Jrue Holiday Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Reed, Oubre, Mazzulla, Celtics’ Starters

November 21st, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers retained Paul Reed in free agency on a three-year, $23.5MM deal this summer. Coach Nick Nurse would like to get more bang for those bucks and expand the big man’s playing time, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I think that Paul (has) played so well that it’s hard to not let him stay out there. In fact, I’ve been trying to keep him out there a little bit longer, figure out a way to keep him out there,” the Sixers coach said of Reed, who is averaging 4.1 points and career highs of 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 13 minutes per night as Joel Embiid’s backup.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Kelly Oubre took another step in his recovery from being struck by a vehicle while walking in a hit-and-run accident. The Sixers forward returned to the practice court on Monday, Pompey writes. Oubre suffered broken ribs in the incident. He’ll be reevaluated in approximately one week. “I think getting him moving was the first step,” Nurse said. “Getting him into some contact and things is the next step. I think after [Tuesday] we’ll have a little better read on the timeline.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla asserted himself and sent a message by pulling his stars in the third quarter against Memphis on Sunday and it worked, John Tomase of NBC Sports Boston notes. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday sat for a seven-plus minute stretch while reserves closed out the quarter. They returned for the fourth quarter as the team pulled out a 102-100 win. Still, Mazzulla wasn’t impressed. “I don’t think we deserved to win that game,” he said,
For the most part, however, the Celtics‘ starters have blended well while racing to an 11-3 record, Michael Pina of The Ringer writes. Prior to their loss to Charlotte on Monday, the starting five — that also includes Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White — had a league-leading plus-104 overall rating while generating 124.1 points per 100 possessions on a 66.6 true shooting percentage. “[They’re] one of the best starting fives in the league, if not the best starting five in the league,” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said.

Central Notes: Bucks, Holiday, Pacers, Mitchell, Allen

November 21st, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Jrue Holiday was a key member of the Bucks team that won a championship in 2021. On Wednesday, he’ll be taking the court against his former club for the first time as a member of the conference-rival Celtics, following a pair of preseason trades that sent him first to Portland and then to Boston.

As Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, the current Bucks who were part of that 2021 team have faced plenty of former teammates over the years, but readily admit that their first matchup against Holiday won’t just be another game. Khris Middleton referred to it as “more personal,” while Giannis Antetokounmpo said it will be odd to see “one of my brothers” wearing a different jersey.

“He’s such a special person and means so much to me and obviously the team and the city,” Bucks center Brook Lopez said. “It’s definitely not going to be just like playing any other previous teammate. It’s definitely going to be different. … I’ll be excited to see him. … I miss him very much.”

“It’s kind of hard to get out your head, you feel me? It’s our brother,” Bobby Portis said. “When you play ball in the Fiserv Forum and we tip up and you look up at the championship, you can’t help but think about him, you feel me? Obviously it’s weird.”

Let’s round up a few more notes from around the Central…

A win over Atlanta on Tuesday night would clinch the Pacers‘ spot atop East Group A in the in-season tournament, securing their spot in the quarterfinals (Twitter link). Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers are welcoming the opportunity to play in games with bigger stakes than a typical regular season contest, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “The in-season tournament is probably the first time that I’m really competing to win a championship on the NBA level,” Haliburton said. “I’ve never made the playoffs or anything, so right here it gives me the chance to be able to do that, and that’s exciting for me.” Head coach Rick Carlisle believes making a run in the tournament would benefit his club more than just financially: “Opportunities to be on more meaningful stages is something that’s important for young teams.”
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell will miss a third consecutive game on Tuesday due to a hamstring strain, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
In a conversation with Sam Yip of HoopsHype, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen said that his ankle, which cost him the first five games of the season, feels “great” now, adding that he believes his minutes restriction has been lifted. Allen also discussed the impact of the Cavs’ offseason additions, his efforts to improve his play-making, and the improvements he has seen from his younger teammates.

Atlantic Notes: Smart, Celtics, Holiday, Batum, DiVincenzo

November 20th, 2023 at 7:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics‘ NBA-best record (11-2) suggests they’re doing just fine so far this season without longtime backcourt cornerstone Marcus Smart. However, conversations with Celtics players reveal that moving on from Smart and getting used to playing without him hasn’t been easy, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.

“[Smart is] a big part of this culture,” Jayson Tatum said ahead of Boston’s Sunday matchup with the Grizzlies, Smart’s new team. “He was the most beloved Celtic that we had on our team. He was the heart and soul. To see him leave — I thought I was going to play with Smart my entire career. So seeing him leave was tough.”

“I’m going to miss watching him play basketball because he was a lot of fun to watch. Just creative and engaging and like really one-of-a-kind as a player,” Luke Kornet added. “He was a great teammate and player, and his competitive abilities were incredible.”

Having been diagnosed last week with a sprained left foot, Smart wasn’t able to take the court on Sunday in his first game against his former team. The veteran guard still got the opportunity to catch up with old friends and teammates, but he admitted in an interview with Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston that it was disappointing not to be able to suit up on Sunday.

“We’ve been struggling and we got a great win (on Saturday),” Smart said, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “To come back and play a team like Boston, not to be a part of it is definitely devastating.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

While Jrue Holiday is known most for his defensive ability and the Celtics have no shortage of scoring options, the team is encouraging the veteran guard to be aggressive on the offensive end of the court rather than simply deferring to teammates and focusing on defense, as Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe and Jay King of The Athletic detail. Holiday’s scoring average (12.9 PPG) is his lowest mark since his rookie year in 2009/10, but head coach Joe Mazzulla knows he’s capable of giving the team more if needed. “I told him…I watched you on film take things over when guys on the Bucks team were out and you won games because of what you did on both ends,” Mazzulla said last week.
Sixers forward Nicolas Batum was back with the team on Sunday after missing three consecutive games for personal reasons. According to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), Batum explained that he was away due to a health situation with his wife and expects to be back with the club for good now. “I can’t really say what it is, but I had to be there,” Batum said. “… Sometimes, you have to do what you’ve got to do for your family. She’ll be OK now.”
Donte DiVincenzo‘s connection to former Villanova teammates like Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart was one reason why he joined the Knicks as a free agent this past offseason, and he and Brunson showed on Saturday that the chemistry they established in college remains strong, per Steve Popper of Newsday. Starting alongside Brunson, who had 32 points of his own, DiVincenzo scored a career-high 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting. “I’m not really surprised by it. But it’s pretty cool to see it, one of your best friends playing that way,” Brunson said, adding that he’s “not taking it for granted” to get to play in the NBA with so many of his friends from Villanova.

Harden Trade Notes: TPE, Hard Cap, Sixers’ Next Targets, More

October 31st, 2023 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

The size of the traded player exception the Sixers create in their James Harden deal with the Clippers will depend on whether or not they’re comfortable being hard-capped at the first tax apron ($172.3MM), notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Philadelphia could complete the trade using either the more lenient salary-matching rules for teams below both tax aprons or using the more restrictive matching rules for apron teams, which prohibit clubs from taking back more than 110% of their outgoing salary (plus $250K).

Going the latter route would result in a smaller trade exception ($6.8MM), but would avoid creating a hard cap; the former route would mean a bigger TPE ($11MM) but would leave Philadelphia just $2.8MM below a hard cap. I’d expect the 76ers – who want to make another trade or two before February’s deadline – to settle for the smaller TPE to avoid limiting their cap flexibility, but that’s just my speculation.

Here’s more on the Harden blockbuster:

Which players might the Sixers target in pre-deadline trades using the draft assets they’re acquiring for Harden? According to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link), the “early chatter” on names to watch includes Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Raptors forward OG Anunoby. Based on Mannix’s wording, it sounds like that may just be speculation from rival executives rather than anything concrete from Sixers sources.
Zach Harper of The Athletic gives the Clippers a B-minus grade and the Sixers a C-minus grade for the trade, expressing surprise that Philadelphia didn’t get Terance Mann or Norman Powell as part of the return for Harden. In a separate Athletic story, Harper shares five reasons why he doesn’t love the deal for either side, including the fact that Russell Westbrook has played well since being traded to the Clippers and will now have his role adjusted.
While Harden and Westbrook will once again have to figure out how to coexist in a backcourt after stints together in Oklahoma City and Houston, there’s no conflict between the two guards, who have long “maintained a line of communication,” a league source tells Law Murray of The Athletic.
Filip Petrusev isn’t expected to be a contributor for the Clippers, a team source tells Murray. If Los Angeles were to waive the rookie big man, the team would open up a second spot on its 15-man roster and would only be on the hook for his partial guarantee ($559,782) rather than his full $1,119,563 salary, assuming that guarantee isn’t being increased as part of the trade.
In his story on the trade, Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times writes that the Clippers weren’t in “Harden-or-bust” mode. In fact, some people with the team believe L.A. came “extremely close” to winning the bidding for Jrue Holiday a few weeks ago, Greif writes. If the Clippers had landed Holiday, it’s unclear how the Harden saga would’ve been resolved.

And-Ones: Extensions, Breakouts, B. Smith, Defenders

October 27th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Rory Maher

2023 set a record for rookie scale extensions, with 14 contracts signed before the October 23 deadline. Typically, rookie scale extensions go almost exclusively to stars or at least starters, but that wasn’t the case this year.

John Hollinger of The Athletic classifies it as a “middle-class revolution” with six players signing at or below the projected 2024/25 mid-level exception, and a couple others receiving slightly more than that. Several of those players come off the bench for their respective clubs.

As Hollinger writes, there are several reasons why both teams and players may have been motivated to reach new deals. For players, avoiding restricted free agency was surely a factor — Magic guard Cole Anthony and Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu recently said that was the case for them.

For teams, a salary cap that is projected to rise substantially in the coming years will help “water down” some of the contracts. Mid-sized contracts are also very useful for trade purposes, Hollinger observes, with free agency limitations likely a major consideration for the Celtics (Payton Pritchard) and Nuggets (Zeke Nnaji) due to their payrolls (both project to be over the second apron in ’24/25).

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In another article for The Athletic, Hollinger lists 12 players he believes are primed for breakout seasons in 2023/24, with some fairly obvious choices and some under-the-radar picks as well. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes and Hornets center Mark Williams are five of the players Hollinger thinks will see “big upticks in production.”
Former Cavaliers forward Bingo Smith has passed away at age 77, according to Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Smith played 10 season for Cleveland from 1970-80. Smith is still sixth in franchise history in points and fourth in games played, among other statistical marks. His No. 7 jersey hangs in the rafters as one of only seven players to have their number retired, Withers adds. “Bingo was always a giving teammate and one of the most fierce competitors I ever played with,” said former Cavs star and current broadcaster Austin Carr. “This is truly a sad moment in our franchise history and my heart goes out to his family.”
Jon Krawczynski and Josh Robbins of The Athletic ran an anonymous poll to see which players coaches identify as the best defenders in the NBA. Celtics guard Jrue Holiday was the only unanimous choice for first-team All-Defense, receiving all 12 votes. The remaining spots were filled by Jaren Jackson Jr. (forward), Brook Lopez (center), Alex Caruso (guard), OG Anunoby, and Draymond Green (the latter two tied for the second forward spot). Holiday was also third in the survey’s Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Jackson and Lopez, who finished first and second for the actual award last season. Evan Mobley, who was third in DPOY media voting last season and named first-team All-Defense, finished sixth in DPOY voting in The Athletic’s coaches poll and was second-team All-Defense.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Holiday, Brown, White

October 26th, 2023 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis was showered with profane chants by a New York crowd that used to love him, but that made his Celtics debut even sweeter, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Porzingis posted 30 points, eight rebounds and four blocks on Wednesday and led a late comeback as Boston showed why it’s one of the early-season favorites to capture the NBA title.

“That was awesome, I’m not going to lie,” Porzingis said. “Playing here at the Garden is always special as the home team, obviously, but also on the road here it’s really fun. At one point it got really crazy when the fans got into it and they made the comeback. But we stayed poised, we stayed calm and we were able to finish out the game.”

Porzingis displayed the versatility he brings to the offense, scoring in a variety of ways while setting a record for most points by a player in his first game with the Celtics. He hit five of the team’s 12 three-pointers on the night, was 9-of-10 from the foul line and sank a game-changing three that gave Boston the lead for good with 1:29 remaining.

“He just makes us that much more dynamic obviously with his size, ability to shoot, make plays off the dribble,” Jayson Tatum said. “Obviously, he can shoot from wherever. I mean, he’s really good. He’s really, really good. We’re lucky to have him.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Jrue Holiday also played his first game with the team Wednesday, and although he only had nine points, he made an immediate impact with his defense, Bontemps adds. Holiday blocked three shots in 34 minutes and contributed to a frustrating night for Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson, who shot a combined 11-of-43 from the field.
Al Horford came off the bench against the Knicks, but coach Joe Mazzulla indicated that his starting lineups may vary, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. The Celtics have six players who are used to being starters, and Holiday said they held a meeting to discuss the situation. “Us six went together and talked about it,” he said. “And honestly, it’s about what we can do for the team. No matter who starts, no matter who finishes, we all want to win. We’re all on the same page. So when it comes down to it, winning is our only option and the only thing we really want to do.”
It wasn’t a great night for Jaylen Brown, who was in his first game as the NBA’s highest-paid player after signing a super-max contract this summer, notes Tara Sullivan of The Boston Globe. Brown committed two horrible turnovers late in the game that helped the Knicks build a six-point lead, and Sullivan observes that he seemed to have trouble fitting into an offense that now includes Porzingis and Holiday. “It was just one game, we know how special he is,” Tatum said. “Everyone is going to have not great shooting nights, he still impacted the game in other ways. He had some key rebounds, loose balls at the end to give us more possessions. I’m not going to shoot the ball some nights, it’s all about impacting the game in other ways. JB is going to be fine, he’ll probably have a great game on Friday.”
Although Derrick White didn’t reach an extension before Monday’s deadline, he’s hoping for a long future in Boston, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

Eastern Notes: Okoro, Horford, Matthews, P. Williams, Raptors

October 25th, 2023 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Isaac Okoro‘s representatives had “productive” talks ahead of Monday’s rookie scale extension deadline, but the two sides decided it was best to wait until next summer to address the forward’s contract situation, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Sources tell Fedor that the conversations about a new deal for Okoro were in the neighborhood of the deal signed by Mavericks wing Josh Green (three years, $41MM). However, the Cavaliers want to wait and see how the former lottery pick fits with this year’s roster following the offseason additions of Max Strus and Georges Niang, since he no longer projects to be a starter.

Speaking to Fedor on Wednesday, Okoro said he felt like he “should have gotten an extension” but that playing out his contract year won’t affect the way he approaches the season.

“Of course, I wanted an extension, but it happened the way it happened,” he said. “I love Cleveland. I love being here. I love being around the players, coaches, front office staff, trainers. Built great relationships. I don’t take it as a big deal.”

Here are a few more items from around the Eastern Conference:

Celtics big man Al Horford told reporters on Wednesday that he won’t be in the starting lineup when the team’s season tips off in New York tonight, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). That suggests Derrick White and Jrue Holiday will both start alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis. For what it’s worth, head coach Joe Mazzulla said over the weekend that the Celtics will use multiple starting lineups this season, while Tatum said today that the team essentially has “six starters” (Twitter links via Jared Weiss of The Athletic and Bontemps).
Hawks swingman Wesley Matthews underwent an MRI on Tuesday that revealed a mild right calf strain, the team announced today (Twitter link). According to the Hawks, Matthews will be reevaluated in two weeks, so he’ll miss at least Atlanta’s first seven games of the regular season.
While Bulls forward Patrick Williams admitted on Monday that he would “obviously” like to have “a big contract,” he vowed that his lack of rookie scale extension won’t be a distraction at all this season, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “Anything personal in my life that I’ve been going through, any time I step between those four lines, it’s gone,” Williams said.
Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca takes an in-depth look at the Raptors‘ roster, exploring the team’s cap and tax situation as well as potential next steps for Jeff Dowtin, who didn’t make the regular season cut.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Salary Issues, Starting Lineup

October 19th, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are facing a massive payroll in upcoming seasons, but they’re willing to spend big to compete for a title, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. After coming close several times over the last seven years, including last season’s Game 7 loss to Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals, Boston is committed to hanging another banner in the rafters.

The front office began overhauling the roster in late June when it acquired Kristaps Porzingis from Washington in a three-team deal. Porzingis provides coach Joe Mazzulla with the low-post threat he has been lacking, as Bontemps notes that Porzingis posted up 263 times last season, which was more per game than the entire Celtics team.

“Especially when (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) are playing, I felt like all the doors are open for me,” Porzingis said. “They take so much attention on themselves. For me, it was just like, honestly, it’s very, very fun to play, play like this and, and also emphasize the ball movement and, and getting everyone involved. I think once we click on all those things, it’s gonna be so hard to stop us.”

The Celtics gave Porzingis a two-year extension worth $60MM and signed Brown to a record-setting super-max deal that could pay him $300MM+ over five years. With Tatum eligible for an extension next summer and Jrue Holiday headed for free agency, Boston is committed to spending whatever it takes despite the second apron penalties contained in the new CBA.

“You’ve got to pay a good price for things, right?” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said. ” That’s the way it goes. We’re trying to win a championship.”

There’s more from Boston:

Mazzulla has been experimenting with Porzingis during the preseason to see all the ways he can impact the offense, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Mazzulla is also trusting his players to figure out how they can benefit from the attention Porzingis draws from defenses. “I don’t know if you saw, one of the timeouts, all five guys on the floor were communicating with each other. That stuff is more important,” the head coach said after Tuesday’s game. “The more they can understand who’s guarding them and how to get each other the ball and where they need to get it, that really will help us.”
With the season opener less than a week away, the Celtics don’t have a set lineup, observes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Holiday came off the bench in the team’s first preseason game, and Al Horford filled that role on Tuesday. Mazzulla stated that he will often let matchups determine his starting five.
John Hollinger of the Athletic puts the Celtics at the top in his ranking of the best teams in the East with a projected record of 57-25. He notes that the team already had a solid foundation in place before adding Porzingis and Holiday, and now it has the versatility to adapt to almost any style of play. Boston also has two future first-round picks to trade, along with its 2031 first-rounder next summer, so there’s flexibility to keep improving.

Atlantic Notes: Watford, Nets, Barnes, Holiday, White

October 18th, 2023 at 11:46am CST by Luke Adams

Nets forward Trendon Watford, who is battling for a regular season roster spot, strengthened his case on Monday by scoring 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 16 minutes vs. Philadelphia, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. As Lewis notes, Watford also hit a pair of three-pointers and even operated as a secondary play-maker.

“(Nets coach Jacque Vaughn) is always just encouraging me, telling me little things to get better at and little things he sees. In the time I’ve been here, he’s put the ball in my hands a lot. So he likes how I play-make and stuff,” Watford told Lewis. “So yeah, that’s really it; he just wants me to keep doing that and keep getting better defensively. And I think I’ve took a step forward in that.”

The Nets have 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Watford, Darius Bazley, and Harry Giles on non-guaranteed deals, so those three players may be vying for two regular season roster spots. As Net Income of NetsDaily observes, with one two-way slot still open, there’s a path to keeping all three of those non-guaranteed players into the regular season — giving one of them a two-way contract.

However, while Watford and Giles are both eligible to sign a two-way deal, they can’t be converted directly since their contracts don’t include an Exhibit 10 clause. That means they’d have to pass through waivers and re-sign with Brooklyn in order to receive a two-way contract from the team.

Let’s round up a few more notes from around the Atlantic…

The Raptors made former Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes “off limits” in trade talks for Kevin Durant last year and Damian Lillard this offseason, league sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN. Reports that linked Toronto to Durant and Lillard when they were available strongly indicated the team wasn’t willing to include Barnes in its offers.
A report earlier this month suggested that USA Basketball is aggressively pursuing Jrue Holiday for its 2024 Olympic roster. The Celtics guard said on Monday that he hasn’t heard directly from Team USA yet, but expressed interest in playing in Paris, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “Why not?” Holiday said. “I want to see what we can do out there.”
After starting 70 of the 82 games he played for the Celtics last season, Derrick White isn’t necessarily guaranteed a spot in the starting five following the acquisitions of Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. White said this week that he’s fine with starting or coming off the bench and will go with the flow, tweets Weiss.

Atlantic Notes: Korkmaz, Robinson, Poeltl, Embiid

October 15th, 2023 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers wing Furkan Korkmaz is making progress from a hamstring injury but he’s not quite ready to play. He participated in Sunday’s practice, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets, but is doubtful to suit up on Monday. He could return for for Friday’s preseason finale.

“I feel much better,” Korkmaz told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s really like day to day. I’m really close to [playing]. I will be happy to see myself on the court.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Mitchell Robinson’s name came up in the Knicks’ talks with the Trail Blazers regarding a potential Jrue Holiday deal before Portland shipped Holiday to Boston, Ian Begley of SNY reports. Robinson will likely draw interest from other suitors when discussing a major trade with the Knicks, Begley adds. Robinson has three years left on his contract but the cap hit declines on a yearly basis.
Center Jakob Poeltl missed the Raptors’ preason game on Sunday due to an illness, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca tweets. Precious Achiuwa (groin) and Otto Porter Jr. (injury rehab) also sat out.
Reigning Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid will make his preseason debut on Monday against Brooklyn, Pompey tweets.