afternoon that a return to the Celtics was still a possibility, but the Mavericks increased their push for the forward and Brad Stevens was amenable to sending the 24-year-old somewhere he’d get to play more. That led to a three-team sign-and-trade agreement that will send Williams to Dallas.

Here’s more on what’s next for the Celtics:

A league source tells Himmelsbach that the Celtics remain intent on bringing back Malcolm Brogdon after discussing him in trade talks earlier in the offseason. Himmelsbach’s source adds that Jaylen Brown‘s super-max extension should be finalized “in the coming days.”
Dalano Banton, who agreed to sign a two-year contract with Boston, is expected to join the team’s Las Vegas Summer League roster, tweets Himmelsbach.
Echoing an earlier report from Chris Haynes that said the Celtics were among the teams to reach out to the Trail Blazers to inquire about the price for Damian Lillard, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne stated on NBA Today (YouTube link) that Boston has “expressed some interest” in the star guard. Shelburne and ESPN colleague Zach Lowe stressed that the Celtics are not on Lillard’s wish list, but point out that a package of Brogdon, Robert Williams, and several first-round picks and swaps could be compelling. The C’s have given San Antonio first-round swap rights in 2028, but their future first-rounders are otherwise unencumbered.
A Celtics star forward would be in favor of a deal for Lillard, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears said during a TV appearance over the weekend. “I’m hearing Jayson Tatum is knocking on that door now too to figure out a way to get (Lillard) to come to Boston,” Spears said, according to Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

Celtics Rumors: Pritchard, Draft, G. Williams, Beal, Jefferson

June 21st, 2023 at 6:35pm CST by Rory Maher

The Celtics have been weighing the possibility of trading Payton Pritchard to try to move into the first round of the 2023 NBA draft, reports Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Boston doesn’t currently control a first-round pick.

A couple of possible targets could be Marquette wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper and UCLA wing Jaime Jaquez, according to Deveney.

“Great organization, great history. I had a really good time there,” Prosper said of his workout with the Celtics.

However, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports suggests (via Twitter) that a potential package deal involving Pritchard and the No. 35 pick might be shelved if the team is able to acquire Kristaps Porzingis from Washington, with Malcolm Brogdon possibly heading to the Clippers and Danilo Gallinari being sent to the Wizards. Losing Brogdon would obviously affect Boston’s backcourt depth and would seemingly open up playing time for Pritchard.

Here are a few more rumors and notes on the Celtics:

Multiple league sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that if the Celtics do land Porzingis, there’s a good chance Grant Williams may be headed to a new team (Twitter link). As Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype tweets, adding Porzingis’ $36MM contract for 2023/24 would push the club close to the second tax apron, and releasing Williams’ cap hold (along with several others) would give Boston access to the taxpayer mid-level exception. Re-signing Williams would push the Celtics past the second apron.
Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston explains why the Celtics weren’t in on the Bradley Beal sweepstakes despite the three-time All-Star’s close ties to Jayson Tatum. Aside from his massive contract and full no-trade clause, which have to be highlighted when talking about a taxpayer like Boston, the Celtics are focused on rebalancing the roster by adding size at other positions rather than acquiring another guard, Forsberg writes.
Former NBA big man Amile Jefferson, who was an assistant coach with Duke in ’22/23, is finalizing a multiyear contract to join the Celtics as an assistant, a source tells Travis Branham of 247Sports.com. Jefferson played 30 games with the Magic from 2018-20.

And-Ones: Terry, Doncic, Tatum, Wembanyama, Selden

June 18th, 2023 at 3:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former Mavericks point guard Tyrell Terry, who retired from basketball after just two seasons due to mental health reasons, explained his decision more thoroughly during an interview with Chip Scoggins of The Star Tribune.

The 22-year-old, selected with the No. 31 pick out of Stanford, is back in school following his brief pro stint, now majoring in Science, Technology and Society. Terry’s issues trying to gain weight at the next level prevented him from having the kind of on-court success he had enjoyed at the NCAA level.

“On a daily basis I was trying to convince myself that I loved basketball,” Terry said. “Trying to convince myself that people’s opinions didn’t matter. It became a game of trying to convince myself of something that I didn’t believe in. I realized that’s not how I want to live my life. It was like I was damaging myself.”

Terry took a two-month personal leave from the team during his rookie season in an effort to deal with persistent anxiety attacks. He also consulted with Dallas’ team therapist. The following year, he and his team eventually coordinated his release from the roster in training camp.

There’s more from around the basketball universe:

Young All-NBA stars Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum have both experienced significant team success during their early years in the league, but have yet to win the ultimate prize. Jared Weiss and Tim Cato of The Athletic examine the very divergent approaches their respective clubs, the Mavericks and Celtics, have taken to their offseasons in years past, and project what it could mean for the two players’ present and future.
Expected No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama has officially concluded his run with Metropolitans 92, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN details. Wembanyama and his French team fell 92-85 in the third game of their league’s title series to Monaco, a club loaded with ex-NBA players like Mike James, Elie Okobo, Jordan Loyd and Donatas Motiejunas. Wembanyama, the French League MVP, recorded 22 points, seven boards and four blocks in the loss.
Former NBA shooting guard Wayne Selden is joining Puerto Rican club Gigantes de Carolina, reports Dario Skerletic of Sportando. After going undrafted out of Kansas in 2016, the 6’4″ swingman enjoyed stints with the Pelicans, Grizzlies, Bulls, and Knicks, as well as several NBAGL clubs. After first dipping a toe into the international game with Israeli club Ironi Ness Ziona in 2020, Selden ditched the league for good in 2022. He has since played in Turkey, Italy, and Philippines.

Atlantic Notes: Beal, Brown, Brogdon, Harden, Towns

June 14th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics made inquiries about Bradley Beal in the past, but they’re unlikely to pursue the high-scoring Wizards guard now, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Wednesday on “NBA Today” (video link). Boston had thoughts of teaming up Beal with his long-time friend Jayson Tatum, but Windhorst doesn’t believe it’s realistic with the team’s current salary structure.

“My feel from talking to sources is that the Celtics are not necessarily in on this one,” Windhorst said. “Their intention is to get Jaylen Brown on a contract extension this year. Even if they got Jaylen Brown done, the idea of bringing in Bradley Beal would be extraordinarily difficult because of the three contracts together. I don’t think any conversation that involves trading Jaylen Brown is something the Celtics are super interested in right now.”

Brown became eligible for a super-max contract by earning All-NBA honors this season. Beal signed a maximum contract last summer and will make nearly $208MM over the next four years, while Tatum will be eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2024.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

With the Celtics hoping to trim salary this summer, Brian Robb of MassLive suggests potential deals involving Malcolm Brogdon. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year had a productive first season in Boston, but he’s owed $22.5MM in each of the next two years and that money may be needed elsewhere. Robb proposes trades involving the Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Raptors and 76ers.
The Sixers prefer to re-sign James Harden, but they shouldn’t be viewed as desperate, according to Windhorst, who says in his latest podcast that Philadelphia has alternatives lined up if the veteran guard returns to Houston. “While they absolutely want James Harden back, and I think there’s a way they can play together and still be highly successful, the Sixers have other moves they can make,” Windhorst said. “If Harden walks, they have cap space. They have tradable contracts. They have things they can do. Harden is important, but not the end-all and be-all for the 76ers.”
Rico Hines will be an assistant to new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Hines worked under Nurse with the Raptors last season.
The Knicks would have numerous ways to match Karl-Anthony Towns‘ salary in a trade if the Timberwolves make him available, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Because Towns’ extension doesn’t start until 2024/25, he will make $36MM next season. Sending out Julius Randle ($25.6MM) or Mitchell Robinson ($15.6MM), either of whom might be redundant on the same team with Towns, gives New York plenty of remaining options to reach a matching figure, Begley notes.

Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Brown, Brogdon, G. Williams

June 1st, 2023 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Joe Mazzulla‘s ascension to head coach after Ime Udoka’s suspension led to disagreements between the coaching staff and several of the Celtics‘ stars over the team’s style of play, according to Jay King and Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Boston was coming off an NBA Finals run under Udoka built around a suffocating defense, and many players wanted to continue that philosophy. Mazzulla placed more emphasis on the offense and frequently relied on smaller lineups, using Derrick White as a starter even when Robert Williams was healthy.

Although Mazzulla generally had the support of his players, who recognized that he was in a difficult situation, one source tells the authors that the team “just lost focus” after the All-Star Game, going 7-6 in its first 13 games following the break. Some veterans wondered why Mazzulla went away from Grant Williams, whose playing time was cut in March. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown met with Mazzulla to implore him to put Grant Williams back in the rotation, sources tell King and Weiss.

Complaints about Mazzulla’s emphasis on offense continued into the playoffs, the authors add. Some players said they left timeouts unsure of the defensive coverages, and that Blake Griffin, Marcus Smart, Grant Williams and others would work things out at the last minute.

Even amid the chaos, players publicly remained supportive of Mazzulla after the Game 7 loss to Miami.

“I don’t think people give (Mazzulla) or us enough credit that, two days before (the) season starts, we find out we’re going to have a new coach,” Tatum said. “We didn’t have Rob the first 25, 30 games of the season, we never got a chance to have (Danilo Gallinari), and we got a new coach one day before media day. You know, that was an adjustment. We all figured it out. Obviously, we wanted to win the championship. Didn’t happen. But I think Joe did a great job. We won 50-some-odd games. We got to (Game 7 of the) conference finals. Obviously, everybody can be better, learn from this. But I think Joe did a great job this year.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Among the reasons Mazzulla is likely to return as head coach next season is his contract, which still has $14MM remaining in guaranteed money, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. Charania expects Mazzulla to be given the chance to build his coaching staff this summer.
Brown didn’t talk much about his future after Game 7, but Tatum said it’s “extremely important” that he remains on the team, per Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston. There has been speculation that the Celtics may explore trade options after Brown qualified for a super-max contract by earning All-NBA honors. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his Hoop Collective podcast that he would be “stunned” if Boston doesn’t reach a new agreement with Brown (hat tip to Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report).
Either White, Smart or Malcolm Brogdon is likely to be moved this offseason to ease the financial crunch, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, who believes Brogdon could be the top trade asset despite his large salary. That savings could be used to keep Grant Williams, a restricted free agent, Forsberg adds.