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Celtics Rumors: Ainge, Smart, Bradley, Ibaka

February 16th, 2017 at 8:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics GM Danny Ainge is not interested in a quick-fix deal and is driving a hard bargain when it comes to his best trade assets, he said during a radio interview posted by CSNNE.com. Ainge doesn’t want any “band aids” for the final 25 regular-season games. “We’re trying to build something that’s a little more sustainable than we are to rent a player,” he said. The Celtics have the ability to dangle some tantalizing draft picks, as well as young players, to acquire the “long-term” impact player that he’s seeking. Boston has the right to swap first-rounders with the Nets this season and also owns Brooklyn’s 2018 first-rounder. Ainge says “there’s a lot of interest in” the Nets pick, though he didn’t clarify whether he was referring to one or both. “Everybody knows the assets we have and the young players we have, so that’s the challenge,” he said. “In any conversation we have, the price is a lot because of what we have in the bank.”

In other notable developments regarding the Celtics:

Combo guard Marcus Smart‘s strong play has made Avery Bradley expendable, Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com argues. Smart has averaged 12.3 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.0 RPG and 2.3 SPG over the past 12 games and the team has gone 11-1 during that stretch, Petraglia notes. Bradley, sidelined the last 15 games with a sore right Achilles, has one more year left on his very affordable four-year, $32MM deal and could be packaged with draft picks to land an All-Star caliber player like Jimmy Butler, DeMarcus Cousins, Carmelo Anthony or Andre Drummond, Petraglia adds.
Bradley believes he’ll be ready to go right after the All-Star break, as he told Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com and other reporters. “I’m feeling really good. I wish I could be back now, but I just have to do whatever is smartest at the moment,” Bradley said. “The medical staff thinks it’s smarter for me to just wait until after the All-Star break.”
The team did not make a push for power forward Serge Ibaka last summer because they had no interest in signing him to a long-term deal, a source told Kyle Draper of CSNNE.com. Boston did not want to get into a bidding war for Ibaka, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Ibaka was shipped by the Thunder to the Magic in a draft-night blockbuster, and then moved by the struggling Magic this week to another Eastern Conference contender, the Raptors.

Atlantic Notes: Smart, Sixers, Ainge

February 11th, 2017 at 10:18am CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics have been a mainstay in speculative trade discussions all season but one player whose value is constantly underestimated on a national scale is Marcus Smart. According to Chris Forsberg of ESPN, Smart’s flaws on the offensive end tend to be what people focus on, rather than all of the intangible impacts he has on the game.

Forsberg cites multiple hustle stats as indicators of Smart’s ability to influence the outcome on the game without consistently standing out on traditional box scores. He’s improved as a reserve point guard for the Celtics and is a jack of all trades on the defensive side of the ball. Recently, Forsberg claims, the 6’4″ guard even took turns matching up against the 7’2″ Kristaps Porzingis.

Properly gauging the value of players like Smart is one of the toughest things for general managers to do, especially as teams come calling ahead of the February 23 trade deadline. Currently second in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics will be pressured to make a dramatic move to position themselves better for an arguably inevitable showdown with the Cavaliers, but just as important will be that they don’t underestimate their current assets and set themselves backward.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Nearly every player on the Sixers has at least some trade value, says Bobby Marks of The Vertical. The analyst reviewed the rebuilding franchise in his recurring series leading up to the trade deadline. Still, Marks writes, even though the team has performed better than most expected, the front office would be wise to let their assets develop organically and not rush out to make a trade in haste.
The Celtics are interested in making a deadline ahead of the trade deadline but nothing is imminent. “This time of year, nobody really has given their real price or what they will give you for the assets we have,” general manager Danny Ainge tells A. Sherrod Blakeley of CSN New England. “So we will wait and see.“
Following a Friday night loss in which they gave up 131 points to Denver, Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek was critical of his starting lineup. “Look at the difference between the first group and the second. They play with effort,” Hornacek told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “They get after guys. A guy who got the ball, they get up on him. They help each other out. First group didn’t do that.”
After yet another dramatic week in New York, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post suggests that Knicks fans revolt. The scribe cites baseball fans who vowed to stay away from the game after the 1994 lockout as inspiration but notes that following through on such ultimatums are often difficult.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Bradley, LeVert

January 22nd, 2017 at 8:10pm CST by Austin Kent

After starting the season with a 7-24 record, the Sixers have reeled off eight wins in their past 11. The emergence of Joel Embiid has reinvigorated the franchise and the rookie big man has helped to anchor a rapidly improving defensive presence.

Now that the Sixers have shown an ability to win games, they’ve clawed their way out of the basement and up the standings. Such momentum has general manager Bryan Colangelo reconsidering the team’s willingness to make a short-term splash.

“[Winning] does lead you to want to explore other opportunities that might accelerate where we are in this. It gives us some opportunity to explore some big deals,” Colangelo told Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com. “We may be one of the only teams in the league that’s prepared with the resources and the assets to acquire a star level player.”

The Sixers have long been in rebuilding mode, but the strides that the team has taken this season under the guidance of Brett Brown suggest that this team may be ready to compete sooner than initially expected.

“My responsibility is to make sure I do the right thing for the organization,” Colangelo added. “I’ve had a lot of dialogue with a lot of teams. I know what’s out there in the marketplace.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics have been exposed on defense without shooting guard Avery Bradley, writes Josue Pavon of WEEI 93.7 FM. While Isaiah Thomas‘ defensive shortcomings are not new, the team has seen just how much of a drop off there is between Bradley and fill-in Marcus Smart.
The Nets have seen seen a noticeable improvement in their third-quarter performance of late and credit the decision to bump Sean Kilpatrick from the lineup in favor of the more defensively inclined Joe Harris as part of the reason why, says Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Listen, we’re demanding that those guys — anybody that steps on the floor — we’re demanding them to defend,” says head coach Kenny Atkinson. Harris sprained his ankle Friday and his absence will give Kilpatrick one more opportunity to improve on that side of the ball.
Not much has gone well for the Nets this season, injuries to Jeremy Lin a major factor in their first-half struggles, but the promising play of Caris LeVert has been one of the few bright spots. Nets Daily discusses the first half of Brooklyn’s season.

Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, LeVert, Millsap, Smart

January 8th, 2017 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets have liked their early returns on Spencer Dinwiddie enough to guarantee his contract for the rest of the season, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn signed the third-year guard last month to a three-year deal with a partial guarantee. He has responded by averaging 5.5 points and 1.8 assists through 12 games and earning a spot in the rotation. He made his first start with the team, and just the second of his NBA career, on Friday. After being traded by the Pistons in June and waived twice by the Bulls during the offseason, Dinwiddie likes the prospect of having a shot at stability. “They say bet on yourself,” Dinwiddie posted Saturday on his Instagram account. “Sometimes in the face of adversity you have to double down. Thank you to the Nets organization. Happy to have a home.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Rookie guard Caris LeVert appears to be another gamble that’s paying off, Lewis states in a separate piece. In just his 15th NBA game, LeVert scored 19 points and was a team-best plus-10 against the champion Cavaliers on Friday. The Nets have been happy with the progress of LeVert, who slipped to 20th in the draft after his college career was cut short by a foot injury. “We saw a glimpse of who he can be, who we project him to be,” said coach Kenny Atkinson. “The defensive part of it is obviously the most important, especially on that wing position. We can throw him out there against the Paul Georges and the LeBrons [James], and he did a pretty decent job. The offensive part was a bonus.”
The Celtics might be interested in Hawks forward Paul Millsap, but only if he guarantees not to opt out of the final year of his contract, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Atlanta is reportedly listening to offers for the 31-year-old power forward and wants a “quality” draft pick in return. Millsap can opt out of his nearly $21.5MM salary for next season and become a free agent this summer. Washburn speculates that any deal would involve one of the Nets‘ picks that Boston owns plus Amir Johnson and another starter to match salaries. A trade would reunite Millsap with Al Horford, but it would push Horford to center, where he would prefer not to play.
Celtics guard Marcus Smart is emerging as more than just a defensive force, writes ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. Boston has already exercised its 2017/18 option on the 22-year-old.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Porzingis, Powell, Sixers

December 22nd, 2016 at 9:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics will include one of their main backcourt pieces if they make a major trade, Chris Mannix of The Vertical anticipates. Boston will have trouble affording the quartet of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier in the long run and can’t add an impact player without shedding one or more of them, Mannix continues. Smart is eligible for an extension next summer and will command a starting salary of at least $10MM, while Thomas and Bradley can become free agents in the summer of 2018. It will take a good chunk of the salary cap to retain both, in Mannix’s view. The starting backcourt can also have their contracts renegotiated this summer but Mannix is skeptical that GM Danny Ainge would eat into future cap space to make that happen.

In other developments around the Atlantic Division:

Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis and other players with rookie contracts will get a significant boost in pay once the new CBA is ratified, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Porzingis will receive a 15% increase next season and a 30% bump in the final year of his four-year rookie-scale deal, Berman continues. Sources informed Berman that Porzingis’ revised salary will increase from $4.5MM to $5.1MM next season and from $5.6MM to $7.3MM in 2018/19.
The Raptors need another elite player to become true title contenders but they should try to hold onto shooting guard Norm Powell, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun opines. Powell has the ability to play three positions and could play some minutes at point guard if Toronto includes current backup Cory Joseph in a blockbuster deal, Wolstat continues. In any case, coach Dwane Casey should try to give Powell, 23, more consistent minutes, Wolstat adds.
Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor will continue to start together in the Sixers’ frontcourt during their upcoming West Coast swing, Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com reports. According to Seltzer’s research, that duo has 52 shared minutes over the Sixers’ last four contests, producing an offensive rating of 95.0 points per 100 possessions, and a defensive rating of 113.3 points per 100 possessions.

Wojnarowski On Raptors, Warriors, Noel, Heat

December 14th, 2016 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest podcast for The Vertical with longtime NBA executive Bobby Marks, Adrian Wojnarowski mentioned that the Pacers have been strongly rebuffing trade inquiries on Paul George, telling teams that they won’t even listen to offers. We had a full story on that earlier today, but it wasn’t the only notable tidbit from the conversation between Wojnarowski and Marks. Here are several more highlights from the podcast:

The Raptors appear to be willing to give up a draft pick and at least one of their young prospects to improve their current roster, but there aren’t many options out there right now for Toronto. According to Wojnarowski, the club can afford to be patient and opportunistic since it has so many young players who are still improving. The Vertical scribe points to Denver’s 2012 acquisition of Andre Iguodala (the Nuggets gave up Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, a future first-round pick, and a second-rounder) as the type of deal Masai Ujiri might be open to making again.
The Warriors would like to add a rim protector, but they know teams won’t be giving that type of player away, and they don’t want to do any trade that makes them “even 1% less likely to win a title,” says Wojnarowski.
The research that rival teams have done on Nerlens Noel is “not good,” per Wojnarowski, who adds that those clubs haven’t gotten good reports about the way the Sixers big man carries himself, and his habits. Teams are still interested in acquiring Noel, but they don’t want to give up a whole lot for him, so it’ll be interesting to see if Philadelphia eventually takes what it can get. The Sixers would probably love to see Noel put in a couple healthy and productive months before the deadline to improve his stock.
The Heat will likely test the trade market for Goran Dragic, but after giving up two first-round picks to acquire him, getting a single pick back in return would essentially be admitting they made a mistake, says Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski wonders if the Celtics are overvaluing some of their own players, including perhaps Marcus Smart, in trade talks. Boston also continues to keep an eye on Gordon Hayward in case there’s any chance the Jazz make him available in a contract year.
Marks believes that if the Nets decide to move Brook Lopez, they can wait until the last year of his contract to do so. Marks, who previously worked for the franchise, calls Lopez a “creature a habit,” suggesting the veteran center is more likely than most players to re-up with his current team instead of actively exploring the free agent market. Lopez’s deal expires in 2018, but Wojnarowski notes that Brooklyn values him and won’t move him just to move him.

And-Ones: Crawford, Gay, Jackson

November 21st, 2016 at 6:58pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jordan Crawford is hoping to use the D-League, which he believes will provide the quickest return path to the NBA, as a means to jumpstart his career, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor writes. The guard is also looking at his time in the D-League as an opportunity to give back some of his hard-earned knowledge to the younger players, Reichert adds. “I really want to help these young guys, show ’em the ropes a little bit,” Crawford told the scribe. “It’s easy to lose confidence when things aren’t going your way and I think I can really help them out.”

Crawford is also trying to shake the perception that he is a selfish player who only cares about scoring, Reichert adds. “When I first got to the league I wanted to be the greatest player…ever,” Crawford said. “More than anything that’s what I wanted. But once you learn there’s more to life than basketball, it’s easier to simply play and enjoy what you’re capable of doing on the court. My journey has been humbling and this is just part of the change I’ve had.”

Here’s more from around the league:

The Thunder have shown interest in Kings forward Rudy Gay, who has indicated that he will opt out of his deal and head elsewhere after the season, but Sacramento isn’t ready to trade the player yet, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson, who has been sidelined for over a month because of tendinitis in his left knee and right thumb, has been cleared for limited contact drills, Keith Langlois of NBA.com reports (via Twitter).
Marcus Smart‘s agent, Josh Ketroser, has left the Wasserman Media Group, Liz Mullen of The Sports Business Journal reports (on Twitter). It is unclear how or if this will affect Smart’s relationship with Ketroser and Wasserman.

Celtics Exercise Marcus Smart’s 2017/18 Option

October 31st, 2016 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have exercised their 2017/18 team options on Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The team’s decision on Rozier had been previously reported, while there was never a question that Smart’s option would be picked up.

Smart, 22, continues to battle a sprained ankle and has yet to make his 2016/17 regular-season debut. In his first two seasons with the Celtics, he averaged 8.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.5 SPG, shooting just 35.7% from the field but providing solid perimeter defense.

Smart will earn about $3.579MM this season, and his $4.538MM salary for 2017/18 will now be fully guaranteed, since the Celtics have picked up his fourth-year option. Assuming Smart remains in Boston, the C’s will have the opportunity to sign him to a rookie-scale extension next offseason. If he doesn’t sign an extension, the former OSU guard will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2018.

With the options for Smart and Rozier exercised, the Celtics still have one decision to make on James Young. The former first-rounder beat out R.J. Hunter to earn the Celtics’ final roster spot, but according to Blakely (via Twitter), he has yet to be informed one way or the other if the club is picking up his fourth-year option. If the C’s decide not to exercise Young’s option, he’ll hit unrestricted free agency in July.

Celtics Notes: Hunter, Horford, Smart, Young

October 30th, 2016 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

When the Celtics waived former first-round pick R.J. Hunter on Monday, they lost their compensation for allowing Doc Rivers to join the Clippers, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. While only Josh Richardson might have been a better choice among available players at No. 28 in last year’s draft, Hunter is still part of an uneven draft record that Boston has produced with its recent wealth of picks. While the Celtics have brought in Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Jaylen Brown, they have misfired with Hunter, Fab Melo, and the trade for JaJuan Johnson. They are also haunted by the 2008 selection of J.R. Giddens ahead of DeAndre Jordan, Mario Chalmers and Goran Dragic.

“Right now, the hardest thing is I like R.J. and we’ve invested time in him,” said Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. “I see Jaylen and Terry [Rozier] and Jordan Mickey and Demetrius Jackson and Abdel Nader, who had a terrific summer with us, and the two kids over in Europe that are playing fantastic right now. The draft is the draft, as we all know. You have some good selections and some that don’t fit and don’t work for you. So I’m not disappointed in that regard at all. I’m glad that we have another [Nets] pick next year and we’ll keep taking our swings and trying to find the right guys.”

There’s more today out of Boston:

ABC/ESPN analyst Mark Jackson believes the Celtics will benefit greatly from the free agent signing of Al Horford, Washburn adds in the same piece. “They did a great job of adding Horford, a big that brought to the table what they did not have — a defensive, tough, hard-nosed leader — and you can see that … already,” Jackson said.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens was happy to see Hunter find a new team so quickly, relays Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. Hunter signed with the Bulls on Wednesday, shortly after clearing waivers. “I think he’s a really good player,” Stevens said. “His ability to shoot the ball and his ability to pass the ball are two great strengths … I don’t know how he fits from a rotation standpoint; that would be a [Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg] question. But he’s certainly a good player that can help any team.”
The Celtics are taking their time with decisions about extensions for Smart, Rozier and James Young, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. The deadline is Monday to pick up the fourth-year guaranteed options for Smart and Young and the third-year option for Rozier. Bulpett believes the team is certain to pick up the $4,438,020 for Smart and the $1,988,520 for Rozier. However, the team is still examining trade options for Young, who would be owed $2,803,507 for 2017/18, and may save that decision until the last minute.

Atlantic Rumors: Horford, Smart, Knicks, Sixers

October 20th, 2016 at 10:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Al Horford‘s low-post presence provides a perfect complement to the perimeter skills of Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, Chris Mannix of The Vertical writes. Boston coach Brad Stevens told Mannix that Horford has reinforced that notion during training camp, along with affirming the team’s decision to offer the big man a four-year, $113MM contract this summer. “Before we signed him, we felt like he was the perfect fit for how we wanted to play. And everything has been validated,” Stevens said. “The ability to quickly move the ball and make the right decision — the ball never sticks with him.”

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

Celtics point guard Marcus Smart is expected to be out two weeks with an ankle injury, Mannix tweets. Smart has suffered numerous left ankle sprains before, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, but it doesn’t appear to be as serious as some of his previous ones. Since the injury is expected to be a short-term situation, it probably won’t impact the decisions that will be made in the coming days to pare the roster down to 15 players, Blakely adds.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said point guard Derrick Rose will need to “learn by fire” after spending most of the past two weeks at his civil trial in Los Angeles, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports. Rose missed five preseason games and seven practices during the trial, in which a jury on found Rose and his two friends not liable in a lawsuit that accused them of gang-raping Rose’s ex-girlfriend. Rose is expected to meet with the coaching staff on Friday to review aspects of the Knicks’ offense that were implemented while he was away, Begley adds.
The Sixers are keeping a close eye on the cuts being made by other teams around the league, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com reports. A report surfaced on Wednesday that Philadelphia was interested in point guard Tyus Jones. The club could also seek help for its banged-up frontcourt, Camerato adds. “The marketplace forces you to pay attention and make sure you’re doing your job and growing your team,” coach Brett Brown told Camerato.