Marcus Smart

Celtics Notes: Udoka, Ham, Billups, Walker, Fournier, Williams, Smart

Assistant coaches Ime Udoka (Nets), Darvin Ham (Bucks) and Chauncey Billups (Clippers) are expected to get interviewed a second time by the Celtics’ brass for the head coaching job vacated by new president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. While that trio is viewed as serious candidates for the job, others are still under consideration.

Udoka has received endorsements from Celtics players who were members of the U.S. national team in the 2019 World Cup tournament, according to Wojnarowski. Ham has interviewed for several head-coaching jobs in the past two years, while Billups has drawn interest from the Trail Blazers, Wizards, Magic and Pelicans for their current openings.

We have more Celtics news:

  • By shedding Kemba Walker‘s salary in a trade with the Thunder on Friday, the Celtics believe they’ll have a better chance of re-signing free agent Evan Fournier, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald tweets. The trade also increases the possibility of signing another free agent to the full mid-level exception, Murphy adds.
  • Walker’s 15% trade kicker was nullified due to his large salary, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus tweets. Walker’s $34,379,100 salary this season, coupled with him being a nine-year veteran until August 2, exceeded the $32,742,000 maximum. He couldn’t earn anything above that, so the trade bonus was voided. If Walker had been traded once the new league year began in August, he could’ve received a portion of that bonus.
  • Robert Williams and Marcus Smart are two other prominent players who could be on the move, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Boston’s roster is overloaded with centers and Williams could be used to bring in a backcourt piece. Smart has an expiring $14.4MM contract next season and is eligible for an extension that could go as high as $17.MM in the first year. If Smart believes he could get more on the free agent market next year, the team may consider moving him now and getting assets in return.

Celtics Rumors: Kemba, Fournier, Coaching Search, Ainge, Stevens, More

As he transitions from the sidelines to the front office, new Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens will have some immediate decisions to make on the roster this offseason as he considers how to improve a group that finished seventh in the East in 2020/21.

Trading Kemba Walker is one path the Celtics figure to consider this summer, but the point guard still has two years and nearly $74MM left on his contract and his value is down after an injury-plagued season. While Walker is viewed as a player capable of having a strong comeback season, he’s not considered a positive asset at this point, given his injury history and contract situation, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps and Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

“They’ve been trying to move Kemba Walker for a year now and no one is touching that,” one NBA executive told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “Their best bet would be to move (Marcus) Smart, but I don’t know what his market is. They could trade (Jaylen) Brown to try to fill a different position, but that would be a bad move.”

Evan Fournier‘s unrestricted free agency is another issue looming over the Celtics. One league executive who spoke to Scotto estimated that the veteran wing will be seeking a deal worth $15-20MM annually, though another predicted a cool market for Fournier.

“The issue will be what teams with room are going to target him?” that exec asked. “San Antonio might, but if not, who else will give him north of $10 million? If Fournier can be kept at a price around the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, I think Boston would re-sign him.”

Here are several more Celtics rumors and updates on an eventful day in Boston:

  • The Celtics’ head coaching search will likely start with internal candidates before they move outside the organization, sources tell Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). Current assistant Jerome Allen is one in-house candidate likely to get an interview, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Mannix (via Twitter) adds Nets assistant Ime Udoka to the list of probable external candidates for the Celtics’ head coaching job, while Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) says Chauncey Billups will likely receive consideration as well.
  • Asked today whether he intends to retire or seek another job, Danny Ainge was noncommittal, telling reporters that he’s not sure what his future holds and he’s focused for now on getting his successor Stevens up to speed (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN).
  • Jared Weiss of The Athletic hears that in-season comments by Ainge and team owner Wyc Grousbeck about the Celtics’ shortcomings may have contributed to the club’s chemistry issues. Ainge said in February that he didn’t view the roster as championship-caliber and echoed that point multiple times later in the season.
  • One prominent member of the Celtics organization wanted to fire Stevens as the team’s head coach during the 2020/21 season, but Ainge and others in the organization were against that idea, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
  • Speaking to reporters following the Celtics’ elimination from the postseason, Jayson Tatum said he doesn’t feel the need to get involved in the front office’s personnel decisions, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).
  • Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston takes a look at five key roster-related questions facing the Celtics this offseason.

Injury Updates: Lakers, Nets, Hornets, Pelicans, Mavs, C’s

The NBA’s injury report is of particular interest this week in the regular season’s final days, as we wait to see which players may or may not be available for teams fighting for playoff positioning.

A pair of big-market superstars, LeBron James and James Harden, are said to be targeting Wednesday returns for the Lakers and Nets, respectively. James has been listed as questionable by the Lakers, while Harden is probable for Brooklyn.

Each of those teams also has another star player whose status for Wednesday’s games is up in the air. Lakers big man Anthony Davis is questionable due to left adductor tightness, while Kyrie Irving is questionable due to the facial contusion he suffered on Tuesday.

The Nets hold the No. 2 seed in the East and the Lakers are hosting a Houston team that is 5-43 since February 4, so neither club should feel a ton of urgency to push its stars back into action if they’re not quite ready.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

  • Hornets forward Miles Bridges, out since May 2 due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, has a chance to return this weekend, head coach James Borrego said today. However, Borrego’s responses to questions about Gordon Hayward‘s foot injury made it sound as if Hayward may not be ready for the play-in tournament, says Rod Boone of SI.com (Twitter links). Hayward hasn’t played since April 2.
  • The Pelicans need a win tonight in Dallas to remain in the hunt for a play-in spot, but they’ll be missing a number of key players, as Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Steven Adams all remain out, and Lonzo Ball (right thumb) will join them on the sidelines.
  • Mavericks guard J.J. Redick, who left Tuesday’s game with right heel soreness, will also miss Wednesday’s game vs. New Orleans, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News.
  • The Celtics, who appear likely to finish the regular season at No. 7 in the East, will be without Kemba Walker (left knee) and Marcus Smart (right calf) on Wednesday in Cleveland, notes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Jaylen Brown has already been ruled out for the season, and Robert Williams remains on the shelf as well.

Marcus Smart Suspended For Threatening Official

The NBA has suspended Celtics guard Marcus Smart for one game for “directing threatening language toward a game official,” tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Smart’s actions took place during and after Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder, Charania adds (via Twitter), with Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald noting that Smart was whistled for a technical foul with 7:48 left to play (Twitter link). Smart will serve the suspension in tonight’s game against the Hornets.

Missing a game without pay will cost Smart $89K, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

Eastern Notes: Irving, Smart, Nance Jr., Turner

Nets star Kyrie Irving is set to return on Monday following a three-game absence, Malika Andrews of ESPN tweets. Irving had been dealing with a family matter.

Brooklyn will face the league-worst Timberwolves (11-35) at home in the outing. The losses of Irving and Kevin Durant (hamstring) have caused James Harden to see an increased workload, with the former MVP most recently recording 44 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in a win over Detroit.

The Nets started veteran forward Jeff Green in Irving’s absence, playing him alongside Harden, Bruce Brown, Joe Harris and DeAndre Jordan. The team is 8-2 in its last 10 games.

Here are some other notes out of the Eastern Conference:

  • Celtics guard Marcus Smart was prepared for anything on trade deadline day last week, as relayed by A. Sherrod Blakely of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The team ultimately chose to keep Smart and trade for veteran Evan Fournier“Anytime you hear your name in trade talk, you prepare for the worst and pray for the best,” Smart said. “It’s nothing new. It’s a business. But you’re human. I wasn’t concerned but I was prepared.”
  • Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. is continuing to support the franchise’s decision to reject trade proposals involving him, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. Nance finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the team’s 100-98 loss to Sacramento on Saturday. “We know what Larry is going to do. We know what he’s going to bring. He does a lot for us,” teammate Collin Sexton said. “Larry passes the ball, he rebounds, blocks shots, dunks. Larry does it all. Whenever you look at the stat sheet you always see him playing a full, complete game, touching everything. That’s Larry Nance. We can count on him anytime it’s time to put that jersey on.”
  • The Pacers are pushing for Myles Turner to receive recognition for his impressive defense this season, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star writes. “I think that’s what people don’t talk about with our team is Myles and his impact. His impact is astronomical,” Malcolm Brogdon said of Turner. “He’s the reason our defense is so good. His ability to block shots, it deters people from even driving to the rim so he’s Defensive Player of the Year.” Turner is averaging 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and a career-high 3.5 blocks per game this season.

Celtics Notes: Kornet, Smart, Fournier, R. Williams, More

After completing a three-team trade with Chicago and Washington that sent Moritz Wagner and Luke Kornet to Boston, the Celtics are expected to waive a player to pursue a veteran big man on the buyout market, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who says Kornet would likely be the odd man out.

However, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears that there are no immediate plans to drop Kornet. As Himmelsbach explains, since Daniel Theis is now a Bull and Tristan Thompson remains sidelined due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the Celtics may need some extra depth at the five in the short term.

Himmelsbach’s report makes sense — whether Kornet remains on the roster for another day, another week, or the rest of the season, the Celtics will owe him the same amount of money, so the logical move would be to hang onto him until the team lines up a deal with a free agent center.

Of course, there’s no guarantee anything will materialize on the buyout market, but the Celtics intend to weigh all the options, as Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said today (Twitter link via Keith Smith of RealGM).

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • Within his Athletic story linked above, Weiss suggests that Thursday’s series of moves provide further evidence that Celtics ownership is reluctant to green-light a “long-term deep dive” into luxury tax territory.
  • Ainge assured Marcus Smart that the team wasn’t shopping him and that his name only came up in trade rumors prior to the deadline because he was being brought up by teams interested in him, a source tells Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link). Smart was rumored to be part of the club’s trade talks with Orlando, but ultimately stayed put.
  • Having previously stated that he preferred not to use the Celtics’ massive trade exception on a player with an expiring contract, Ainge explained on Friday to reporters that he felt comfortable committing a significant chunk of that TPE toward Evan Fournier because he’s hopeful the veteran wing will remain in Boston beyond this season (Twitter links via Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston). Ainge also said part of the reason he wanted to land an impact scorer like Fournier was that he sensed internal discouragement and wanted the players and coaches to “feel hope” (Twitter link via Forsberg).
  • The trade of Theis will free up a bigger role for Robert Williams going forward, according to Ainge, who said the third-year big man has been the club’s best defensive center this season (Twitter links via Smith).
  • Ainge said that Wagner and Kornet could join the Celtics as soon as today, while Fournier could report to the team in Oklahoma City this weekend. Additionally, the hope is that Thompson and Romeo Langford will be available at some point next week (Twitter links via Forsberg).

Celtics Rumors: Gordon, Nesmith, Smart, Langford, More

The Celtics and Nuggets continue to lead the Aaron Gordon sweepstakes, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who reports that the Magic forward would welcome the opportunity to play for either team, or for the Trail Blazers.

While one Wednesday report suggested that Denver had taken the lead as the frontrunner to land Gordon, the Celtics continue to pursue the veteran forward, with John Collins and Harrison Barnes looking to be increasingly less likely targets, Weiss writes.

Weiss suggests that the Timberwolves appear to be falling back in the race to land Gordon, but all indications are that the Magic will continue talks right up until the deadline.

According to Weiss, the Celtics’ desire package for Gordon would be Aaron Nesmith and a first-round pick, giving Orlando the opportunity to create a sizeable traded player exception. However, the team will likely need to up that offer, either by including another first-rounder or by expanding the trade to include Marcus Smart and Evan Fournier.

Here’s more from Weiss on the Celtics:

  • While Romeo Langford was mentioned on Wednesday along with Nesmith as a candidate to be an outgoing piece in a Gordon trade, Weiss says the former Hoosiers guard doesn’t have much value due to his injury history and the fact that he was already a “polarizing” prospect entering the 2019 draft. As such, it doesn’t make much sense for the Celtics to sell low on him. Nesmith has more trade value, as Weiss notes.
  • Grant Williams and Semi Ojeleye haven’t been included in any trade packages that have “advanced to a serious stage,” sources tell Weiss.
  • One league source speculated to Weiss that there’s a chance the Celtics could do something more complex involving Gordon, like sending Smart to Orlando and trading draft capital to New Orleans for Lonzo Ball. However, that sounds like a longer shot.
  • Tristan Thompson has been frequently mentioned as a trade candidate, and there’s been some frustration that his on-court impact has been modest, per Weiss. However, Thompson is close with Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker, and even if there’s been some frustration with his production, it hasn’t become “animosity” by any means.

Fischer’s Latest: Gordon, Vucevic, Lowry, Redick, Ball, DeRozan

On the eve of the trade deadline, the Nuggets have become the favorites to pry Aaron Gordon away from the Magic, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Denver’s offer would include guard Gary Harris, a first-round pick, and either R.J. Hampton, Zeke Nnaji or Bol Bol.

Although the Nuggets seem to have the momentum, the Celtics are still “very engaged” in the process, according to Fischer. Boston’s proposed deal has involved Marcus Smart and a first-rounder, and it’s possible that a second first-round pick and the Celtics’ $28.5MM traded player exception could be used as well, with Evan Fournier also headed to Boston, says Fischer. Previous reports indicated that the C’s were looking to keep Smart out of the deal, offering a younger player in his place.

The Timberwolves, Rockets and Trail Blazers all remain interested in acquiring Gordon too.

Fischer passes on a few more trade rumors as the deadline draws near:

  • The Celtics are one of the few teams to express interest in trading for center Nikola Vucevic, but the Magic are putting a much higher price on him than Gordon. Orlando is asking for multiple first-round picks and a player who fits with their young core. Fischer expects Vucevic to stay with the Magic.
  • The Clippers, Lakers, Sixers and Heat are all still pursuing Kyle Lowry, but the Raptors‘ high price tag may prevent a deal from getting done. Fischer believes Philadelphia would have to offer two players from the group of Danny Green, Seth Curry and Tyrese Maxey, while Miami would need to part with Goran Dragic, another large salary and either Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson or Tyler Herro. Both Los Angeles teams are limited by their lack of available draft picks.
  • J.J. Redick appears headed for a buyout as the Pelicans haven’t found a team willing to offer draft picks or prospects in return for the veteran guard. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggests a return to the Sixers is possible or maybe a reunion with former teammate Chris Paul on the Suns.
  • The Knicks are interested in Lonzo Ball and have the cap space to keep him in free agency, Pincus adds. The price could be Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox and possibly the Mavericks’ 2021 first-round pick.
  • Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan is also high on the Knicks‘ wish list, states A. Sherrod Blakely of Bleacher Report.

Trade Rumors: Celtics, Raptors, Herro, McGee, Mavs

Reports earlier this week stated that acquiring Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier from the Magic could cost the Celtics a package that includes Marcus Smart and two first-round picks. However, a source tells Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link) that Boston is currently offering a first-round pick and a young player (not Smart) for Gordon, and are trying not to include a second first-rounder in a potential deal.

Murphy’s report doesn’t mention Fournier, which makes sense — if the Celtics want both Gordon and Fournier, a higher-priced player like Smart would need to be included for salary-matching purposes, since only one of those players would fit into Boston’s $28.5MM traded player exception. But if the C’s are just targeting Gordon, salary-matching wouldn’t be necessary.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • The Raptors are continuing to push for Tyler Herro‘s inclusion in any trade with the Heat involving Kyle Lowry, reports Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Jason Dumas of KRON4 News says (via Twitter) that the Sixers view acquiring Lowry as a long shot.
  • Several contending teams are in the mix for Cavaliers center JaVale McGee, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says there’s a “strong sense” that a deal will be made by Thursday’s deadline.
  • Appearing today on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Mavericks president Donnie Nelson suggested that a big deadline splash is unlikely for his team, as Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News tweets. Don’t get your hopes up,” Nelson said. “We like this young crew.” Head coach Rick Carlisle has also expressed skepticism that the Mavs will make any significant moves, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

Mannix’s Latest: Gordon, Celtics, Barnes, Oladipo, OKC, More

Several rival executives tell Chris Mannix of SI.com that the Magic appear committed to trading both Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier this week. Having fallen well out of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, Orlando is prioritizing receiving draft compensation rather than players who could help the team win this season, Mannix writes.

To that end, while Marcus Smart is said to be included in the Celticstrade discussions for Gordon and Fournier, Mannix wonders if the Magic might want to re-route Smart to a third team for more draft capital if Boston and Orlando move forward on that deal.

Mannix also suggests there has been some chatter around the league that the Celtics’ talks with the Magic about Gordon may be a way of pressuring the Kings into more seriously discussing Harrison Barnes, since there hasn’t been much traction with Sacramento to date. The Kings don’t seem to be displaying a strong desire to move key players for draft picks, says Mannix.

Here are a few more items of interest from Mannix’s latest trade rumor roundup:

  • It’s no longer a question of whether or not the Rockets will trade Victor Oladipo, but rather where they’ll send him, according to Mannix, who hears that the Knicks‘ interest in the two-time All-Star may be overstated.
  • The Thunder are “open for business” on deals for Al Horford and George Hill, but haven’t made it down the road in any trade discussions for either veteran. Mannix says Oklahoma City has sought “second-round compensation” for Hill, though it’s unclear if that means one second-round pick or multiple selections.
  • There’s still no serious traction toward any trades involving Cavaliers center Andre Drummond or Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge. Mannix thinks both players will ultimately end up on the buyout market, where they’ll receive significant interest.