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Celtics Notes: G. Williams, Brown, Pritchard, Davison

March 9th, 2023 at 1:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics forward Grant Williams has been playing through a ligament strain in his right (shooting) elbow that has been exacerbated by muscle inflammation in the surrounding area, league sources tell Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Williams has been wearing a sleeve on his elbow since February 12, Weiss writes, which is around the time he sustained the injury.

According to Weiss, Williams was unable to lift heavy weights for a few weeks, though he was able to resume that activity prior to aggravating the injury in practice over the weekend. The former first-round pick has been dealing with pain when he turns or grabs with his right hand, sources tell Weiss.

Williams’ injury may be one reason why he’s been in a shooting slump, as he posted a .333/.325/.737 shooting line in February, far below his season-long splits of .455/.404/.804. As Weiss notes, his playing time has been cut back as well, with trade deadline addition Mike Muscala and second-year forward Sam Hauser both competing with Williams for minutes.

However, Weiss says Williams didn’t blame the elbow injury for missing both free throws in a tie game at the end of regulation on Monday in Cleveland, when one make would have sealed the win. Boston eventually lost in overtime.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • Williams hasn’t always been known for his shooting ability. In an interesting article for The Athletic, Weiss writes that assistant coach Ben Sullivan, who previously worked with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, helped instill confidence in Williams, something he admits he’s struggled with since he’s been dealing with the injury because he doesn’t think of himself as a natural shooter. Williams provides more insight on the injury and says he’s been receiving cortisone treatments, which have helped with the elbow discomfort. “Shot’s feeling good, medicine helps, so it’s just a matter of continuing to be confident and continuing to shoot the way I am,” Williams said, per Weiss. “From now on, it’s a matter of letting it go, let the shot fly, and think about everything after.”
  • Star wing Jaylen Brown says he’s grown weary of dealing with the mask he’s been wearing after suffering a facial fracture last month. “I’m kind of tired of the mask, to be honest,” he said (Twitter link via Weiss). “I know it looks cool. But sometimes it’s hard to breathe. It kind of limits your vision at times depending on the lighting and depth perception. But y’all don’t want to hear none of that, that’s something like excuses.”
  • Head coach Joe Mazzulla says reserve guard Payton Pritchard could miss the team’s upcoming six-game road trip, which ends March 21 in Sacramento, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Pritchard sustained a left heel injury at the end of regulation in Monday’s game when he missed a contested driving layup. Rookie guard JD Davison, who is on a two-way contract, may stay with the Celtics to provide depth, Washburn adds.
  • In case you missed it, the Celtics still have an opening on their standard roster, and they’re also involved in an intriguing second-round subplot that depends on where Houston finishes in the standings.
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Celtics Notes: Smart, G. Williams, Roster Spots

September 14th, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Marcus Smart agrees with the theory that a shallow rotation left the Celtics exhausted by the time they reached the NBA Finals, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Smart, who admitted that he still rewatches the Finals to see what he could have done differently, said the team exacerbated the problem by getting off to a slow start and not playing to its potential until January.

“I think depth was one of the big things that hurt us,” he said. “You had me, Jayson (Tatum), Jaylen (Brown) and our starters playing, clawing (up the standings) and we did it to ourselves.”

Smart likes the offseason additions the Celtics made, though Danilo Gallinari may be lost for the season with a torn ACL. Smart heard his name mentioned in Kevin Durant trade rumors this summer, but he’s thankful that he wasn’t moved and that the core of the team has remained intact.

“For someone who’s always talked about in trade talks, I didn’t really pay too much mind to that. Until it actually happens, I don’t believe it,” Smart said. “We can sit here and say this person said this, but we don’t even know who said it. It’s like a telephone game. By the time it gets back to you, you don’t know what changed and who said what. Until it actually happens, I try to pay trade rumors no mind.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • In an interview with Bobby Manning of CLNS Media, Smart revealed that he’s still feeling the effects of injuries from last season’s playoffs. He suffered a sprained right foot in the Eastern semifinals and a sprained right ankle in the conference finals. He also had to miss Game 2 of the Bucks series after aggravating a right thigh injury. “My ankle is feeling better, it’s still healing, so I’m dealing with that,” Smart said. “Just giving it as much rest as I can, but definitely back on the court. I’m definitely back into the action. It feels like yesterday we just started playing, we haven’t really missed a beat, but I’m definitely doing everything I can to be ready for next season and to go deeper. I’m pretty close (to 100%), obviously it’s September, you don’t want to be in June, July, May shape right now so I’m trying not to go too crazy, but I’m really close and I’ve been doing this going into my ninth season.”
  • Grant Williams‘ hopes for a contract extension will be impacted by the three-year, $33MM deal that Maxi Kleber got from the Mavericks, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Robb believes Williams would be better off taking what he can get in an extension rather than dealing with the unpredictability of restricted free agency.
  • Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston examines the battle for roster spots at Celtics training camp and views Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, Mfiondu Kabengele, JD Davison and Jake Layman as having the best shot at making the team.
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Celtics’ Final Roster Spots Expected To Be Up For Grabs In Camp

August 3rd, 2022 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are currently carrying 12 players on standard contracts who are considered virtual locks to make their 15-man regular season roster and are preparing to hold an open competition for the final spots, according to Jay King of The Athletic.

Former first-round picks Noah Vonleh and Bruno Caboclo recently agreed to training camp contracts that will give them an opportunity to fight for roster spots this fall. According to King, two-way restricted free agent Brodric Thomas and former Celtics forward Justin Jackson are also considered “strong candidates” to join the competition for those roster openings.

Assuming Vonleh and Caboclo officially completed their reported deals and Thomas and Jackson sign contracts of their own, the Celtics would still have two spots available on their 20-man offseason roster, so they could further expand the competition.

Free agent swingman Matt Ryan, who is fully recovered from a summer ankle injury, appears less likely to return to Boston, despite finishing last season on a two-way deal with the team and playing for the Celtics’ Summer League squad in Las Vegas, says King.

Additionally, while it’s possible the Celtics will add at least one more frontcourt player to vie for a roster spot, the team isn’t expected to go after a veteran like DeMarcus Cousins or Dwight Howard, according to King, who says the front office seems to prefer younger players who have room to improve and are willing to accept modest roles. Currently, Luke Kornet projects to be a rotation player in the frontcourt, with two-way big man Mfiondu Kabengele providing depth.

The Celtics’ projected tax bill will be worth keeping in mind as the club auditions players for its open roster spots. If ownership is concerned about the rising cost of the roster, Boston could enter the season with just 14 players on standard contracts instead of 15, meaning only two spots would be up for grabs this fall instead of three.

As King observes, current two-way player JD Davison could also emerge as a candidate for a promotion if he looks good in the preseason, since rookie minimum contracts for a team’s second-round draftees cost less for tax purposes than identical contracts signed by undrafted free agents.

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Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Williams, Davison

July 9th, 2022 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

After coming up short in the NBA Finals, Jayson Tatum believes the Celtics‘ offseason additions will provide the firepower necessary to make another run at a title, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Boston gained backcourt depth by acquiring Malcolm Brogdon from the Pacers and will sign Danilo Gallinari to provide more shooting at the wing.

“It’s great, great for our team,” Tatum said today as he watched the Celtics’ Summer League team. “Obviously said to see your brothers leave, (Daniel) Theis and Aaron (Nesmith), but we got better. Two veteran guys that are proven and ready to help us get to the next level. So I’m excited to have those guys.”

Tatum said he sent text messages to Brogdon and Gallinari after the news broke that they were on their way to Boston. He adds that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens kept him informed as the moves came together.

“Just kind of told me some options they were looking at, things they were keeping their eye on for free agency,” Tatum said.

There’s more on the Celtics:

  • Appearing on the broadcast of today’s game, coach Ime Udoka said the next step for Tatum and Jaylen Brown is to prove they can be team leaders as well as great players, tweets Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “A lot of what they’ve done throughout their career has been individual accolades,” Udoka said. “… We want them to continue to grow as playmakers, leaders on your team … They are the foundational pieces that everything’s gonna be built around.”
  • Purdue big man Trevion Williams could be Boston’s latest undrafted steal, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of Full Court Press. Williams has been getting positive reviews in practice, particularly for his advanced passing skills. “There were a couple of times he was looking the other way and threw it to a different guy that he wasn’t looking at, right in the shooting pocket for the 3,” Sam Hauser said. “He’s going to have a real impact in these games coming up.”
  • Second-round pick JD Davison, who signed a two-way contract earlier today, confirmed that he’s been promised a chance to earn a standard deal, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “They have indicated to me I could get a roster spot,” Davison said. “It’s just come out here, have fun, go do me and maybe that spot will be yours, maybe not. Whenever my name will be called, I’ll be ready.”
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Celtics Sign JD Davison To Two-Way Contract

July 9th, 2022 at 5:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

JD Davison has signed a two-way contract with the Celtics, the team announced on Twitter.

Boston selected the Alabama point guard with the 53rd pick in last month’s draft. He played just one season for the Crimson Tide, averaging 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game and earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team.

A report this week stated that Davison will be given a chance to compete for a regular roster spot heading into the season. The Celtics’ other two-way slot remains open, though the team has a two-way qualifying offer out to Brodric Thomas.

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Celtics Notes: Bryant, Trade Exception, Tax, Horford, Davison

July 7th, 2022 at 12:55pm CST by Rory Maher

The Celtics had an open offer out to Thomas Bryant to fill the backup center spot in the rotation, team sources tell Jared Weiss of The Athletic, but Bryant opted to join the Lakers on a one-year, minimum-salary deal because he has a chance to become the starting center. Other teams that were interested in Bryant’s services included the Raptors, Bucks and Jazz, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who reported that Bryant was signing with Los Angeles.

Weiss writes that Bryant was taking a wait-and-see approach to how the Kevin Durant situation might play out in case another opportunity arose, but he decided to accept the Lakers’ offer before it disappeared. As Weiss relays, with Bryant off the board and the free agent center options either aging or relatively unproven, it remains to be seen which player Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens might find to fill the backup role.

Here are a few more notes from Weiss about Boston’s plans for the rest of the roster:

  • The Celtics are still considering ways to use the $17,142,857 traded player exception (created by the Evan Fournier sign-and-trade to New York last summer) that expires on July 18, as our tracker shows. However, Weiss reports that the team is unlikely to use it on a high-salary player due to luxury tax concerns. According to Danny Leroux of The Athletic, Boston is $20.2MM over the tax line with 12 players on the standard roster, which amounts to a $45.8MM tax bill. If the team used the full $17.1MM trade exception, that bill would nearly triple, per The Athletic.
  • The backup center spot will be important for next season because the Celtics plan to limit Al Horford‘s minutes in the regular season, including sitting out “most” back-to-backs, team sources tell Weiss. Horford turned 36 last month and appeared in 92 games last season (regular season and postseason combined), so ensuring that he’s as spry as he was in the playoffs in 2021/22 is certainly a logical move for a team that hopes to compete for a title again next season.
  • JD Davison, whom the Celtics selected 53rd in the draft a couple of weeks ago, will sign a two-way deal with Boston, but sources tell Weiss that Davison will be given the opportunity to earn a standard roster spot over the coming months. Brodric Thomas, who was on a two-way contract with the Celtics last season and is currently a restricted free agent, will also be given a chance to win one of the final roster spots, according to Weiss.
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Atlantic Notes: Porter, Brunson, Gibson, Tucker, Davison

July 6th, 2022 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

After winning a ring with the Warriors this year, Otto Porter Jr. is now focused on getting another one with the Raptors, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Porter called it “a tough decision” to leave Golden State and sign a two-year, $12.4MM deal with Toronto.

The 29-year-old forward said he had some other offers, but he was most comfortable with the Raptors. Porter’s wife is from Toronto, which played a role in his choice.

“Winning a championship last year in Golden State, I feel like I can bring that experience here to help the younger guys out,” Porter said. “Being with (Thaddeus Young) again (after being teammates in Chicago two seasons ago), I know he has been there and done it with his leadership and (he is going) to continue to give guidance to the young guys.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The trade sending Kemba Walker to the Pistons was finalized today, but the Knicks still have options if they want to turn their agreement with Jalen Brunson into a sign-and-trade, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. A separate deal that has Detroit acquiring Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel still hasn’t been made official and could be folded into a larger transaction. Katz adds that the Pistons needed to complete the Walker trade so that Jalen Duren will be eligible for Summer League.
  • Several teams would be interested in Taj Gibson if the Knicks waive him to create cap room to sign Brunson, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Gibson’s contract for next season is non-guaranteed.
  • The Sixers gave P.J. Tucker a player option for the final season of his three-year, $33MM contract, tweets Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
  • JD Davison feels like he has something to prove in Summer League after sliding to the 53rd pick in the draft, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Even though the Alabama guard was disappointed to be taken so low, he was happy to wind up with a successful organization like the Celtics. “When I got that call from the Celtics,” Davison said, “when my agent called and said the Celtics got you, it’s an organization where they win. So it was just really important to where I know I can come in here and get better every day and just come here and win. I was very happy.”
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Northwest Notes: Gobert, Hunter, Jovic, Griffin, Maker

June 9th, 2022 at 8:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks have been identified in previous reports as a possible Rudy Gobert suitor, and multiple league sources have indicated the Jazz are interested in De’Andre Hunter, according to Matt Moore of ActionNetwork.com. Hunter is extension-eligible this offseason. However, according to Moore, the Hawks have tried to steer any teams inquiring on Hunter to players like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter instead.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

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Southeast Draft Notes: Murray, Hawks, Wizards, Hornets

June 2nd, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic hold the No. 1 pick and Iowa’s Keegan Murray isn’t expected to go higher than No. 4 in the lottery. That didn’t prevent Orlando from doing its due diligence on the high-scoring wing. Murray came in for a pre-draft workout on Thursday, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. The two sides also had a discussion during the draft combine in Chicago, Price adds.

We have more developments from the Southeast Division:

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Northwest Notes: Mitchell, Gobert, Thunder, Branch, Timberwolves

May 25th, 2022 at 9:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Eric Walden and Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune wonder what Jazz general manager Justin Zanik might be able to get for All-Stars Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert on the trade market, should the team opt to break up its playoff core during the offseason

Walden and Larsen note that the Jazz own one of the NBA’s priciest rosters. The club lacks a pick in the 2022 draft, through which it could have theoretically added complementary young talent under team control. Utah has yet to get beyond the second round of the playoffs with its Mitchell-Gobert core.

The authors also express skepticism that offloading the contracts of expensive starters Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Royce O’Neale, or sixth man Jordan Clarkson would result in any sort of meaningful return. This leaves the pathway to improve the team without offloading Mitchell or Gobert fairly narrow.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

  • The Thunder are likely looking at a variety of players with the No. 12 pick near the end of the 2022 draft lottery, writes Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman. Mussatto previews the fits of several young prospects, including G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels, Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan, and Memphis center Jalen Duren, among others.
  • The Trail Blazers are reshaping their front office under new permanent general manager Joe Cronin during the offseason. Jason Quick of The Athletic (Twitter link) reports that assistant GM Bill Branch, who had been in Portland since 2010, has been let go by the team. This latest move continues a brain trust overhaul that began in December 2021.
  • Tulsa forward Jeriah Horne, St. John’s wing Julian Champagnie and Alabama guard JD Davison are among the NBA hopefuls who have been brought in to work out for the Timberwolves as Minnesota prepares for the 2022 draft, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter video links). The Timberwolves possess the Nos. 19, 40, 48, and 50 picks this year.
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