MarShon Brooks

Warriors Acquire Crawford In Swap With C’s, Heat

THURSDAY, 10:12am: The Heat is the team sending cash to the Celtics, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, who notes that the amount is $1MM.

WEDNESDAY, 3:17pm: The Warriors and Celtics have hooked up on a three-team trade with the Heat that sends Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks to the W’s, as the teams confirmed via press release. The Warriors send Toney Douglas to Miami, which deals Joel Anthony, a first-round pick, and its 2016 second-round pick to the Celtics. Boston also receives cash in the deal, though it’s not immediately clear from whom.NBA: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Clippers

The Warriors have been looking for an upgrade behind point guard Stephen Curry, and it appears they envision putting Crawford in that role. The 25-year-old has performed well in stretches as he’s manned the point for Boston in the absence of Rajon Rondo, but with Rondo set to return, it appears the Celtics found him expendable. Veteran NBA reporter Peter Vecsey tweeted overnight that Boston was close to dealing Crawford, and listed the Warriors as one of the teams with interest.

The Heat likely save $7.7MM in salary and tax penalties for this season in unloading Joel Anthony‘s deal, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (on Twitter), with Anthony slated to make $3.8MM this season. His contract also includes a player option for the same amount next season. The first-round pick they’re sending the the Celtics is the Sixers’ lottery protected first-rounder this year, but if Philadelphia doesn’t make the playoffs this season or next, the Celtics get the Sixers 2015 and 2016 second-round picks instead, as Wojnarowski points out (Twitter link). Miami had been looking to bolster its backcourt last month when Windhorst reported that they were shopping Anthony.

The Warriors add money in the deal, but they avoid the luxury tax and don’t have to relinquish a first-round pick or one of their core pieces, as Zach Lowe of Grantland speculated yesterday that they might have to do. Crawford doesn’t carry the cachet of other guards the Warriors have pursued, like Kyle Lowry, Andre Miller and Kirk Hinrich, but he comes relatively cheaply. He’ll be a restricted free agent at season’s end. The Warriors will likely use part of the $4MM trade exception they got for Brandon Rush this summer to make the deal work.

The Celtics also slightly up their payroll, though they also continue to stockpile draft picks. The deal sets Boston up with a half dozen extra draft picks between now and 2018. Perhaps most profound from Boston’s side of the transaction is the decline in value of Brooks, the 25th overall pick in 2011. He played well as a rookie with the Nets, but was a throw-in as part of the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce blockbuster this summer and appears to be an afterthought in this deal, as well.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the deal (All Twitter links). Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group and Grantland’s Zach Lowe also tweeted details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Western Notes: Fisher, Jackson, Turkoglu

Derek Fisher is breathing a little easier today with the news that the judge, Huey Cotton, who is presiding over Billy Hunter’s wrongful termination lawsuit had dismissed most of the allegations against Fisher, and all against his former business manager, Jamie Wior, writes Ken Berger of CBS Sports.com. Hunter had alleged that the two conspired to oust him and seize control of the NBPA during and after the 2011 lockout. Cotton ruled that Hunter’s claims against Fisher regarding breach of contract and intentional interference with contractual relations may go forward, but struck 12 other allegations against the former NBPA president from the lawsuit, including defamation. The judge also ruled that Hunter must pay legal fees for Fisher and Wior related to the claims that were dismissed. The rest of Hunter’s lawsuit is cleared to continue against the NBPA.

Here’s some other notes from around the Western Conference:

  • Pierre Jackson still hasn’t been able to reach a deal with the Pelicans, who hold his rights after drafting him 42nd overall in last year’s draft. Not long before Jrue Holiday was ruled out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right tibia on January 10th, Jackson’s representatives requested and received permission to explore trade opportunities. Jackson’s agents, who also represent Holiday, met with Pelicans general manager Dell Demps this week, but Jackson still doesn’t have a contract with the team. This has Jackson and his camp disappointed, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Jackson is currently the D-League’s second-leading scorer at 29.9 PPG, and feels his production warrants some NBA playing time.
  • The Warriors will be keeping MarShon Brooks, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Brooks was acquired as a part of today’s three-team trade involving Boston and Miami. An earlier tweet by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe had indicated the team might waive Brooks.
  • Spurs guard Nando De Colo‘s agent denied reports that the player was attempting to return to Europe and play for Fenerbahce, as he told French newspaper L’Equipe (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). De Colo is currently averaging 2.0 PPG in limited action.
  • The Clippers continue to have interest in Sasha Vujacic even as they near a deal with Hedo Turkoglu, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Brooks, Nets

ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell is joined by fellow ESPN writers Scoop Jackson and Doug Padilla to weigh in on a few questions surrounding the Bulls, particularly the likelihood of using the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer, who won the Andrew BynumLuol Deng swap, and what the team’s next move should be.

Here are a few more miscellaneous links to share out of the Eastern Conference this evening:

  • The Celtics have recalled guard MarShon Brooks from the NBDL today, the team announced via press release. Brooks had been lighting up the D-League as of late, averaging 27.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, while shooting 37.5% from long range through five games with the Maine Red Claws.
  • While four games appears to be a small sample size, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes about how Jason Kidd may have found the right formula to win with the Nets by opting to utilize smaller lineups. With that being said, Brooklyn is currently riding a four-game winning streak.
  • Jared Sullinger has been a starter for the majority of the 2013/14 season, though he began Wednesday night’s game against the Clippers as a reserve because of Kris Humphries‘ standout performance recently. Sullinger doesn’t have an issue with his role change, telling Mark Murphy of BostonHerald.com: “That’s absolutely fine with me…(head coach Brad Stevens) said there may be times when they change things with me coming off the bench.”
  • Knicks head coach Mike Woodson wants to move past the topic of J.R. Smith‘s disciplinary issues, telling the media before tonight’s game against the Heat“I’m not addressing anything else with JR. Just not gonna do it” (Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv via Twitter). During a local radio interview with ESPN yesterday, Woodson was critical of Smith’s recent on-court antics, which earned the nine-year-veteran a $50K fine from the league for “recurring instances of unsportsmanlike conduct” (Ian Begley of ESPN New York).
  • Sam Amico of FOX Sports takes an in-depth look at the Cavaliers’ newest All-Star acquisition, Luol Deng.

D-League Notes: McCollum, Cunningham, Brooks

At this point, 18 of the 30 NBA teams have sent players on D-League assignments this season and we have three more today. Below are the details. Don’t forget to reference our D-League assignment tracker to keep tabs of all of the moves this year.

  • The Blazers have assigned C.J. McCollum to the Idaho Stampede, their D-League affiliate, the team announced today via press release. Portland selected McCollum with the No. 10 pick in June’s NBA Draft and the rookie fractured his left foot in training camp in October. He was just cleared to resume practice, and will play for the Stampede on Friday and Saturday, according to the team.
  • The Hawks have assigned guard Jared Cunningham back to the Bakersfield Jam, the team announced today via news release. Cunningham, who has appeared in three games for Atlanta this season, was recalled from Bakersfield on December 29. This is the third time the team has assigned him to the Jam this season.
  • We heard earlier today that the Celtics assigned MarShon Brooks to the Maine Red Claws. While many will assume the move represents a demotion, Brad Stevens and the Celtics don’t see it that way, writes Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com. Brooks hasn’t been playing much in Boston, and with a busy game schedule in the near future, the assignment will allow Brooks to get on the court somewhere.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Tyler, Celtics, Brooks

It’s a new year, and both the Knicks and the Nets will be looking for fresh starts. The two New York clubs have failed to meet expectations after being preseason favorites to compete for the Atlantic Division title. While there’s plenty of time left to make a run, the solid play from the Raptors since Rudy Gay‘s departure has many believing both NYC teams will fall short of making the postseason. Let’s take a look at some notes from the Atlantic Division..

  • Tim Bontemps of the New York Post discusses whether the Nets are a bad team, or just one riddled with injuries. While it’s tough to draw any definite conclusions, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich seems to believe that latter: “They’ve had everything hit them,” Popovich said. “They’ve had a gazillion new players. They’ve had injuries that are ridiculous. You can almost not even begin to deal with that. You have to have all your bodies there.”
  • It’s been a turbulent professional career for the recently signed Knicks big man Jeremy Tyler, and the latest piece from Scott Cacciola of the New York Times revisits the events that led up to New York signing the once promising center.
  • The Celtics will have quite a bit of financial flexibility this summer, and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com predicts that the C’s are going to have a good opportunity to beef up their already surprisingly solid roster.
  • Speaking of the Celtics, the team announced via press release this morning that they’ve assigned MarShon Brooks to their D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws. Yesterday, Chuck Myron labeled Brooks as a possible candidate to see a D-League assignment.

MarShon Brooks Hasn’t Requested A Trade

As a rookie out of Providence, MarShon Brooks had a good amount of hype surrounding him for his athleticism and scoring ability.  Cut to a few years later, Brooks had his fourth-year option declined after being on the opposite end of a deal that shipped Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets.  Even though Brooks isn’t seeing much playing time in Boston and one has to imagine that he’s frustrated, he says that he hasn’t requested a trade, writes Jay King of MassLive.com.

It’s too early for that. It’s way too early for that,” Brooks said after Monday’s practice. “I trust (coach) Brad Stevens. He told me I’m going to get my opportunity, so I’m just waiting on my opportunity, honestly.

So far, Brooks has appeared in just six of Boston’s 19 games, averaging 2.2 points over 6.8 minutes per contest.  After getting four points and two boards late in Saturday’s loss to the Bucks, Stevens acknowledged that Brooks could get more minutes eventually, but wouldn’t put a timetable on increasing his role.

Brooks, 25 in January, saw 29.4 minutes per contest in his rookie season for the struggling Nets, but saw his minutes drop to 12.5 per game last season.  Over those two seasons with New Jersey/Brooklyn, Brooks averaged 8.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.6 APG.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Holiday, Knicks, Nets

A recent piece from Keith Pompey at the Inquirer explores the upbringing of rookie Sixers point guard Michael Carter-Williams. Among the interesting details: Carter-Williams’ NBA salary is being deposited into a trust that he can’t touch for three years. The young Syracuse product is currently living off his endorsement deals with Nike and Panini trading cards. Here’s more from the Sixers and the Atlantic Division:

  • Evan Turner is having a career year for the Sixers, but Tom Moore of the Intelligencer reminds us that GM Sam Hinkie is willing to deal any of his players for the right price, as evidenced by the draft night deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans.
  • Speaking of the Holiday deal, Christoper Vito from the Delaware County Daily Times reports that Holiday was surprised when he received the call to find out he had been traded (Twitter links).
  • Scott Souza of the MetroWest Daily News reports that Celtics Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, and Kris Humphries understand their roles on the team and don’t expect to see major minutes. Souza notes it’s a difficult situation for the trio of veterans since they can’t display their skills while riding the bench, and each of them figures to be a free agent come the end of the season.
  • We found out earlier today that most Hoops Rumors readers believe at least one New York team will make the playoffs, but Jason Kidd and Mike Woodson have yet to prove their 2013/14 squads can live up to preseason expectations. Tommy Beer and Alex Kennedy over at HoopsWorld named Kidd and Woodson, respectively, as the coaches that have disappointed them the most so far in the early going of the season.
  • One of the sole bright spots for the struggling Knicks has been the surprisingly effective play of offseason acquisition Andrea Bargnani. The former first overall pick is putting up much better numbers than he did last year in Toronto, but Keith Schlosser from the Knicks Journal suggests his presence might be having a negative impact on J.R. Smith‘s performance.

Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Brooks, Woodson, Raptors

Entering the 2013/14 NBA season, the Atlantic Division was generally predicted to contain at least two playoff teams: the Nets and Knicks. So far in the early goings of ’13/14, neither team looked overly dominant. The Nets saw an impressive win over Miami before a 21-point loss to Orlando in their next contest. The Knicks have lost three straight and center Tyson Chandler was just sidelined for at least four weeks. It’s been a rough start for the two teams projected to finish at the top of the division.

Here some notes from around the Atlantic Division:

Celtics Pick Up Option On Sullinger, Decline On Brooks

FRIDAY, 1:48pm: The Celtics have officially exercised their 2014/15 option on Sullinger, the team announced today in a press release. As Ainge suggested on Wednesday, Brooks’ option was not picked up.

WEDNESDAY, 1:43pm: Celtics GM Danny Ainge confirmed today that his team will exercise its 2014/15 option on Jared Sullinger‘s rookie contract, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). However, the C’s will turn down their option on offseason acquisition MarShon Brooks, says Forsberg.

The decision to pick up Sullinger’s third-year option comes as no surprise, following a productive rookie season that was cut short by back surgery. As our rookie contract option tracker shows, he’ll be in line for a 2014/15 salary of only about $1.42MM, so it will have a negligible impact on Boston’s cap flexibility.

As for Brooks, his $2.18MM fourth-year option is fairly inexpensive as well, but it seems the former Net isn’t in the Celtics’ long-term plans at the moment. Although the team will still be able to re-sign Brooks if he impresses in Boston this season, he’ll now be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Celtics Rumors: Brooks, D-League, Osby

Jared Sullinger got some good news and bad news today, as Celtics GM Danny Ainge indicated that the team would pick up the forward’s third-year option for 2014/15. However, the team also announced that Sullinger would be suspended for a game to start the ’13/14 season. While Sullinger had domestic charges against him dismissed in court, the club elected to suspend him for one game for “failing to meet the high expectations we have for all Celtics employees.” As Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes, the former Buckeye understand and accepts the club’s decision.

Here’s more from out of Boston:

  • The Celtics don’t intend to exercise MarShon Brooks‘ fourth-year option, as we heard earlier today, and Forsberg has more details from Ainge on the team’s decision: “With MarShon, we haven’t enough chance to evaluate him in a fair way and so we probably won’t pick up his extension. But we will retain his Bird Rights and I’m sure he’ll get plenty of opportunities this year to see if he fits our system.”
  • According to Forsberg, Ainge would be open to all four Celtics camp invitees – Chris Babb, Damen Bell-Holter, DeShawn Sims and Kammron Taylor – joining the team’s D-League affiliate. NBA clubs are only allowed to retain the D-League rights for three players, but the Maine Red Claws already held Sims’ rights. Those players have yet to decide on whether to play in the D-League or pursue overseas jobs, so it’s not clear yet which ones will land in Maine.
  • The Red Claws are also trying to add another team’s camp invitee, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com, who reports that the Celtics’ D-League affiliate is attempting to obtain the rights to Romero Osby. Because Osby attended camp with Orlando, his rights belong to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, but the Magic share their D-League affiliate with five other NBA clubs, so their influence is limited. According to Charania, Osby is finalizing a D-League deal, and while the Celtics are in the lead to acquire his rights, the Warriors, Thunder, Spurs, and Nets have also expressed interest.
  • Ainge also suggested today that Jordan Crawford won’t be extended by Thursday, but a new deal for Avery Bradley is still a possibility.