Kris Humphries Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Rumors: Rondo, Wallace, Humphries

November 19th, 2013 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

Despite reports that the Knicks called the Celtics about the possibility of acquiring Rajon Rondo, GM Danny Ainge told reporters yesterday that he hadn’t spoken to any other teams about Rondo. According to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, Ainge wasn’t just playing semantic games; the Celtics GM clarified that he hadn’t shot down any clubs attempting to talk about Rondo either.

Whether or not you believe Ainge, his message is clear: Boston’s star point guard isn’t going anywhere. That doesn’t mean there won’t be chatter surrounding Rondo and other C’s over the next several weeks and months though, so let’s check in on the latest:

Here’s what one rival GM told Bulpett about the possibility of the Celtics trading Rondo: “If you don’t hear of some superstar going back to the Celtics for Rondo, don’t pay any attention to it. They don’t want to trade the guy anyway, but when people are throwing names like Iman Shumpert and Raymond Felton and Amar’e Stoudemire out there, you can be sure Rondo’s not involved…. I’m sure they’d have to listen if there was another major star involved, but it would have to be really big. This other stuff just doesn’t make any sense.”
Bulpett notes that the Celtics have also been linked to Omer Asik, but a source questions whether Houston would receive an offer strong enough to deal him, since he’s limited offensively and has a $15MM balloon payment coming in 2014/15.
While they may not be interested in moving Rondo, the Celtics are still active on the market, according to Bulpett, who names Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries as two players the team would “love to move.”
Ainge, on the possibility of swinging a deal: “I think that we don’t have much flexibility, as much as we would like. I wouldn’t say it’s a priority, but we are having conversations.”
Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com provides a primer for Celtics fans on how to deal with rumor season.

Kris Humphries Would Welcome Trade

November 17th, 2013 at 9:15am CST by Chuck Myron

Kris Humphries isn’t asking the Celtics to trade him, but he’s anxious for more playing time, and would like it come whether it’s with Boston or another team, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The 28-year-old has only played in six of Boston’s 11 games so far, averaging 11.2 minutes per appearance.

“It’s been tough. I’m here so that’s what I’m focused on,” Humphries told Blakely. “I’m playing some 4 (power forward) now, which I think will help out a little bit. But nothing has ever been easy for me. I’e always had shorter-term deals, always had to prove myself.”

Humphries is in the final season of a two-year, $24MM contract he signed with the Nets in 2012, before Brooklyn traded him to the Celtics in the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce deal. Rival executives had doubts that Humphries would be long for Boston even before this summer’s blockbuster became official, and Blakely heard soon after the deal went through that the C’s might look to flip Humphries to another team. There was mutual interest between Humphries and the Knicks in case the Celtics bought him out over the summer, but Boston never cut him loose.

The nine-year veteran spoke in October about the possibility that the Celtics might trade him, though the focus then was on how the threat of a deal might serve as a distraction. Humphries is still trying to put the idea of his future on the back burner, even though it appears he’s open to heading elsewhere.

“That’s why players have agents,” Humphries said. “We just have to as players, focus on what we can control. If you sit there and say, ‘hey I want a trade,’ it’s going to take away from the team and what you’re trying do to.”

Lowe On Spurs, Randolph, Rockets, Raps, Cavs

October 8th, 2013 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Zach Lowe’s latest piece for Grantland is a lengthy one, as he breaks down all 30 NBA teams by tiers heading into the 2013/14 season. Amidst his evaluations of each club, Lowe also includes several tidbits related to teams’ trade options and cap situations. The entire piece is worth checking out, if only to see where your favorite team lands, but we’ll round up a few of the more interesting notes right here:

While the Spurs didn’t shake up the roster much this offseason, they’re in good position to make an in-season trade if need be, says Lowe. San Antonio has a couple movable expiring contracts (Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner), as well as a number of prospects stashed overseas.
Lowe believes Zach Randolph will finish the year with the Grizzlies, but notes that Memphis’ front office is willing to make bold moves and probably recognizes that Randolph’s trade value will be highest this season.
The Rockets are a a “very strong bet” to make a trade or two during the season.
Both the Wizards and Pistons are among the candidates to make an in-season panic trade, due to increasing pressure to make the playoffs. However, Detroit may not have a ton of appealing trade bait unless the club is willing to dangle Greg Monroe, according to Lowe.
With Kyle Lowry and Rudy Gay both potentially entering contract years, the Raptors could end up being deadline sellers if they get reasonable offers and aren’t in position to reach the postseason.
Although they have plenty of assets of value, the Cavaliers‘ trade options will be somewhat limited if they intend to keep their books clean in the hopes of landing LeBron James next summer.
Moving even one mid-tier salary during the season could create “serious cap flexibility” for the Kings.
The Sixers figure to gauge the market value for veterans Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young before the deadline.
While a Rajon Rondo trade isn’t entirely out of the question, it’s much more likely that the Celtics attempt to move players like Courtney Lee, Brandon Bass, and Kris Humphries, writes Lowe.
In Lowe’s view, “everyone is available” on the Suns, except for perhaps Eric Bledsoe and the team’s rookies.

Eastern Notes: Humphries, Bucks, Griffin

October 7th, 2013 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

As preseason action gets underway and NBA teams adjust to new-look rosters, a few news items are trickling out of Eastern Conference camps. Let’s round up the latest….

Kris Humphries recognizes that he’ll be a trade candidate for the Celtics this season, but tells Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald that he won’t let that be a distraction as long as he’s in Boston. “If you worry about the future, then you lose focus on what you have to do today, and that’s basketball,” Humphries said. “Anyone can be traded at any time unless you have a no-trade clause. That’s what it is.”
In a piece for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Charles F. Gardner speaks to Bucks GM John Hammond about relying so heavily on free agency to build the team’s roster during the offseason.
With Eric Griffin looking good in camp, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel explores the Heat‘s options for keeping Griffin either on the NBA roster or on their D-League affiliate.
Chris Copeland didn’t go into free agency this past summer expecting to leave New York, but ended up signing with the Pacers for a handful of reasons, including his potential role, the team’s chance to win a title, and a raise in salary. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News has the details.

Zwerling On Knicks, Ivan Johnson, Humphries

August 1st, 2013 at 8:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com has tweeted a string of updates on the Knicks today, as we've noted in a pair of posts. Marc Berman of the New York Post delivered plenty more on the Knicks earlier today, and this evening Zwerling delivers a full story on the latest from New York. We'll hit the highlights from Zwerling's piece here:

The Knicks and Ivan Johnson are discussing a potential deal. The former Hawks power forward had been holding out for a team to commit its mini mid-level exception to him, but his interest in the Knicks, who can only offer the minimum, indicates that his price may have come down.
The Knicks' interest in Kris Humphries is mutual, but the Celtics are still unlikely to buy him out.
Other big men the Knicks are considering include Cole Aldrich, Hamed Haddadi, Jerome Jordan, Gani Lawal, Shavlik Randolph and Henry Sims.
The Knicks remain interested in Beno Udrih and Bobby Brown, but Zwerling confirms Berman's report that the team is no longer looking at Delonte West.
Berman wrote that the Knicks are expected to invite Toure Murry to training camp, and Zwerling hears that the team will do the same with "a few young developmental point guards."

Eastern Notes: Wall, Monroe, Sixers, Humphries

August 1st, 2013 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few Thursday items from around the Eastern Conference….

John Wall's five-year extension with the Wizards is fully guaranteed, with no player or team options involved, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Wall spoke to Monumental Sports Network about his new deal, and the additional pressure it will put on him over the next few years.
According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, the Pistons don't seem overly enthusiastic about signing Greg Monroe to a maximum-salary extension. If the team "falls in love" with a frontline of Josh Smith and Andre Drummond, Monroe could be dangled at some point, Lowe suggests.
Monroe, Paul George, and Larry Sanders are among the Eastern players who could follow in Wall's footsteps and sign lucrative long-term extensions this offseason, as Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld writes.
Spurs assistant Brett Brown continues to be a frontrunner for the Sixers' head coaching job, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). A report last month indicated Philadelphia would likely choose between Michael Curry and Brown, who Pompey calls "the preferred candidate."
The Knicks would be interested in Kris Humphries if he's bought out by the Celtics, but that appears unlikely at this point, says Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
The Hawks have yet to make a final decision on where Lucas Nogueira will play next season, but it still looks as if he'll return to Spain, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Brett Koremenos of Grantland speculates that if Gigi Datome has success with the Pistons, it could inspire other NBA teams to look more closely to Europe for inexpensive outside shooters.

Atlantic Notes: Humphries, Wallace, Peace, Nets

July 13th, 2013 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

Yesterday, the Nets and Celtics officially completed the nine-player swap that will send Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the land of the hipsters. However, two of the players shipped to Boston may not be long for the C's. A source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that the club may look to flip Kris Humphries and Gerald Wallace. Humphries, who is coming off of a rough 2012/13 season, makes $12MM in the final year of his deal. Wallace, meanwhile, makes more than $30MM over the next three seasons and moving that contract won't be easy by any means. Here's more out of the Atlantic..

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni thinks that the recently amnestied Metta World Peace would be a good fit for the Knicks, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. D'Antoni went on to say that amnestying him was purely about finances and had nothing to do with character.
Not a huge surprise, but Nets General Manager Billy King confirmed that owner Mikhail Prokhorov reached out to Andrei Kirilenko by telephone before he signed, tweets Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press. Kirilenko shocked everyone when he agreed to sign with the Nets for the $3.1MM mini-mid level exception earlier this week.
With speculation that the Nets made an under-the-table agreement with Kirilenko, they are now the bad guys of the NBA, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Celtics, Nets Officially Complete Trade

July 12th, 2013 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics and Nets have officially completed the trade that will send Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn, the teams announced today in a pair of press releases.

"Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets," said Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov in Brooklyn's statement. "With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we have achieved a great balance on our roster between veteran stars and young talents. This team will be dazzling to watch, and tough to compete against."

The Nets receive Garnett, Pierce, Jason Terry, and D.J. White in the deal, while the Celtics receive Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, and Keith Bogans (signed-and-traded), along with 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks. The '14 pick will be the Hawks' or Nets' selection, whichever is worse. The '16 and '18 picks are unprotected. The Celtics also have the ability to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn in 2017.

The deal couldn't be formally finalized until today because Joseph wasn't eligible to be traded within three months of signing with the Celtics on April 12th.

For more details on the swap, check out our initial post on the agreement.

Nets To Acquire Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce

June 30th, 2013 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

SUNDAY, 12:52pm: The trade can't be made official until July 12th because of a hang-up related to Kris Joseph, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Players typically can't be traded within three months of signing a free agent contract, and Joseph signed with the Nets on April 12th, so presumably that's the reasoning.

FRIDAY, 9:11am: Chris Broussard of ESPN.com has the full breakdown of the trade, via Twitter:

The Nets will receive Garnett, Pierce, and Terry. The Celtics will receive Humphries, Wallace, Brooks, Joseph, Bogans, and 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks. The '14 pick will be the Hawks or Nets selection, whichever is worse. The '16 and '18 picks will be unprotected. The Celtics also have the ability to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn in 2017.

Based on these pieces, Bogans figures to get a 2013/14 salary of more than $2MM in the sign-and-trade part of the deal, by my math, which works out nicely for him.

7:41am: According to Josh Newman of SNYNets.com, Evans has been informed he won't be included in the deal, but MarShon Brooks will be sent to the Celtics instead. Because Brooks' salary is smaller than Evans, that would mean a larger starting salary for Bogans in the sign-and-trade portion of the deal, unless Shengelia is involved in the final agreement.

Meanwhile, Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Nets GM Billy King, head coach Jason Kidd, and point guard Deron Williams all reached out during the draft to pitch him on the trade.

FRIDAY, 12:53am: Because Bogans needs to be signed-and-traded, no deal between Brooklyn and Boston can be made official until July 10th, but the agreement appears on track to be approved by all involved parties.

By my math, if Shengelia is not in the trade, Bogans will need to be signed to a starting salary of $1,731,294 in order for the Nets to send out as much outgoing money as the CBA requires for Garnett, Pierce, and Terry.

THURSDAY, 10:20pm: Kris Joseph will be included in the deal, heading to Boston, and the Celtics will also have the option to swap 2017 first-round picks with Brooklyn, tweets Wojnarowski. Joseph's contract is non-guaranteed, so the C's could waive him after acquiring him if they so choose.

10:10pm: Shengelia is not part of the latest version of this deal, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). I'll have to double-check the math, but I believe the Nets would need to include at least one more player to make the salaries work if they're taking on Terry as well.

9:58pm: Kevin Garnett will agree to waive his no-trade clause to accommodate a deal that will send him and Paul Pierce to the Nets, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). As part of the agreement, Brooklyn will guarantee KG's full salary for 2014/15, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Garnett's $12MM salary for that season had only be guaranteed for $6MM up until this point.

It's not entirely clear which players will be involved in the deal, but it looks like Jason Terry will be headed to the Nets along with Garnett and Pierce. Boston is expected to acquire Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, Keith Bogans (via sign-and-trade), Reggie Evans, and Tornike Shengelia. The Celtics will also receive 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks, with no protection on the '16 or '18 selections, according to today's earlier reports.

Due to all the moving pieces involved, the two sides won't be able to formally complete the deal until July 10th, when the July moratorium lifts. When it becomes official, it will mark the next step in a full-scale rebuilding process for the Celtics, who also allowed Doc Rivers to join the Clippers in exchange for a 2015 first-round pick.

Atlantic Notes: Humphries, Copeland, Knicks, C’s

June 27th, 2013 at 11:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Here's the latest out of the Atlantic Division on draft night:

Chris Mannix of SI.com says (via Twitter) that rival executives are skeptical Kris Humphries will remain with the Celtics after the Nets/C's blockbuster goes through. Mannix points to the Bobcats as a potential team to watch, which makes sense, since there were rumblings in the past about a possible Humphries/Ben Gordon swap.
The Celtics are among the teams expected to inquire on Chris Copeland, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
Knicks GM Glen Grunwald hinted that he attempted to acquire a second-round pick tonight but was unable to do so, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Look for the Celtics to "immediately go after" Phil Pressey after the Missouri guard went undrafted, says Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets that Lamont Jones will sign as an undrafted free agent with the Celtics, though it's not clear if he'll just be on Boston's Summer League team, or if he'll receive a training camp invite.