NBA Notes: Celtics, Jaylen Brown, Nets, Magic, Alex Morales

Celtics

Jaylen Brown said the Celtics’ success this season has exceeded expectations, particularly after the team was widely viewed as entering a transition year.

Brown told Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog that he remained confident in the roster despite offseason and in-season moves aimed at reducing salary. The Celtics enter the stretch run as the second seed in the Eastern Conference and own one of the league’s five best records.

“Everybody was calling it a gap year,” Brown said. “How do you go from a gap year to top five in the East? That’s a big jump.”

Nets

Despite the league’s increased focus on discouraging tanking, the Nets remain positioned to prioritize lottery standing, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Lewis notes Brooklyn is thinner on proven talent than several other teams in the lottery mix, making draft position critical to its rebuild. The Nets entered the All-Star break one game out of the No. 2 lottery slot.

Among the rookies, Egor Demin has provided steady shooting, hitting a three-pointer in 34 consecutive games, an NBA rookie record. Nolan Traore has averaged 13.1 points and 5.6 assists since Jan. 23.

Magic

The Magic have signed guard Alex Morales to a two-way contract and waived center Orlando Robinson, the team announced.

Morales, 28, has spent most of his professional career with Orlando’s G League affiliate and is earning his first two-way deal after averaging 16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists this season. Robinson appeared in four NBA games for Orlando this year.

Morales’ two-way contract covers two seasons, per Jason Beede of Orlando Sentinel.