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Celtics Links: Rondo, Roster, Bradley

October 24th, 2013 at 5:43pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Danny Ainge tells Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe that Rajon Rondo is “absolutely” the centerpiece to the Celtics’ rebuilding project. Also, just as we had heard yesterday, Ainge confirmed that the team plans to keep the roster to 14 guaranteed contracts in order to stay under the luxury tax (Twitter links). Here are a few more noteworthy links to share out of Boston tonight:

When asked about the approaching deadline regarding a potential contract extension for Avery Bradley, Ainge told Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston that he’s currently in negotiations with the 6’2 guard, which suggests that a new deal could still be reached before October 31st (Twitter links). Forsberg notes that this is a considerable change in stance compared to earlier this summer, when Ainge said he planned to curb contract talks until Bradley hit restricted free agency during the 2014 offseason.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (via Twitter) notes that Ainge admitted to being in contract talks with Bradley’s camp but chose not to elaborate on where those discussions currently stand.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Rondo, 76ers, White

October 24th, 2013 at 4:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks coach Mike Woodson acknowledged yesterday that Chris Smith‘s family ties will play a role in the team’s decision on whether or not he makes the roster, but if it were up to J.R. Smith, that wouldn’t be a factor.

“I don’t want that to come into play because then I think that’s a crutch for him and that’s an excuse for him to make the team,” J.R. said, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “I think that he should make the team based off his own talent and his own ability. Don’t get me wrong, he’s my brother at the end of the day, but at the same time I think his talent alone should set that apart.”

As the Knicks mull over their roster options, let’s check in on a few more stories from out of the Atlantic Division….

Within a column about Rajon Rondo and the Celtics, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News cites sources to report that Rondo hasn’t talked to coach Brad Stevens or GM Danny Ainge about any sort of trade this offseason.
Nick Menta of the 700 Level explores the 76ers‘ options when it comes to Evan Turner, who is extension-eligible, and Arnett Moultrie, Royce White, and Tony Wroten, whose 2014/15 team options must be exercised or declined by next Thursday.
For at least the start of the 2013/14 season, White appears to have a firm hold on a roster spot with the Sixers, as Jason Wolf of USA Today details.
The Celtics and Sixers both made roster cuts earlier today.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Celtics, Sixers, Bucks

October 15th, 2013 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Mike Dunleavy was one of the first free agents to come off the board this July, inking a two-year deal with the Bulls worth the taxpayer’s mid-level exception. And as he tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, he isn’t regretting his decision.

“Everything I was hoping for, whether it be playing for [Tom Thibodeau] or playing with Derrick [Rose], has been better than I expected,” Dunleavy said. “And I had heard great things.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Within that same Tribune piece, Johnson suggests that Mike James is the probable frontrunner to be the Bulls‘ 13th man, while Dexter Pittman is also a candidate.
The Bulls are prepared to move on from Marquis Teague, who probably could be had for cheap, according to Mark Deeks at The Score. Deeks says that Teague’s increased playing time in the team’s most recent preseason game was meant to be a showcase for potential suitors.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines the Celtics and Rajon Rondo in his latest column, wondering if keeping Rondo through the 2013/14 season could slow down Boston’s rebuilding plan.
Hollis Thompson is a long shot to make the Sixers on his non-guaranteed deal, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who examines the former Georgetown Hoya’s quest to beat the odds.
Meanwhile, after tweeting yesterday that Vander Blue and Khalif Wyatt may be battling for a single Sixers roster spot, Tom Moore of Calkins Media goes into more depth on the competition, with quotes on both players from head coach Brett Brown.
Not only is Larry Drew in his first year on the Bucks‘ bench, but he’ll have to “bring a whole new team together,” as he tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The team has yet to finalize its 15-man roster, but when it does, 11 of Milwaukee’s 15 players figure to be new additions.
Julyan Stone is making a strong case to be the Raptors‘ 15th man, says Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Eastern Notes: Rondo, Heat, Ivey, Magic

October 9th, 2013 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Western Conference looks like it’ll be wide open this season, as the results from last night’s poll show. However, the same can’t be said for the Eastern Conference. Online sportsbook Bovada.lv gives the Heat even odds to come out of the East in 2014 for the fourth straight year. As we look forward to Miami getting its title defense underway, let’s round up a few notes from around the conference….

While the Celtics finally got the rebuilding process underway this summer by dealing Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry to the Nets, Rajon Rondo isn’t looking for an escape route of his own, as he tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. “This is my team; why would I want to leave?” Rondo said. “Why would I want out? I’ve never really backed away from a challenge.”
Asked about the possibility of Eric Griffin earning a spot on the Heat‘s regular-season roster, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel echoes something we heard from Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald yesterday, predicting that Michael Beasley and Roger Mason Jr. will grab the last two openings.
Royal Ivey‘s short-term goal involves landing a roster spot with the Hawks, but he hopes to transition into coaching in the not-too-distant future, writes Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
“I see a couple more years and then I want to do other ventures,” Ivey said. “I think I have a chance to coach and I’m definitely going to take heed to that.”
14 NBA teams currently have one-on-one relationships with their D-League affiliates, and the Magic are hoping to become No. 15, writes Don Coble at Jacksonville.com. Magic CEO Alex Martins tells Coble that the team has “made it clear” to the NBA that it would like to set up a D-League squad in Jacksonville, rather than share the Fort Wayne Mad Ants with five other NBA clubs.

Atlantic Links: Nets, Celtics, Knicks

October 3rd, 2013 at 8:18pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There have been some instances in which talented tandems that played together early on eventually blossomed into stars on different teams. A few pairs that come to mind include Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter in Toronto, Jerry Stackhouse and Allen Iverson in Philadelphia, and Jermaine O'Neal and Rasheed Wallace in Portland. However, not many of them get another chance to reunite and try to capture some of what could have been. Brooklyn's Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce shared their thoughts about the opportunity to finally achieve success together after looking back at a 2001/02 mid-season trade that saw Johnson – then a Celtics rookie – get traded from Boston and subsequently develop into a star in Phoenix and Atlanta (Tim Bontemps of the New York Post). With that aside, here are a few links to pass along out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

With Rajon Rondo still out in Boston, Marc D'Amico of Celtics.com looks at the team's other options at point guard – Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, and rookie Phil Pressey. In another piece, Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston describes how this team nearly full of new faces has quietly looked to foster their camaraderie during camp.
ESPN New York's Ian Begley reports that Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston was in attendance to witness tryouts for the team's D-League affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks. Among those who made strong impressions were swingman Dami Sapara, center Kyle Hunt, forward Akeem Ellis, as well as big men Brian Addison and Desmond Blue.
Begley also mentions that Knicks guard Iman Shumpert sat out of today's practice with what was called a "minor" right shoulder injury, although Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests that this could possibly open the door for J.R. Smith to earn the starting shooting guard spot.
As Eric Koreen of the National Post notes, the competition for reserve minutes at the wing positions on the Raptors is wide open. Later in the article, Koreen also takes a brief look at rookie Dwight Buycks. In another team-related piece, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun takes notice of the more competitive vibe felt at this year's camp compared to last year.
Jason Kidd and a few other Nets offered their comments on what Andrei Kirilenko brings to the table with Roderick Boone of Newsday. In a separate article, Lenn Robbins of BrooklynNets.com gathers some thoughts from coach Kidd and Paul Pierce after today's training camp session.

Rondo On Trade Rumors, Pierce, KG, Stevens

September 30th, 2013 at 9:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

Last year, Rajon Rondo entered the season healthy and an indispensable part of a perennial playoff team. Now, Rondo is a trade candidate on a stripped-down roster as he continues rehabbing his torn right ACL. The All-Star point guard told reporters at media day that he'll return to action when he's "mentally ready," a refrain familiar to that of Derrick Rose from last season, when the Bulls point guard never made it back from his torn ACL. Rondo was vague about a timetable for when he might play again, but he was much more forthcoming about other issues. We'll pass along some of his juicier comments, courtesy Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com

On speculation that he'll be traded:

"Those are things that are out of my control. I don’t tend to worry about those things. I have to live my life. Whatever the case may be, whenever that may happen, that’s what will happen. But until then, I’m a Celtic, and I’ll play as hard as I can for this organization."

On the trade that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets:

"It wasn’t difficult at all. I didn’t feel anything. I actually landed in L.A. the night of the draft, and I got about 45 text messages coming through my phone. I thought I was traded. You never know."

"It’s part of the business. They’re not the first teammates that I’ve been close to who have been traded away — Perk [Kendrick Perkins], Tony Allen — so it’s part of the process."

On new Celtics coach Brad Stevens

"Me and Brad have become best friends. We talk every day, we laugh and joke. We just had dinner the other night. I’m going to help him; he’s going to help me. He has my full support. I told him from day one, when he came to my camp, that I’m behind him 100%. Whatever he wants to do, whatever he wants to change, I have an open mind. I’m ready to listen and to be accountable for what he has for me to do."

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Wizards, Hawks

September 26th, 2013 at 10:45pm CST by Ryan Raroque

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune discusses the health of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, Luol Deng's uncertain long-term future with the franchise, how Mike Dunleavy Jr. will look to mesh with the roster, and how Jimmy Butler will handle a move to starting shooting guard as five things to look at for the Bulls going into fall. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago (via Twitter) says that Chicago's official training camp roster is expected to be released tomorrow but doesn't expect Malcolm Thomas or Chris Wright to be on the list.
Michael Lee of CSN Washington wonders if John Wall is ready to lead the Wizards to the playoffs, who will step up in the absence of Emeka Okafor, if Bradley Beal is primed for a breakout season, what to expect from Otto Porter, and the health of Nene as the team's top storylines heading into training camp.
Hawks GM Danny Ferry wouldn't set a timeline for the return of Louis Williams (who is still recovering from reconstructive knee surgery), though he did say that the eighth-year guard has been playing one-on-one games and has had no restrictions in doing so. Ferry also appeared encouraged about what Dennis Schröder can contribute to the team now as a promising prospect and said that Lucas Nogueira and Mike Muscala still need to continue their development overseas (USA Today via the Associated Press).
As Tom Layman of the Boston Herald points out, Celtics coach Brad Stevens will look toward Avery Bradley to be the team's floor general while they wait for the return of Rajon Rondo. In another piece, a handful of college coaches had positive comments for Stevens regarding how they believe he'll be able to transition to the NBA game (NBA.com via the Associated Press).
With Steve Mills in place as the Knicks' newest GM, Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld thinks that it will be important for Mills to start forming a strong relationship with Carmelo Anthony now, especially with the possibility that he could become a free agent this upcoming summer.
Since arriving in New York City, Anthony has been able to build his brand and explore plenty of business opportunities, writes Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. From the sound of it, Zwerling doesn't think that Anthony will be leaving New York anytime soon, even with an opt-out clause at the end of the season.
Ian Begley of ESPN New York examines the orange and blue's current situation at small forward.
With the rest of the NBA's power elite growing tired of the Heat's dominance, Sam Amick of USA Today delves into why the 2013/14 season could be Miami's toughest campaign for a title yet. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that the Bulls are especially eager to put a halt to the Heat's reign as the NBA's top dog.

Atlantic Notes: Rondo, Rivers, Perkins, Raptors

September 14th, 2013 at 10:01am CST by Zachary Links

Celtics coach Brad Stevens reaffirmed yesterday that there is no timeline for the return of star guard Rajon Rondo, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. While former teammate Paul Pierce and current teammate Jared Sullinger have hinted that he might not return until December, Stevens insists there is no target date at the moment. While his ETA is TBD, Stevens says Rondo is keeping things positive. "My general sense is that he’s really excited," said Stevens. "He is excited about the challenge of the new season, he’s excited about the challenge of a new situation. He seems to be excited. I don’t want to speak for him, and I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but every time we’ve talked it’s been a really engaging conversation." Here's more from the Atlantic Division..

Stevens' predecessor, Doc Rivers, acknowledged that the 2011 Kendrick Perkins–Jeff Green trade was a mistake that ultimately hurt Kevin Garnett, writes Justin Barrasso of WEEI.com. “We needed the toughness. The one thing we did by losing Perk was we removed Kevin’s protector. I didn’t think it was a coincidence that, after Perk left, that Kevin got into all those little flicks with the other teams. Perk deflected all that," Rivers said.
The Raptors will have 17 players in camp, including Julyan Stone and Chris Wright, but that's far from a guarantee that Toronto will go with the maximum 15 players to start the season, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Currently, GM Masai Ujiri has the roster at 14.
The Sixers announced that they appointed Brandon D. Williams as the first ever GM of the D-League's Delaware 87ers. Williams has spent the last eight seasons in the NBA’s League Office, most recently as the NBA’s Associate Vice President of Basketball Operations.

Odds & Ends: Seattle, Expansion, Thunder

September 12th, 2013 at 5:35pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There has been speculation that Chris Hansen's contributions to an anti-Kings-arena movement in Sacramento could hurt Seattle's chances of eventually landing an NBA franchise. However, current commissioner David Stern and future commissioner Adam Silver both recently downplayed concerns about the league or its owners holding a grudge, according to Percy Allen of the Seattle Times. You can find more of this evening's miscellaneous news and notes below, including more from the above article:

Allen also points out that Hansen still has around four years to secure an NBA team and finalize an agreement with Seattle and King County to build a $490MM arena in Sodo with $200MM in public subsidies.
Given that there currently aren't any teams for sale, Silver had this to say about possible expansion within the near future: "I would never say it’s never going to happen. There’s nothing in the works at the moment…Obviously the league has grown over the years and there may come a point to look at it…But right now coming off of our new collective bargaining agreement, we really want to make sure we have 30 franchises that are all financially sound."
RealGM's Jonathan Tjarks makes a case for why the Thunder's core still has enough time to win a title.
Mark Willard and Arash Markazi of ESPN LA talk about what Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni has to accomplish in order to keep his job in Los Angeles.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com discusses the ten players most likely to be dealt this season (Insiders only). Among the more notable names on the list include Luol Deng (who we recently heard is set to hit free agency next summer), Rajon Rondo, Omer Asik, and Danny Granger.

Eastern Notes: Stevens, Rondo, Copeland, Tyler

September 5th, 2013 at 8:30pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Kyle Draper of CSNNE.com provided an abridged transcript of his one-on-one interview with Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, touching base on how he plans to adjust to the NBA game and the team's roster. In the 13-minute video of the full interview included in the piece, Stevens admits that he's not sure of a timetable on Rajon Rondo's recovery, still needs to learn more about the players, and offered this interesting answer when asked if the offense will be tailored to Rondo in his absence:

"That a very good question. Because what he may do well may not be as good a fit for somebody else. So, do you play that way? Start that way knowing that when he is going to come back we don't know yet, or do we change midstream?"

With that aside, let's take a look at what else is brewing in the Eastern Conference tonight:

Since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery at the beginning of August, Chris Copeland told reporters that his knee is feeling much better and expects to be ready for Pacers training camp at the end of this month (Michael Pointer of IndyStar.com)
As per the Knicks PR Twitter account, it was announced that forward Jeremy Tyler underwent surgery today to repair a stress fracture in his right foot and is expected to be out for eight to ten weeks (Twitter links). ESPN New York's Ian Begley tweets that according to the timetable, it would sideline the 6'10" big man through at least the first week of the regular season.
Bucks general manager John Hammond made it clear that Caron Butler was acquired to be a starter and have a significant role on the team, notes Jim Hoehn of the Associated Press (hat tip to the Star Tribune). Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter) says that head coach Larry Drew lobbied heavily for the team to acquire Butler for the type of positive impact he'd make on the team's young players.