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Celtics Notes: Dooling, Rondo, Pierce

January 30th, 2013 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Even before news of Rajon Rondo's ACL tear, we figured the Celtics would be a team frequently mentioned in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. With Rondo on the shelf and the possibility of major changes looming, we'll likely hear even more updates out of Boston as February 21st approaches. Here's the latest:

Despite rumblings that Keyon Dooling may come out of retirement to play for the Celtics this season, Dooling announced on his Twitter account that he won't be returning to the NBA in 2012/13 (hat tip to Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com).
Rondo will seek a second opinion on his injury, possibly from renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. According to agent Bill Duffy, he and Rondo are also hoping to speak to other athletes who have suffered ACL injuries, including Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.
While trading Paul Pierce might make some sense on paper, Danny Ainge owes it to Pierce and to fans to let the longtime Celtic finish his career in Boston, opines Gary Dzen of Boston.com. Pierce told reporters yesterday he hopes to retire as a Celtic.

Grizzlies, Raptors Discussing Rudy Gay

January 29th, 2013 at 9:57pm CST by Alex Lee

TUESDAY, 9:57pm: Wojnarowski reports that the final hurdle for a deal that would send Gay to Toronto hinges on finding a third team to take Calderon's contract. He adds that within the deal's current framework, the Grizzlies are likely to receive another young Raptors player along with a future draft pick. Terrence Ross is not one of the names being considered, as the Raptors have reportedly deemed the rookie untouchable.

8:11pm: Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun says that the Raptors have little interest in taking additional salary in the form of Darrell Arthur's contract, and thus a third team would be needed if he were included into discussions.

12:46pm: As they try to find a way to land Gay, the Raptors are engaging teams about a possible three-team deal, but are having trouble finding a taker for Calderon, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 7:00pm: The Grizzlies are engaged in active trade discussions with the Raptors centering on Rudy Gay, reports Marc Stein of ESPN. Stein says that while the Raptors are Gay's most active suitor, no initial framework for a deal has been agreed upon. Stein confirms that, due to last week's trade, the Grizzlies feel that they no longer must trade Gay and can instead wait and consider more fair value offers.

The Raptors have been determined in their pursuit of Gay and also are interested in Grizzlies forward Darrell Arthur. Toronto is offering up Jose Calderon and third-year forward Ed Davis as two of the main pieces in a potential deal.

Stein says that the Celtics have also inquired on Gay's availability, but was told that they balked at the prospect at giving up Paul Pierce in the deal. In light of Rajon Rondo's injury, Stein was also told that Boston would be more likely to pursue Kyle Lowry and his cap friendly deal than Gay and his bulky contract. As talks heat up, Stein says, more teams could become involved in a potential deal.

Grizzlies' coach Lionel Hollins, as well as several of the team's players, have reportedly lobbied management for a chance to play the season out as currently constructed. But the Memphis front office is worried about its ability to improve the roster in future years, Stein says, and is subsequently seeking first round picks in any deal.

Celtics Notes: Pierce, Dooling, Trade Options

January 29th, 2013 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Sunday's win over the Heat was officially the first game of the post-Rajon Rondo portion of the Celtics' 2012/13 season, but news of Rondo's injury broke during the game, and Boston players didn't hear about it until after the fact. As such, tomorrow's contest against the Kings feels more like our first real glimpse of the new-look Celtics, who are set to run a "no point guard"-type offense, according to coach Doc Rivers. Here's the latest out of Boston:

Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com reports that Keyon Dooling has already increased his workout regimen in preparation for a potential call from the Celtics, telling reporters: "I'm definitely considering…I've upped my exercise starting today and if Doc (Rivers) gives me the word I will be ready."
Earlier today, Paul Pierce told reporters, including Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com, that he hopes to retire as a Celtic, though he recognizes that the decision may not be entirely in his hands.
Rivers confirmed today that Dooling, who retired before the season, could return to the Celtics, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. "He would be the closest for me if we had to go in another direction (at point guard)," Rivers said. "We'd have to find out if he could still do it. He knows our stuff. He's the easiest by far. He's going to (get in shape) anyway."
Celtics president Danny Ainge isn't about to make a panic move to replace Rondo, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. Ainge intends to assess his team's performance over the next couple weeks before deciding on the next step.
In a video segment, CSNNE.com's analysts take a look at what that next move for Ainge might be.
ESPN.com also has a pair of pieces examining the Celtics' options, as J.A. Adande and Israel Gutierrez debate whether Ainge should blow up the roster, while the 5-on-5 crew examines whether this represents the end of an era in Boston.

Odds & Ends: Rondo, Dragic, Speights, Rumors

January 28th, 2013 at 10:01pm CST by Alex Lee

With seven NBA games on the docket for Monday night, here are some odds and ends from around the Association:

J.J. Redick has made Orlando his home and hopes to stay, he told Michael Scotto of RealGM. But Redick also realizes that trade speculation is inevitable and therefore has stayed in close contact with his agent and the Magic general manager Rob Hennigan.
Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge provides a transcript of an interview of Neil Olshey in which the Blazers GM discusses his team's roster and potential future moves.
Andrei Kirilenko handpicked Minnesota as his destination this offseason because he found the roster intriguing as well as conducive to his game. Unfortunately, due to the Timberwolves' long list of injuries, Kirilenko has yet to find out if his vision was as good as it seemed this offseason, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Danny Ainge said that he fully expect Rajon Rondo to be ready for training camp come October, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. How realistic that truly is will go a long way in determining the Celtics' next move.
Despite sitting at 15-30 and in last place in the Pacific division, the Suns have a reason for optimism in Goran Dragic, writes Derek Page of HoopsWorld. Dragic, Page says, is the most important piece of Phoenix's rebuilding plans.
We've already heard that Marreese Speights could be moved before the trade deadline despite rumors that the Cavaliers have coveted him for years. The Plain Dealer rounds up some Speights-related buzz, linking to a Sam Amico article that says whether the team keeps Speights depends on whether it can do so without sacrificing its financial flexibility. Amico, of Fox Sports Ohio, says that Speights will likely opt out of his deal after the season and seek a payday.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News addresses several popular rumors that are floating around the NBA of late, the most notable of which include Rudy Gay, Paul Pierce and Pau Gasol.

Atlantic Notes: Bynum, Celtics, Pierce, Knicks

January 28th, 2013 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

With Rajon Rondo out for the year, two of the Celtics' Atlantic Division rivals are in position to give Boston a run for the eighth and final playoff seed in the East. The 76ers are 2.5 games back of the Celtics, while the Raptors are five games back, and both teams hope to have injured players returning to the floor in the next few weeks — Andrew Bynum for the Sixers, and Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas for the Raptors. Here's the latest out of the Atlantic:

As the summer approaches, the Sixers are hoping to get a better idea of whether it's worth the risk to lock Bynum up to a long-term deal, as GM Tony DiLeo tells TNT's David Aldridge. "We don't have enough information," DiLeo said. "We want to re-sign him. We plan on re-signing him. We made the trade having him as part of our future. That's the direction we're going in right now and we don't have enough information to make a decision."
The Sixers constructed their roster with the intention of having it revolve around Bynum, so DiLeo acknowledges to Aldridge that the team would have to employ a different approach if Bynum is not re-signed: "We have a good young nucleus, but yeah, we'd probably have to go in a different direction and use our cap room and the draft and trades."
Zach Lowe of Grantland looks into some potential trade partners for the Celtics if they decide to shop Paul Pierce, noting that they'd likely only be able to land either a good first-round pick or a blue-chip guy on a rookie contract, rather than both. According to Lowe, the Raptors may be the most viable and intriguing match for Pierce and the C's.
Also within Lowe's piece, he notes that executives around the league view Rondo as a max-contract type player.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com explores the possibility of the Knicks calling up D-League standout Henry Sims, who was in camp with the team in the fall.

Celtics Rumors: Pierce, Gay, Lowry, Sullinger

January 28th, 2013 at 8:34am CST by Luke Adams

Even before we learned that Rajon Rondo was done for the year with a torn ACL, we expected to hear plenty of Celtics-related trade rumors leading up to next month's trade deadline. That number of rumors figures to exponentially increase now that Rondo's on the shelf, and we've rounded up a few of Monday morning's rumblings right here:

We heard yesterday that the Grizzlies may have interest in Paul Pierce, but according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter link), Memphis is unlikely to seriously pursue the longtime Celtic. The Grizzlies are hoping to add depth, shooting, and/or youth if they move Gay, so Pierce wouldn't be an ideal fit, tweets Stein.
Stein adds (via Twitter) that the Celtics have shown exploratory interest in Gay but aren't likely to take on significant long-term salary.
Stein gets the sense that Kyle Lowry is a probable target for Boston, but isn't sure whether or not the Celtics have the assets to land him (Twitter link).
Multiple team executives tell Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) that Jared Sullinger is considered the most-appealing Celtic, but Mannix says the C's aren't expected to part with the rookie forward.
We also rounded up a number of Celtics-related rumors yesterday in the wake of the Rondo announcement.

Celtics Links: Rajon Rondo Reaction

January 27th, 2013 at 9:51pm CST by Alex Lee

In light of news that Rajon Rondo has a torn ACL, it looks like most readers think the Celtics would be smart to move Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. It is a question that basketball writers around the league will be tackling for weeks leading up to the trading deadline. Let's round up all of the media fallout from the Rondo injury here:

A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England considers adding Delonte West the most likely scenario for the Celtics, adding that a league source told him earlier this season that the Celtics would only consider bringing back West if one of their guards went down with a long-term injury. Blakely also mentions Andre Barrett, the current D-League assists leader, as a possibility.
The Celtics' television broadcast team takes a shot at answering the question of how the Celtics can replace Rondo, via CSN New England.
Blowing up the Celtics' roster is way better in theory than it is in reality, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. He says that there simply aren't teams out there with young talent and draft picks that are willing to give them up for Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett. With this in mind, Wojnarowski opines that it would be a mistake for the C's to do anything drastic.

Earlier updates:

Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders whether the Celtics will look to the D-League to fill the void created by Rondo's injury. Schlosser specifically mentions Delonte West, Courtney Fortson, Chris Wright, Donald Sloan, Sean Singletary and Scott Machado as potential solutions.
Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also tweets that West and the Celtics seem like a match.
Danny Ainge and the Celtics have some big decisions to make in the near future as a result of Rondo's injury, writes Matt Moore of CBS Sports. Moore says the Celts were already contemplating blowing up their roster this season, and the Rondo news certainly makes it more likely.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports says that Pierce's contract – with only $4MM guaranteed next year – is "as tradeable as it gets." Berger adds that rival executives expect the Grizzlies to have interest in Pierce. He also speculates that a team like the Nets could be interested in Garnett. Should they decide to become buyers rather than sellers, Berger says Jose Calderon or Kyle Lowry are two possible targets for Boston.
Jessica Camerato of CSN New England writes that the Celtics locker room was stunned to hear the news about their floor general after their double overtime win against the Heat. Camerato's colleague, A. Sherrod Blakely, provides more reactions from the Celtics as well as from Miami's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Blakely adds, via Twitter, that he doesn't expect a trade soon. Instead, Blakely thinks that the Celtics will add a point guard via a 10-day contract, if they choose to do anything.

Celtics May Look To Move Pierce

January 27th, 2013 at 2:16pm CST by Sean Highkin

In light of the news that Rajon Rondo has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season, focus is already turning to the decisions the Celtics face at the trade deadline. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that executives around the NBA expect the Celtics to seriously consider moving Paul Pierce before the February 21 trading deadline.

Pierce is due to be paid $15.3MM next season, but only $4MM of it is guaranteed. That number will become $5MM if he plays in 50 percent of his team's total games, including regular season and playoffs. Barring any injury, that is likely to happen.

Stein’s Latest: Celtics, Grizzlies, Cavs, Suns, McCants

January 26th, 2013 at 11:13am CST by Sean Highkin

Marc Stein of ESPN.com has posted his latest Weekend Dime column, which features updates on a variety of trade-related topics from around the NBA. Here are the highlights:

GMs around the league view the Celtics as likely to make a move. They have interest in J.J. Redick, and executives speculate that they may finally decide to move Paul Pierce or Rajon Rondo.
Some GMs believe a three-team trade is possible that would send Pierce to the Grizzlies, Rudy Gay to the Lakers, and Pau Gasol to Boston.
After their trade with the Cavs this week, the Grizzlies' roster is down to 11 players and they have 14 days to sign at least two players to meet the minimum requirement of 13. Memphis looked at Delonte West but decided against signing the veteran guard, Stein reports.
Stein notes that Memphis received three separate trade exceptions in the trade. Marreese Speights landed them an exception worth $4.2MM, while Wayne Ellington's was worth $2MM and Josh Selby's was worth $762,195.
Although the Cavaliers think highly of Speights and have wanted him for years, the forward is already drawing interest from other teams and could be moved before the February 21 trading deadline. Stein identifies Daniel Gibson and Omri Casspi as the other two Cleveland players most likely to be traded.
The Suns are said to be shopping Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat, and Luis Scola in light of the team's struggles this season. It should be noted that Scola, having been claimed after being waived with the amnesty clause, cannot be traded until after this season.
Stein's column also featured a Q&A with 28-year-old former lottery pick Rashad McCants, who is playing with the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League in hopes of eventually making another run at an NBA career.

Celtics Rumors: Pierce, Green, Lee, Bass

January 22nd, 2013 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

In 2011/12, the Celtics were up and down over those first two months, compiling a 16-17 record in the first half of the lockout-shortened schedule. For the rest of the season, Boston went 23-10, locking up another Atlantic Division title. A year later, the Celtics are approaching the midway point with a mediocre 20-20 record, but if their track record is any indication, it's not time to panic yet. Here's the latest out of Boston:

While the Celtics are always aggressive about pursuing possible deals, it's not likely they consider moving Paul Pierce unless they get an All-Star-caliber player in return, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
When discussing trades with the C's, most teams are looking at guys like Jeff Green, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Bass, according to Kyler. However, none of those players is an attractive enough trade chip to bring back a significant return.
Celtics president Danny Ainge tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that he's not expecting to make a big splash before the deadline: "Realistically, I don’t see major changes coming. Of course we’re trying to get better, and any deal that was available that could help us, you obviously do that. But we’re not just trying to make any deal. We’re not selling the team off or anything like that. We’re trying to win with what we have right now. That’s got to be our first objective."