Russell Westbrook

Thunder Sign Russell Westbrook To Extension

August 4th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

2:20pm: The Thunder have officially issued a press release announcing their extension with Westbrook.

“I am grateful to extend my contract with the Thunder and continue to play with the only organization that I have played for and have loved being a part of since I was drafted into the NBA,” Westbrook said in a statement. “I’m really excited about moving forward with this group of guys and continuing to play in front of the best fans in the world.”

7:36am: The Thunder have agreed in principle to a renegotiation and extension with Russell Westbrook, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, who reports that the deal will be signed on Thursday. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical confirms (via Twitter) that Westbrook is flying to Oklahoma City this morning and plans to sign a three-year, $85MM+ deal.

Wojnarowski had reported on Wednesday night that the two sides were in advanced discussions on a new agreement. Per Wojnarowski, the three-year contract will include this season and will feature a player option, so it will essentially keep Westbrook under team control through the 2017/18 campaign. In 2018, he’ll have the opportunity to decline that third-year player option and reach free agency as he becomes eligible for the 10-year-veteran maximum salary.

While veteran extensions generally don’t allow players to maximize their earnings, that’s often not the case when a renegotiation is included. Westbrook had been set to earn a $17,769,374 salary for the 2016/17 season. By renegotiating his deal, the Thunder will use their excess cap room to bump him up to the maximum salary, which is $26,540,100. If Westbrook had waited until he reached free agency in 2017 to sign a new deal, his 2017/18 starting salary would have been a little higher, but he would’ve missed out on this year’s pay increase of nearly $9MM, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors pointed out this week when he broke down Westbrook’s options.

Westbrook’s new contract should work out to be identical to Mike Conley‘s over the next two years, with a salary of $26,540,100 (2016/17), followed by a 7.5% raise to $28,530,608 (2017/18). In a free-agent contract like Conley’s, that $1,990,508 first-year raise would apply to all subsequent seasons as well, but in Westbrook’s case, he’ll get a 7.5% raise on his 2017/18 salary, since that’s the first year of his new extension. That would result in a 2018/19 salary of $30,670,403 and a three-year total of $85,741,111, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders recently explained.

By inking an extension now, Westbrook will give the Thunder a couple years to retool the roster around him in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s departure. As Royce Young of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter), the team may now be less inclined to work out new deals this offseason for extension-eligible players like Steven Adams, Victor Oladipo, and Andre Roberson, since keeping their cap holds on the books next summer would allow the franchise to maximize its 2017 cap room. That approach would be risky in cases where Oklahoma City doesn’t intend to go up to the max though, since those players could sign offer sheets with rival teams if they become restricted free agents.

While it’s still possible that Westbrook departs Oklahoma City in free agency down the road, he’ll be staying with the team longer than many observers expected. When Durant chose to sign with the Warriors, trade speculation immediately began swirling around the star point guard — according to Shelburne (via Twitter), the Thunder received “dozens” of trade calls over the last month, but told potential Westbrook suitors to “chill” while they tried to work out an extension with the 27-year-old.

After Durant’s departure, multiple reports out of OKC indicated that Westbrook may be more motivated than ever to stay with the Thunder, rather than wanting to follow his All-Star teammates out of town. Westbrook’s long-term future with the club may ultimately hinge on how GM Sam Presti and company fortify the roster over the next year or two, but for now, it seems those local reports on Westbrook’s motivation were accurate.

A five-time All-Star, Westbrook saw his scoring average dip to 23.5 PPG in 2015/16 after he led the league with 28.1 PPG in 2014/15. However, he set new career-highs in APG (10.4) and RPG (7.8) last season, and he’s poised for a huge statistical season this coming year, with Durant no longer in the picture.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Community Shootaround: Russell Westbrook

August 4th, 2016 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

After a month of trade speculation, Russell Westbrook shut down that talk earlier today when he signed a brand-new contract extension with the Thunder. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Oklahoma City brass had been prepared to explore the trade market for a package of young players and draft picks if Westbrook had given the team the impression that he was “unenthusiastic” about the future in OKC. However, in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s departure, Westbrook re-committed to the Thunder, forgoing free agency in 2017.

“The idea of running out to find a super team, that isn’t who he is,” a source close to Westbrook told Wojnarowski. “He thought, ‘These are my guys here,’ and he wanted to go to battle with them.”

While Thunder fans – along with GM Sam Presti – can breathe a sigh of relief for now, Westbrook’s “three-year” extension essentially only guarantees him one extra season in Oklahoma City. The first year of the deal is 2016/17, for which he was already under contract, and the third year (2018/19) is a player option, meaning Westbrook could opt out in 2018, when he becomes eligible for a higher maximum salary.

It’s entirely possible that Westbrook intends to re-sign with the Thunder again at that point, but the team certainly can’t take that for granted, and will have to work hard to fortify the roster around Westbrook over the next year or two. Within his column (linked above), Wojnarowski reiterates something he reported in July, writing that OKC has its eye on Blake Griffin, who played his college ball in Oklahoma and can become a free agent in 2017.

With Westbrook locked up, the Thunder would have to make a trade or two – or part ways with one or two of its RFAs-to-be – in order to create room for Griffin, but the cap work certainly wouldn’t be a major roadblock for the team — the bigger challenge would be convincing Griffin to leave Los Angeles to return to Oklahoma City.

Of course, even if signing Griffin isn’t in the cards, there are a number of other avenues – in free agency or on the trade market – that Presti and the front office could explore to upgrade the roster before Westbrook reaches the open market in 2018.

Today’s discussion questions revolve around the future for the Thunder and for Westbrook: Do you expect Westbrook to stay in Oklahoma City beyond 2018? Is this just a temporary reprieve for the Thunder, or is it a sign that Westbrook is committed to the franchise for the long run? What moves do you expect the Thunder to pull off in the next year or two to get back into title contention?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on the future for the Thunder and for Westbrook. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Thunder, Russell Westbrook Discuss Renegotiation, Extension

August 3rd, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Thunder and Thad Foucher of Wasserman Media Group, the agent for Russell Westbrook, are engaged in talks regarding a renegotiation and extension of the guard’s current deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. The talks are centering around an arrangement that would lock up Westbrook through the 2018/19 campaign, Wojnarowski adds. The Vertical’s Bobby Marks had recently noted the possibility that the All-Star and OKC could work out a short-term extension.

No deal has been finalized, notes Wojnarowski, but the momentum is increasing toward the two sides coming to terms on a three-year, $85MM+ arrangement. The proposed contract would include a player option on the third year, which would allow Westbrook to hit unrestricted free agency during the summer of 2018, the scribe relays. The structure of a proposed deal would up Westbrook’s salary for 2016/17 from $17,769,374 to a $26.5MM max salary, per the article. Westbrook would then earn $28.5MM in 2017/18 and $30.6MM in the final season, provided he didn’t opt out.

Westbrook’s scoring average may have dipped a bit in 2015/16, averaging 23.5 per outing after his league-leading 28.1 PPG in 2014/15, but he averaged career highs in both rebounds (7.8) and assists (10.4). It should be noted that Westbrook’s decrease in scoring output was due to Kevin Durant making his return after missing the bulk of the previous season, not due to a decline in performance. Without Durant as a teammate, Westbrook will be a favorite to snag the MVP award, and will be looked upon to carry the franchise in its first campaign without the Slim Reaper.

The Thunder desperately need to lock up Westbrook, especially after losing Durant to the Warriors via free agency this summer. If no extension can be agreed upon, the 27-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, one who will be in extremely high demand around the league. Securing Westbrook will also greatly aid OKC in free agency next summer, since the team can use the guard’s continued presence as a major selling point to prospective free agent targets.

Extension Candidate: Russell Westbrook

August 1st, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant‘s decision to join the Warriors presents All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook with a difficult dilemma. The way the Collective Bargaining Agreement is structured makes Westbrook’s decision even more complex.

In most cases, productive veteran players have little incentive to restructure their current contracts and sign an extension. Not so in Westbrook’s case. The Thunder exercised caution this summer once Durant chose to join forces with the two-time Western Conference champions. Outside of adding Euro Alex Abrines via free agency, they essentially stood pat.

When free agent guard Dion Waiters signed with the Heat, his cap hold disappeared and Oklahoma City had more than enough salary-cap room to offer Westbrook a maximum extension.

Westbrook could elevate his salary for the upcoming season from approximately $17.8MM to $26.5MM. Since these types of extensions are capped at four seasons and include the remaining years on the current deal, Westbrook could sign only through the 2019/20 season. As Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders details, Westbrook would essentially be agreeing to a four-year contract worth nearly $118MM.

The bump in salary for the upcoming season would allow Westbrook to make more money over the next four seasons than he could through unrestricted free agency. With a projected cap of $102MM, Westbrook would make $110.7MM if he re-signed with Oklahoma City as a free agent or $108.2MM if he signed elsewhere.

The flip side is that Westbrook could get two additional years by re-signing with the Thunder via free agency and add another $74MM to his coffers, or one more year and approximately $33MM if he chose to leave Oklahoma City.

Another intriguing scenario, as The Vertical’s Bobby Marks recently pointed out, is that Westbrook could sign a shorter extension with a player opt-out. In that case, Westbrook could become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2018. By virtue of being a 10-year player at that point, his starting salary would be $35MM and the team owning his Bird Rights could pay him upwards of $200MM over five seasons.

Westbrook could sign an extension any time before the end of February, though he’d be leaving money on the table if he waited until after the season started.

So which way is Westbrook leaning? Thunder management probably doesn’t know the answer at this juncture. He reportedly was surprised and upset that Durant didn’t re-sign to continue chasing a championship with him in Oklahoma City. Westbrook has also kept an extremely low profile this offseason, shunning the media and social platforms.

He’s fully aware that the Thunder, as presently constituted, are no longer a serious contender and could struggle to make the playoffs. Oklahoma City made a big trade on draft night, acquiring shooting guard Victor Oladipo in a package that sent power forward Serge Ibaka to Orlando. The Thunder brass felt that Oladipo’s scoring ability could take some pressure off Westbrook and Durant, particularly in the postseason.

Now, Oladipo becomes the Thunder’s No. 2 option behind Westbrook. Center Steven Adams, a solid defender, is probably the third-best player on the team ahead of scoring big Enes Kanter, who had a minus 3-1 Defensive Box Rating last season. The rest of the roster is filled with role players or unproven commodities.

Certainly, there are plenty of teams that would love to add Westbrook, if the price is right and if he’s willing make some type of long-term commitment. The team that acquires him could also offer an extension, but getting something done would likely hinge on opening up enough extra cap space ($8.8MM) to offer him a max contract.

While the Thunder don’t want to lose a superstar without compensation two summers in a row, they would prefer to keep Westbrook. They would have to convince Westbrook that they’d bring in other quality pieces next summer to regain the status of serious title contender. Blake Griffin, an unrestricted free agent next season, reportedly tops their wish list.

If Westbrook balks at an extension, the Thunder would have to shelve their current plan. They would obviously be in a rebuild mode at that point and could accelerate the process by getting the best package available for Westbrook.

The Celtics have long been rumored to be the logical trade partner for Oklahoma City, given their stash of draft picks and renewed status as a playoff team. The Lakers, trying to find some relevance in the post-Kobe Bryant era, could offer young talent, if not the promise of being a contender. Other teams, such as the Timberwolves, could jump into the fray and make a bold move.

Westbrook’s personality may rub some people the wrong way and some may question his leadership but there’s little doubt he’s worth the money. The 27-year-old is in the prime of his career and a triple-double machine. Two seasons ago when Durant was often sidelined by a foot injury, Westbrook led the NBA in scoring at 28.1 points per game while also averaging 7.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists. With a healthy Durant last season, Westbrook’s scoring average dropped to 23.5 but he averaged career highs in rebounds (7.8) and assists (10.4). His Offensive Box Rating was a league-high 8.0 and he’s also an intense defender. He had a career-best 3.7 Defensive Box Rating last season.

If Westbrook remains with the Thunder this season, it’s conceivable he could average a triple-double, or something close to it. He’ll have to carry a heavy burden, something he wasn’t expecting as Durant entered free agency. He’ll have decide whether it’s worth sticking it out with the weakened Thunder by signing an extension, or chase a ring with another franchise as Durant chose to do.

Photo courtesy of Mark D. Smith (USA Today Sports Images).

Western Rumors: Warriors, Galloway, Harden

July 25th, 2016 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Changes at the center spot made to accommodate Kevin Durant‘s contract could lead the Warriors’ downfall, Jonny Auping of RealGM.com opines. The Warriors traded starter Andrew Bogut to the Mavericks and lost Festus Ezeli in free agency while signing Zaza Pachulia and retaining Anderson Varejao. Pachulia put up solid stats with the Mavs last season and is noted for his leadership, but his second-half performance was a disaster, Auping continues. He shot just 52.6% in the restricted area after the All-Star break, making him the team’s biggest offensive liability and essentially played himself out of the rotation by the postseason, Auping notes. And at this stage of his career, Varejao is arguably the worst backup center in the league, according to Auping. The offensive limitations of Pachulia and Varejao will allow opponents to double-team one of the Warriors’ stars and defensively, they offer no rim protection, Auping adds.

In other doings around the Western Conference:

Langston Galloway isn’t sure how the Pelicans will use him in the backcourt, according to John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune. The former Knick, who signed a two-year, 10MM deal with New Orleans, told Reid that coach Alvin Gentry and GM Dell Demps informed him that he could play extensively at both spots. ”So far, getting a chance to meet with Alvin and Dell, we just had a chance to say it’s a great opportunity to work hard and compete at the point guard and off-guard positions,” Galloway said.
Derrick Favors, Russell Westbrook and Paul George are some of the other players eligible to renegotiate their contracts and receive an extension, as James Harden did this month, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders writes. Any team trying to trade for Westbrook, who can hit the free agent market next July, would probably want him to sign an extension before agreeing to a deal, Pincus continues. Harden’s actual salary over the last three years of his extension won’t be determined until the 2017/18 salary cap is announced, as Pincus details while breaking down all the figures.
Durant’s restaurant in Oklahoma City will close and open under a new name, part of the fallout from his decision to join the Warriors, Brianna Bailey of The Oklahoman reports.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Lin, Embiid

July 23rd, 2016 at 9:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics have put major trade talks on hold after today’s flurry of signings, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. So far, the quest to obtain Russell Westbrook or Blake Griffin has made little progress, with the Thunder and Clippers wanting more than Boston is willing to surrender. Instead, the Celtics wrapped up a few smaller moves today, agreeing to terms with free agent swingman Gerald Green and center Tyler Zeller, in addition to deals with second-round picks Demetrius Jackson and Ben Bentil. The Celtics now have 18 players under contract, three over the roster limit. Bulpett expects Bentil to battle in training camp with R.J. Hunter, James Young and John Holland for the last roster spot, with Hunter as the early favorite. That would mean the end in Boston for Young, a 2014 first-round pick whose $1,825,200 salary might be included in any Celtics trade.

There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:

A source confirms, “There is no big deal right now” for the Celtics, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
New Nets point guard Jeremy Lin moved around the league so much because he has yet to find the “perfect” situation, relays Steve Serby of The New York Post. Lin recently signed a three-year deal with Brooklyn, which will be the sixth franchise for the six-year veteran. “And because I’ve been in situations I didn’t want to be in,” Lin explained, “I’ve created and negotiated in terms of free agency a lot of shorter deals that give me the flexibility to leave if I’m not happy with the way things are going.” In a wide-ranging interview, Lin expresses excitement about the future of the Nets and the chance to once again play for new head coach Kenny Atkinson, who tutored Lin when he was an assistant with the Knicks.
Defeating Justin Bieber in an arm-wrestling match may not prove that the Sixers‘ Joel Embiid is ready for the NBA, but that was just part of an active weekend in Los Angeles, writes Rob Tornoe of The Philadelphia Inquirer. More significant was a video of Embiid working out on the court that was posted online this morning by his trainer, Drew Hanlen. Embiid, who sat out his first two NBA seasons with injuries, was cleared for five-on-five play last month.

Latest On Russell Westbrook, Thunder

July 19th, 2016 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

While trade speculation involving Russell Westbrook has been a popular topic of discussion in NBA circles since Kevin Durant left the Thunder for the Warriors, Westbrook has given Oklahoma City no indication that he wants out, writes Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. One source who spoke to Slater described the star point guard as “ticked off” about Durant’s departure and eager for the new challenge of playing without his All-Star teammate.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical paints a similar picture, writing that Westbrook is “a proponent of the young talent” on OKC’s roster, and is ready to lead the team in 2016/17. League sources tell Wojnarowski that teams interested in trading for Westbrook have been informed by the Thunder that he’s not available.

As Wojnarowski details, the Thunder’s decision to rescind Dion Waiters‘ qualifying offer is related to the Westbrook situation as well. Teams under the cap are allowed to renegotiate veteran contracts, and the Thunder are making it a priority to get a renegotiation done with Westbrook. Thad Foucher – Westbrook’s agent – and Thunder GM Sam Presti have been in “regular contact” this month, but Westbrook has yet to commit to renegotiating his contract, which would mean forgoing free agency next summer.

[RELATED: Thunder to sign Alex Abrines]

Teams with the cap room available to do so are allowed to renegotiate veteran contracts if they were signed over three years ago. In Westbrook’s case, a renegotiation would allow him to receive a salary increase up to the maximum assuming OKC has the necessary cap room, and three new years could be added to his contract. For now, with Waiters’ cap hold still on their books, the Thunder are over the cap. But removing Waiters’ cap hold and renouncing their mid-level, bi-annual, and trade exceptions would allow the team to create a chunk of cap space.

If the Thunder can ultimately convince Westbrook to negotiate a new contract before he reaches free agency, it would give the team a chance to recruit one of its top targets in 2017 free agency to pair with the point guard — Wojnarowski identifies Oklahoma native Blake Griffin as a star player being eyed by OKC. Griffin has an early termination option available for 2017/18, meaning he’ll likely hit the open market next summer.

Northwest Notes: Westbrook, Garnett, Gillespie

July 15th, 2016 at 4:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Russell Westbrook hasn’t offered any public comment since Kevin Durant elected to leave Oklahoma City and join the Warriors, notes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Westbrook also hasn’t offered any insight into his own situation, which includes free agency in the summer of 2017. That has led to speculation that the Thunder might consider trading him, rather than losing another important asset with nothing in return. Horne writes that he has been unable to contact Westbrook, either through his agent or the team. The only indications of Westbrook’s thinking are second-hand stories from his basketball camp in which he told a group of youngsters that he plans to stay in Oklahoma City.

There’s more news out of the Northwest Division:

There’s “nothing tangible” yet to reports linking the Celtics to Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, says ESPN’s Chris Broussard (video link). It’s worth stressing that, while Westbrook, Blake Griffin, and the Celtics have been the subjects of trade speculation at the Las Vegas Summer League, much of that speculation is coming from rival general managers and execs — not from sources within the Celtics or Thunder, or from specific player agents.
When the Thunder sent Serge Ibaka to the Magic for three players, Ersan Ilyasova was viewed as almost an afterthought, included in the deal to make the salaries work. However, as Horne writes for The Oklahoman, Ilyasova – whose salary is now guaranteed – could potentially come in and start for OKC.
Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau tells Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) that he’s waiting to hear from Kevin Garnett on whether or not he’ll play next season. “The great ones deserve time,” Thibodeau said of Garnett, who has one year and $8MM left on his contract with Minnesota.
Nuggets assistant coach Noel Gillespie is close to a deal that would make him the head coach of the Hornets‘ new D-League affiliate, tweets The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Gillespie has been part of Denver’s staff for the past two seasons.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Heat Notes: Butler, Chalmers, Westbrook, Weber

July 15th, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat president Pat Riley reached out to Caron Butler‘s agent, but the team opted for younger players in its flurry of signings last Sunday, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Riley’s initial call came before Dwyane Wade decided to join the Bulls, Jackson reports, and he hasn’t called since. The Kings waived the 36-year-old Butler last week. He spent one season in Sacramento and appeared in just 17 games.

There’s more news today out of Miami:

Riley also decided not to pursue Mario Chalmers, Jackson writes in the same piece. Chalmers spent seven full seasons with the Heat before being traded to Memphis in November for luxury tax relief. He ruptured his right Achilles tendon in March and was subsequently waived by the Grizzlies. Jackson says the Heat were concerned not only about the injury, but about how Chalmers would respond to reduced playing time as a backup for Goran Dragic.
Miami would be taking a major risk by trying to trade for Russell Westbrook this season, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. There has been speculation that the Thunder point guard might be available because of his looming free agency next summer and the loss of Kevin Durant, but Winderman argues that the assets the Heat would have to give up in such a deal would make it less likely Westbrook would re-sign. The writer says Oklahoma City would want Dragic and Justise Winslow, which would create two big holes in Miami’s roster. Winderman doesn’t think Riley would consider that deal unless he was assured that Westbrook would stay in Miami past the 2016/17 season.
Briante Weber‘s aggressive defense may make him a valuable part of the rotation next season, according to Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. Weber, who suffered a serious right knee injury as a senior at Virginia Commonwealth, spent most of this season with Miami’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The Heat briefly lost Weber in March when the Grizzlies signed him to a 10-day contract, but he returned to the D-League when that expired and joined Miami’s roster just before the playoffs. After playing just one game for the Heat — and seven total — during his rookie season, Weber has been making an impression in Summer League play. “He’s getting better and better at being our floor leader,” said Heat Summer League coach Juwan Howard. “They’re trying to get into him and make him uncomfortable with ball pressure and picking him up full-court, but Bri’s done an excellent job making decisions. At times he’s overly aggressive, but that’s his nature. I trust him.”

Celtics Rumors: Griffin, Westbrook, Budinger

July 14th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

A Wednesday report from Howard Beck of Bleacher Report suggested that rival general managers around the NBA viewed the Celtics as the biggest threat to acquire Russell Westbrook. Those GMs also believed that Thunder GM Sam Presti would be inclined to move Westbrook sooner rather than later if Presti feels that the star point guard is likely to leave in free agency next summer.

As I pointed out when I passed along that report, however, there has been no indication yet that the Thunder are actively exploring a Westbrook deal. Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes today that Westbrook’s representatives haven’t received word of any trade talks, and they’d almost certainly be involved in that process — after all, any team acquiring the Thunder star would want to talk to his reps about whether he’d be willing to sign up for a long-term stay with that new team.

As Deveney notes, that doesn’t necessarily rule out an eventual Westbrook trade to Boston, but it probably means that the Celtics haven’t gotten serious about targeting him to this point.

Here’s more from Deveney on the Celtics:

The consensus among front-office executives at the Summer League in Las Vegas is that the Celtics will attempt to make a major deal soon, says Deveney.
Boston’s top trade target at this point appears to be Blake Griffin. According to Deveney, a three-way scenario has emerged that would involve the Celtics giving up picks in a deal to acquire Griffin, with the Kings getting involved and sending Rudy Gay to the Clippers. However, opposing front-office execs say the C’s are reluctant to give up their 2018 Nets first-round pick or their swap rights to Brooklyn’s 2017 pick.
If the Clippers do move Griffin in a deal with the Celtics or another team, they’d want to land draft picks and a “frontline star” to keep them in contention, per Deveney. I’m not sure Gay would qualify as that sort of “star,” but perhaps Doc Rivers feels differently.
According to Deveney, several front-office members around the NBA continue to bring up Kevin Love as a Celtics target, even though none of those execs believe that the Cavaliers will be inclined to move Love.
Deveney adds (via Twitter) that the Celtics continue to look for shooting help, and have reached out to veteran free agent Chase Budinger.
Meanwhile, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald hears from sources that, while the Celtics have expressed interest in Westbrook and Griffin in the past, there have been no recent trade discussions involving either player. However, he acknowledges that Boston remains “very much open” to a major deal, and says situations remain fluid.

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