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Celtics Notes: Ainge, Thomas, Rozier, Pierce

September 10th, 2017 at 2:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics president Danny Ainge says the decision to include Isaiah Thomas in a package to get Kyrie Irving from Cleveland was “the toughest call I ever had to make,” relays Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Thomas shared his thoughts on the deal in an article this week for The Players Tribune, which Ainge called a “fabulous job.” As a former player, Ainge said he empathizes with the feelings of being sent from one organization to another.

Ainge refused to explain his motivation for the deal, but explained that he is always trying to improve the team. “It’s in everybody’s best interest that I don’t share all the reasons [for the trade],” he said. “But the bottom line is obviously I felt like it was the right thing for our franchise to do. But it’s a deep and complicated process. It’s not as simple as people think it is. … It’s not easy for these office people that become great friends with the players. There’s a reality that I see and that’s what makes any sort of trade challenging. But it’s just part of the world that we live in, but it’s got to be done. You’ve got to do what’s best for the franchise. The franchise is bigger than all of us. Bigger than one individual.”

There’s more out of Boston:

Terry Rozier wasn’t worried about being traded over the offseason, he told Adam Kaufman of 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston. Entering his third season with the Celtics, Rozier is among the most tenured players on the team following this summer’s roster shakeup. He said he concentrates on producing on the court and leaves the personnel decisions to the front office. “The guys up top, their job is to get the team together and our job is to play,” Rozier said. “I’m pretty sure Danny and all our organization who make the decisions will have us ready, put us in the right spot.”
Paul Pierce is ready to end his feud with Ray Allen, according to Adam Reisinger of ESPN. Pierce posted a photo on social media of himself and Allen, who are both serving as coaches for a celebrity basketball game in Shanghai, with a caption that read, “Time to get the band back together.” Allen has been an outcast with many of his former teammates since leaving Boston to sign with the Heat in 2012.

Latest On Kyrie Irving Trade

August 28th, 2017 at 5:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The biggest trade of the NBA offseason remains in flux, as the Cavaliers determine what their next move is after conducting a physical exam on Isaiah Thomas‘ troublesome hip. According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the two teams have until 9:00am central time on Thursday to finalize an agreement on the trade, though they could agree to extend that deadline.

As Kyler explains (Twitter links), the concern from the Cavaliers’ side appears to stem from the Celtics‘ assessment of Thomas’ hip. Boston believed that the veteran point guard wouldn’t require surgery on his hip, but Cavs doctors aren’t as certain about that diagnosis, which is why Cleveland is believed to be seeking further compensation. Still, as of Sunday, the Cavs hadn’t formally asked the C’s for more pieces, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).

Here’s more on the mega-deal as we wait to see if it becomes fully official:

If the Cavaliers fear that Thomas will miss a chunk of the 2017/18 season due to the hip injury, acquiring another asset that could help them improve their point guard depth figures to be a priority, tweets Kyler. Kyler suggests (via Twitter) that adding Terry Rozier to the Irving deal could be one option, but notes that adding another draft pick would also make sense, since that pick could potentially be attached to Iman Shumpert in a separate trade.
Speaking of Shumpert, the Cavs are still looking to trade him, writes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Pluto adds that there’s still not much interest in Shumpert, who will be difficult to move, though Kyler tweets that teams like the Rockets, Mavericks, and Bulls have expressed some interest — it’s not clear if those teams are all still viable trade partners for Cleveland.
Both teams have plenty to lose if they were to void this trade, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, who expects the Celtics and Cavs to find a way to get it done, even if one team is a bit less happy about the outcome. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com also presents five reasons why the deal will eventually be completed.
At least one player involved in the trade apparently anticipates it being finalized. As Vardon details in a Cleveland.com article, Jae Crowder has been photographed wearing Cavaliers gear. Vardon adds (via Twitter) that Crowder took his physical with the Cavs last week and is looking forward to playing for the franchise.

Kyler’s Latest: Bradley, Celtics, Barton, Ariza

August 8th, 2017 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

While Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony have generated the most discussion as trade candidates in recent weeks, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders suggests in his latest piece that there are a number of players entering contract years who could become the subjects of trade rumors over the course of the 2017/18 season. Kyler took a closer look at a few of those players, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

Sources tell Kyler that the Pistons are aware Avery Bradley will be expensive in unrestricted free agency next summer, but will have no problem paying him if he fits in like they hope. As Kyler notes, the Pistons appear more comfortable at this point with a long-term commitment to Bradley than they were with a similar deal for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
While Isaiah Thomas wants to land a maximum salary contract from the Celtics in 2018, Kyler points to Jrue Holiday and Kyle Lowry as point guards who were believed to be max-salary candidates this summer and ultimately settled for a little less. As Kyler observes, with Thomas and Marcus Smart headed for free agency next offseason, and Terry Rozier not far behind, Boston could explore some backcourt trade options before 2018’s trade deadline.
There’s a belief that the Nuggets “can and would” pay Will Barton when he reaches unrestricted free agency next summer, but if Denver ends up making a big trade, Barton could be a prime candidate to be included, says Kyler.
The Rockets‘ stance this offseason has been that Trevor Ariza isn’t available in trades, including to the Knicks in a potential Carmelo Anthony deal, says Kyler.
The Jazz are taking a wait-and-see approach with Derrick Favors, who could become a trade candidate at this season’s deadline, with his free agency looming. Big men with a skill-set like Favors’ haven’t been valued particularly highly in recent years, which is a double-edged sword for Utah — he may not have much trade value, but he also may not be overly expensive if the club wants to re-sign him.

Celtics Notes: Crowder, Morris, Thomas

July 9th, 2017 at 6:58pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics landed Gordon Hayward and Marcus Morris this week but the reigning Eastern Conference No. 1 seed isn’t comfortable yet.

Per a CSN New England report, president Danny Ainge is searching for further moves that can improve their roster this offseason. It’s just a matter of figuring out what those moves might look like.

Initially the report speculated that Ainge could be targeting rebounding, something the Celtics lacked in 2016/17, but the executive noted that he feels young forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum could help in that regard.

Another area that Boston could address is their backup point guard position. That said, the team president also mentioned that he was currently impressed with backup point guard Terry Rozier.

There’s more from Beantown:

The Celtics have no intention of trading Jae Crowder, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets. The forward had been floated as a possible component of a sign-and-trade deal to bring Gordon Hayward to Boston prior to the Avery Bradley deal.
Veteran point guard Isaiah Thomas told CSN New England’s A. Sherrod Blakely that he believes he’s a max contract guy and that the Celtics are aware that they’ll need to bring the Brinks trucks out to retain his services when he becomes a free agent next summer.
Newly added Celtics forward Marcus Morris comes with legal baggage and a CSN New England report breaks down the pending trial that will begin on August 21.
The Celtics wouldn’t have had enough Brinks trucks to retain both Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas, Chris Forsberg of ESPN writes, a harsh reality that led to the trade that sent Bradley to the Pistons.

Celtics Notes: Free Agents, Thomas, Green, George

May 26th, 2017 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Next season’s Celtics may have little resemblance to the group that earned the East’s top seed and reached the conference finals, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Free agents Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko are both very unlikely to be-resigned, according to Deveney. Johnson started 77 games this season, but his role was cut severely in the playoffs. Fellow free agents Gerald Green and James Young will also probably be let go. Kelly Olynyk may be a tougher call as a restricted free agent. The Celtics would like to keep him, Deveney notes, but they aren’t certain to match a large offer. The team would also like to trade center Tyler Zeller, who has one year left on his contract at $8MM, which won’t be guaranteed until July 2nd.

There’s more today out of Boston:

Isaiah Thomas is eligible for an extension this summer, but it’s unlikely to happen, Deveney states in the same story. Thomas has one year left on his deal at the extreme bargain price of about $6.26MM. The most likely scenario, according to Deveney, is that Thomas will play out his current contract, then pursue a max deal starting at more than $30MM per season in 2018, either from the Celtics or another organization. There has been speculation about a possible Thomas trade this summer, but Deveney says the Celtics haven’t talked to anyone about dealing him. Other offseason decisions include possible extensions for Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley, and Deveney notes that Boston can’t afford to invest big money in all three guards.
Executives around the league believe the Celtics will hold on to the No. 1 draft pick and select Markelle Fultz, Deveney adds in the same piece. They will take a year to see how he meshes with Thomas, Bradley and Smart before making any long-term decisions. Kansas forward Josh Jackson is probably the most likely choice if they pass on Fultz, according to Deveney.
At today’s exit interview, Green said he wants to return to the Celtics and help them win a title, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. The 31-year-old played just 47 games during the season, but started seven times in the playoffs.
Al Horford, who signed with the Celtics last summer, believes Boston will be a popular destination for free agents, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “I think it’s gonna be very attractive,” he said. “If you look at our team, the upside and everything, it’s a good time to be a Celtic.”
Boston has the assets to land Paul George in a trade if he refuses to sign a long-term deal with the Pacers, according to Bobby Marks of The Vertical. Marks and Chris Mannix discuss the Celtics’ offseason options in a video on the Vertical website, with Marks saying a trade with Indiana is feasible without including the Nets’ pick for this year or 2018. He suggests a package of Jae Crowder, Terry Rozier, Zeller and the Grizzlies’ 2019 first-rounder may be enough to get a deal done.

Smart To Start In Lieu Of Thomas

May 21st, 2017 at 6:09pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics will have a tough time replacing the injured Isaiah Thomas for the remainder of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Cavaliers but don’t expect interim starter Marcus Smart to shy away from the opportunity.

“Everybody has to step up once again. This is an opportunity for everybody to make a bigger impact on the game,” Smart told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England. “It’s devastating not to have Isaiah. Not just because of his scoring ability, but just because he’s a big part of our team. He’s one of our brothers and he’s down. We understand it. We respect everything that he’s done. But now is the time for everybody else to step up.”

In 15 postseason games for the Celtics so far this season, Smart has averaged 7.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. More important than any statistical contribution, however, is his presence as a disruptive, physical force.

As we wrote yesterday, Thomas has been ruled out for the remainder of the postseason and Blakely shares that the guard will take the next few days to discuss his injury with hip specialists.

Blakely also notes that the absence of Thomas will allow rookie point guard Terry Rozier to see more time on the court, a bittersweet gift for the Ohio native.

Celtics Exercise Marcus Smart’s 2017/18 Option

October 31st, 2016 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have exercised their 2017/18 team options on Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The team’s decision on Rozier had been previously reported, while there was never a question that Smart’s option would be picked up.

Smart, 22, continues to battle a sprained ankle and has yet to make his 2016/17 regular-season debut. In his first two seasons with the Celtics, he averaged 8.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.5 SPG, shooting just 35.7% from the field but providing solid perimeter defense.

Smart will earn about $3.579MM this season, and his $4.538MM salary for 2017/18 will now be fully guaranteed, since the Celtics have picked up his fourth-year option. Assuming Smart remains in Boston, the C’s will have the opportunity to sign him to a rookie-scale extension next offseason. If he doesn’t sign an extension, the former OSU guard will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2018.

With the options for Smart and Rozier exercised, the Celtics still have one decision to make on James Young. The former first-rounder beat out R.J. Hunter to earn the Celtics’ final roster spot, but according to Blakely (via Twitter), he has yet to be informed one way or the other if the club is picking up his fourth-year option. If the C’s decide not to exercise Young’s option, he’ll hit unrestricted free agency in July.

Celtics Notes: Hunter, Horford, Smart, Young

October 30th, 2016 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

When the Celtics waived former first-round pick R.J. Hunter on Monday, they lost their compensation for allowing Doc Rivers to join the Clippers, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. While only Josh Richardson might have been a better choice among available players at No. 28 in last year’s draft, Hunter is still part of an uneven draft record that Boston has produced with its recent wealth of picks. While the Celtics have brought in Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Jaylen Brown, they have misfired with Hunter, Fab Melo, and the trade for JaJuan Johnson. They are also haunted by the 2008 selection of J.R. Giddens ahead of DeAndre Jordan, Mario Chalmers and Goran Dragic.

“Right now, the hardest thing is I like R.J. and we’ve invested time in him,” said Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. “I see Jaylen and Terry [Rozier] and Jordan Mickey and Demetrius Jackson and Abdel Nader, who had a terrific summer with us, and the two kids over in Europe that are playing fantastic right now. The draft is the draft, as we all know. You have some good selections and some that don’t fit and don’t work for you. So I’m not disappointed in that regard at all. I’m glad that we have another [Nets] pick next year and we’ll keep taking our swings and trying to find the right guys.”

There’s more today out of Boston:

ABC/ESPN analyst Mark Jackson believes the Celtics will benefit greatly from the free agent signing of Al Horford, Washburn adds in the same piece. “They did a great job of adding Horford, a big that brought to the table what they did not have — a defensive, tough, hard-nosed leader — and you can see that … already,” Jackson said.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens was happy to see Hunter find a new team so quickly, relays Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. Hunter signed with the Bulls on Wednesday, shortly after clearing waivers. “I think he’s a really good player,” Stevens said. “His ability to shoot the ball and his ability to pass the ball are two great strengths … I don’t know how he fits from a rotation standpoint; that would be a [Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg] question. But he’s certainly a good player that can help any team.”
The Celtics are taking their time with decisions about extensions for Smart, Rozier and James Young, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. The deadline is Monday to pick up the fourth-year guaranteed options for Smart and Young and the third-year option for Rozier. Bulpett believes the team is certain to pick up the $4,438,020 for Smart and the $1,988,520 for Rozier. However, the team is still examining trade options for Young, who would be owed $2,803,507 for 2017/18, and may save that decision until the last minute.

Celtics To Pick Up Terry Rozier’s 2017/18 Option

October 24th, 2016 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics will exercise the third-year option on Terry Rozier‘s rookie contract, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, who tweets that the team will make it official soon. The move will lock in Rozier’s $1.989MM salary for the 2017/18 season.

Rozier, the 16th overall pick in the 2015 draft, played sparingly for the Celtics in his rookie season, averaging 8.0 minutes per contest in 39 games. He saw more action during his 14 games with the D-League’s Maine Red Claws, racking up 19.4 PPG, 8.0 APG, and 6.4 RPG in 33.7 minutes per contest.

When the Celtics do officially announce that they’ve exercised Rozier’s option, they’ll likely announce at least a couple more option decisions. Boston also has fourth-year options for Marcus Smart and James Young to exercise or decline, along with R.J. Hunter‘s third-year option.

Smart’s option will certainly be picked up, but the options for Young and Hunter remain up in the air, since they’re on the roster bubble. The C’s will likely trade or waive one of those two players, then perhaps pick up their option on the other one.

Atlantic Notes: Rose, Yabusele, Celtics, Sixers

October 4th, 2016 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

The federal civil trial involving Knicks point guard Derrick Rose gets underway today, and Adrienne Lawrence of ESPN’s Outside The Lines has the details on what to expect from the case. As Lawrence writes, the trial is expected to take about eight to 10 business days, which would put it on track to be finished before the NBA’s regular season, though it could be delayed or shortened for various reasons.

Rose is currently with the Knicks as they prepare to play a preseason game against Houston, but he’ll head to Los Angeles for the trial tomorrow, per Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter links). The veteran guard said today that he may have to miss a practice or two, and he doesn’t anticipate reaching a settlement with his accuser, according to Berman.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic division:

Guerschon Yabusele, the 16th overall pick in this year’s draft, will play overseas this season rather than joining the Celtics right away, but he got some action stateside this week, as his Shanghai Sharks faced the Rockets in Houston. As Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe details, the Sharks signed Yabusele to a one-year contract that can be worth up to $1.5MM with bonuses, and sold him and the Celtics on their advanced training and sports medicine program. Once the season begins, the Chinese club will send weekly reports to Boston updating the C’s on Yabusele’s performance and his fitness.
As he prepares to enter his second NBA season, point guard Terry Rozier talks to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net about vying for minutes in a crowded Celtics backcourt.
Although the team isn’t viewed as a strong playoff contender, there was an air of excitement surrounding the Sixers this summer, which has been dulled in the wake of Ben Simmons‘ foot injury, writes Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News.