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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Turner, Dolan

March 2nd, 2012 at 5:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers continue to control the Atlantic Division, and Jeremy Lin is still amazing Knicks fans, but most of the talk around the division this week has centered around the Celtics and what they'll do with Rajon Rondo their aging "big three." Here's more on them as well as the other playoff contenders on the Eastern seaboard.

The Hawks have had exploratory talks with the Celtics about Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Hawks are reluctant to move Josh Smith for an expiring deal, so that precludes swapping him for Allen or Garnett. The Celtics wouldn't want to flip either of them for the likes of Marvin Williams, and unless they get quality players with favorable contracts in return, they're inclined to hang on to them for the rest of the season. (All Twitter links)
Wojnarowski also appeared on the Dennis & Callahan show on WEEI radio today, and told the hosts he doesn't see the Celtics trading Rondo. He said the team has been reaching out to other teams to assess his value on the trade market, but not actively shopping him. The Celtics view his contract, which has approximately $35.86MM spread over three years after this season, as favorable, and would only trade him for a major star.
There's no truth to the idea that agent David Falk is pressuring Sixers coach Doug Collins to give client Evan Turner, the second pick in the 2010 draft, more playing time, writes John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Turner has averaged 23.7 MPG in 35 games this year, all of them off the bench.
The emergence of Jeremy Lin and hot second-unit play for the Knicks vindicate James Dolan for pushing hard to trade for Carmelo Anthony last year, observes Moke Hamilton on Sheridan Hoops.

Josh Smith Rumors: Friday

March 2nd, 2012 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

A report this morning suggested the Celtics have interest in acquiring Josh Smith, perhaps in a deal that includes Kevin Garnett. Following up on that rumor, here are the latest Friday updates on Smith, with the newest up top:

The Hawks are getting inquiries on Smith, but Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution says (via Twitter) he hasn't heard anything about the team wanting to move him.
According to Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo! Sports, Smith has wanted a trade for the last year, but the Hawks haven't aggressively tried to move him. Wojnarowski adds that the Hawks spoke to the Timberwolves about a deal involving Smith during last year's draft, and that Atlanta GM Rick Sund has "always been partial" to Ray Allen rather than Garnett (Twitter links).
SI.com's Chris Mannix spoke to rival execs who believe the Hawks would move Smith, but not simply for an expiring contract like Garnett's (Twitter link).

Celtics Rumors: Josh Smith, Garnett, Rondo

March 2nd, 2012 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

Keyon Dooling tells Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com that "switching teams is like switching clothes," and that trades can be a good thing, since you get to "live all across our beautiful country." Dooling's words of wisdom could be relevant for some of his teammates within the next couple weeks. Let's dive in to the latest Celtics-related rumors….

Celtics GM Danny Ainge is pursuing Josh Smith and "other young studs," according to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Lawrence says that Ainge is offering up Kevin Garnett, and that Ray Allen and Paul Pierce could also be had for young talent and draft picks. As intriguing as Garnett's huge expiring contract is, I can't picture the Hawks parting with Smith and another player (for salary purposes) to rent KG for two months.
While teams are calling on Rajon Rondo, the Celtics haven't been overly receptive, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. Given Rondo's talent, age, and contract, Boston would want a franchise player for him, says Mannix (Twitter link).
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe echoes Mannix's sentiment, writing that the Celtics shouldn't and won't trade Rondo for a player like Pau Gasol or Stephen Curry, who wouldn't necessarily advance the rebuilding process.
Sources tell Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald that deals for Gasol or Curry weren't discussed, but that the Celtics would trade Rondo if it meant getting a top-five point guard in return, which I assume goes without saying.
Another source to Murphy: "They’re desperate to (trade Rondo). He’s the only real asset they have. The other guys, the Big Three, aren’t assets at this point…. All I know right now is that if Ainge is calling me right now, I have him over a barrel." With respect to Murphy's source, I have to disagree on the values of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen, who I think plenty of contenders would love to have.

Rajon Rondo Rumors: Thursday

March 1st, 2012 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

As Rajon Rondo rumors heated up yesterday, the Celtics' point guard went out and put up a triple-double on the Bucks, en route to a 102-96 win. Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes that Rondo was happier about the job he did on defense, holding Brandon Jennings to six points on 2-of-11 shooting. While we wait to see if the 26-year-old continues to play at the top of his game amidst trade rumors, let's round up today's Rondo items right here (newest items on top)….

A Celtics source reiterated to NBA.com's David Aldridge that Rondo is not on the trading block, despite the recent surge of interest (link via Twitter).
Appearing on WEEI in Boston, GM Danny Ainge said of Rondo, "I've made zero calls to try to trade him, and I won't" (link via ESPN Boston).
Celtics coach Doc Rivers told Jackie MacMullan of ESPN Boston he's tired of hearing reports suggesting he and Rondo don't get along, or reports that the Celtics are shopping Rondo: "My relationship with Rajon is as strong as it has ever been. Our communication has never been better. I want him here. I can say with almost 100% certainty he will be here with us when the season ends."
Within MacMullan's piece, two GMs who were involved (as potential third teams) in trade talks involving Rondo and Chris Paul in the offseason confirmed they haven't received calls regarding Rondo since then.
Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are drawing more trade interest than Rondo, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
Asked about Rondo's future, Ainge said, "I anticipate him being here for a long time," according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. Ainge added that he isn't actively shopping Rondo, who Ainge says is getting along "better than ever" with Rivers.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe hears from a source that the Celtics are just listening to offers on Rondo, rather than actively trying to dump him. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported yesterday that the Celtics were aggressively shopping Rondo, which echoed an earlier report that suggested Boston was initiating talks involving its point guard. Either way, it's clear the Celtics are at least talking about Rondo with teams.
Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show, Sam Smith of Bulls.com said he thinks GM Danny Ainge will try to make a "big splash" by dealing Rondo, adding that the point guard and Rivers don't get along well (hat tip to CSNNE.com). Broussard expressed a similar sentiment on SportsCenter (via ESPNBoston.com): "[Rondo] has trouble taking constructive criticism and he does clash a lot with Doc Rivers. They know he's a great player. They're not going to just give him away. But they feel like they probably can't rebuild around him because of the problems they do have with clashing with his personality."

Ray Allen Drawing Interest

February 27th, 2012 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

The direction the Celtics will take over the next two and a half weeks is still unknown. If they decide to blow up the roster though, Ray Allen and not Rajon Rondo may be the team's most-coveted trade chip. According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News (via Twitter), Allen has generated more interest than Rondo to date.

While Rondo is the more attractive long-term asset, Allen would require a smaller package and intrigue contenders in need of a shooter. Teams like the Clippers or Timberwolves would probably love to add Allen for a possible playoff run. Plus, the 36-year-old's $10MM salary makes his one of the largest expiring contracts in play this season.

The Celtics have a number of options as March 15th approaches, and it's possible the team hangs onto its veteran players for one more postseason run. Although the team, as constructed, likely isn't a title contender, holding onto its veterans would allow Boston to clear plenty of salary this summer. Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Jermaine O'Neal alone have expiring contracts that total about $38MM.

Daniel Seco of Hoops Rumors examined Allen as a trade candidate two weeks ago.

Coon On Lakers, Rockets, Celtics

February 26th, 2012 at 12:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

Salary cap expert and burgeoning Twitter star Larry Coon unleashed a stream of tweets today on several topics. Here are some of the highlights:

The Lakers are considering a swap with the Blazers for point guard Raymond Felton, who was recently benched. The Lakers would be able to fit Felton's $7.5MM salary in using part of their $8.9MM trade exception acquired in the Lamar Odom deal.
Gilbert Arenas could be the fallback option at point guard if the Lakers don't get Felton or Ramon Sessions from the Cavs.
The Rockets are still hot after Pau Gasol, but their unwillingness to part with Kyle Lowry makes a deal with the Lakers unlikely unless additional teams are involved.
In a rumored deal involving Rajon Rondo and Gasol, the Lakers would seek Brandon Bass instead of Jermaine O'Neal. Rondo, Coon says, is "on the outs" in Boston.
If the Celtics are looking to move Ray Allen, Coon reiterated what he's been saying about the interest the Clippers have in him. Complicating such a move is the health of Allen's son, Walker, who has juvenile diabetes and is accustomed to receiving care in the Boston area. The Clippers are also closing in on signing Bobby Simmons.

Odds & Ends: Bryant, Cap, Allen

February 18th, 2012 at 4:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

Today's matinee between the Clippers and Spurs, two of the top teams in the Western Conference, highlights a light NBA schedule. Here's what's up around the league:

Pau Gasol is averaging a career-low 16.6 PPG, and Kobe Bryant believes trade talk is one reason for the uncharacteristic performance, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times notes.
HoopsWorld's Jason Fleming has a rundown on the available cap space for each team. He notes the Grizzlies, who stand just over the tax line, could get under by making a deal before the March 15th trading deadline. The Kings, meanwhile, must either take on salary to get up to 85% of the cap or distribute that money to their existing players. Fleming has the Pacers in the same boat as the Kings, but James Posey's amnestied $7.6MM salary pushes them above the 85% line.
Salary cap guru Larry Coon sees J.R. Smith declining his $2.5MM option for next season and heading to another team with more money available. Smith already took the more lucrative option on the table this week when he picked the Knicks for this season over the Clippers. (Twitter links)
Coon tweets the Clippers may covet Ray Allen, one of the Celtics cornerstones GM Danny Ainge may be willing to trade, but doubts L.A. has enough assets to get a deal done.
We examined Tyson Chandler's impact as a free-agent signing earlier today. Justin Kubatko of The New York Times takes a closer look at the Knicks center playing in the shadow of Jeremy Lin.
Fellow Times writer Benjamin Hoffman looks at Brandan Wright, who is one of the centers charged with replacing Chandler in Dallas. The scant $1MM investment is paying off for the Mavs, Hoffman writes.
Mark Cuban and James Dolan are owners who like to spend money and meddle with their teams, but the similarities end there, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, who believes the Knicks' Dolan should try to further emulate his Dallas counterpart.
Omri Casspi's numbers are down since the Cavs acquired him via trade last summer, yet Casspi and coach Byron Scott aren't too concerned, notes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets that the team feels it got the better of the deal, which sent J.J. Hickson to the Kings for Casspi and a first-round pick.

Trade Candidate: Ray Allen

February 12th, 2012 at 12:54pm CST by Daniel Seco

While hardly the same player who dominated the league with the SuperSonics for a decade, Ray Allen continues to be a steady starter on a team contending for a playoff spot. But with the Celtics looking at little more than a first-round playoff exit with a 14-12 record, the team must consider breaking up the Big Three in hopes of building for the future. If the team were to entertain trading one of their most prominent players, it would seemingly be Allen's name that would come up the most in trade talks given Kevin Garnett's erratic production and a general unwillingness by the Celtics to deal Paul Pierce.

Both Allen, 36, and Garnett, 35 will become unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2011/2012 season. But with Garnett currently earning $21MM this season, Allen's $10MM becomes more movable even though both players have expiring contracts. Beyond simply acquiring payroll flexibility at the end of the season, Allen would potentially provide a playoff contender with a strong veteran presence who could provide a boost both on and off the court.

Allen has averaged just over 20 PPG in his illustrious career but that number has dropped to 14.8 PPG this season to go with 2.7 APG, a figure close to what he has averaged during his tenure with the Celtics. Taking the 14.8 PPG at face-value would be doing Allen a disservice as a closer look at his numbers reveals a season of increased efficiency. With a 49.2 FG% and shooting over 50% on threes, Allen is well above his career average marks, making the shortened 2011/2012 season one of his finest in a Celtics uniform.

Health would not be a concern for a team acquiring Allen via trade as he has started at least 73 games in each of the past four seasons. After injuries plagued him during his Seattle days, Allen corrected his diet to better fit the demands of playing an 82-game NBA schedule. Thanks to a healthier diet in combination with an improved exercise regimen created in concert with the Celtics training staff, Allen is on path to start in 98% of the Celtics' games for a third consecutive season.

If put on the trade block, many playoff contenders, including the Bulls, would seemingly consider putting together a package for the former UConn Husky. While Richard Hamilton has played at an acceptable level since signing with the Bulls this offseason, his health concerns remain an issue as he has missed more than half of his team's games. At worst, the addition of Allen would give the Bulls one of the deepest backcourts in the NBA and perhaps push for more out of Hamilton once he returns from injury.

The Bulls could offer two young-ish players to the Celtics in return for Allen. According to ESPN's NBA Trade Machine, a trade of Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer for Allen works on paper and would net the Bulls three additional wins. The trade would provide Brewer the opportunity to start for the Celtics and for Korver to provide depth behind Pierce, but would lead to three additional losses for the Celtics.

While adding Allen to the Bulls may put them in prime position to challenge the Heat for the right to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, time remains for the Celtics to better predict the course of their season. At 14-12, a string of wins could quickly lead to the Celtics being buyers rather than sellers come March. Similarly, a weak finish heading into All-Star Weekend could start the chatter about where Allen may finish the season.

Assessing Stocks: Boston Celtics

February 9th, 2012 at 9:56pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

Portfolio Review: There is a difference between a team maxed out at mediocrity, and a championship team that has aged its way there. The Boston Celtics find themselves looking up at the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, but have just enough fight left to compete and perhaps take advantage of the right matchup or injury to make one last run.

On the one hand, Danny Ainge has expressed no fear in blowing this up and rebuilding should the opportunity present itself. On the other, the Celtics gave up all their young assets save for Rajon Rondo in building this team. And years of building on the fringes around the Big Three have left the team bereft of young assets and high picks that teams covet in trades.

Prime assets: Ainge has expressed a willingness to move any of the Big Three. Unfortunately each of them are long past the wrong side of 30 and short of finding a sudden contender holding onto another team's potential lottery pick to deal with–as the Clippers were this summer holding the Timberwolves unprotected pick–most teams with prime young assets aren't going to give away great potential for one or two years of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, or Ray Allen.

Their absolute ceiling might be a return of boom or bust prospects (think Michael Beasley with the Miami Heat) and mid-to-late first round picks.

That leaves Rajon Rondo as the Celtics best trade asset, and the only one capable of returning a sure All-Star. He also remains the Celtics best player. Which means any deal involving Rondo should be made for one last run or at the beginning of a complete teardown of this one-time championship team.

Worthless stock: Just about everything else. From Chris Wilcox to Jermaine O'Neal to Keyon Dooling, the rest of the Celtics rotation is comprised of replacement level players–generic skill sets whose contributions could be matched by plucking younger developmental players with bigger potential. The roster has limited flexibility to improve and the entirety of this season depends on the health and legs of Allen, Garnett, Pierce, and Rondo.

The one exception, diversifying: One trade the Celtics might be able to make without blowing up their playoffs hopes is moving Ray Allen for two rotation players of a lesser quality. Shooting is an easy skill set to find, even if it's not as potent as Allen. And more depth and versatility among the lineup might give the Celtics just enough punch.