Hoops Wire

Category: Celtics

Latest Boston Celtics Rumors and News.

  • Celtics to Sign Nathan Knight to Two-Way Contract

    Celtics to Sign Nathan Knight to Two-Way Contract

    The Celtics intend to sign center/forward Nathan Knight to a two-way contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.Nathan Knight

    Knight, 26, is 6-foot-10 and was waived by the Knicks late last week. He signed a two-way deal with New York over the summer. He spent the past two seasons with the Timberwolves, averaging 3.7 points each time. 

    Overall, he has appeared in 108 games over three seasons with the Wolves and Hawks, averaging 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds.

    Boston actually has four players on two-way contracts, so it will have to make a move. That is likely to come with the waiving of shooting guard Jay Scrubb, who suffered a torn ACL.

    The other two-way slots have been filled by shooting guard JD Davison and center Neemias Queta.

  • Celtics Waiving Wenyen Gabriel

    Celtics Waiving Wenyen Gabriel

    The Celtics intend to waive forward/center Wenyen Gabriel from their preseason roster, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.Wenyen Gabriel

    Gabriel was on an Exhibit 9 contract, meaning he received no guarantees to make the team and is not likely headed to the Maine Celtics of the G League. Or if he is, he won’t be eligible for a bonus.

    Gabriel, 26, spent last season with the Lakers and at times offered some underrated and valuable minutes. In 68 appearances, he averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds. 

    He is a native of Khartoum, Sudan and has also spent time with the Clippers, Nets, Trail Blazers and Kings since entering the NBA out of Kentucky in 2019. 

    The Celtics are looking to fill the void at the center position after they traded Robert Williams to the Trail Blazers as part of the deal for guard Jrue Holiday. 

    They currently have 10 players on regular guaranteed contracts, with Lamar Stevens, Luke Kornet, Svi Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals. Also, DJ Steward is on an Exhibit 10 deal.

  • NBA Notes: Mavs, Luka Doncic, Celtics, Derrick White, Pelicans

    NBA Notes: Mavs, Luka Doncic, Celtics, Derrick White, Pelicans

    Mavericks

    Star guard Luka Doncic is expected to miss the Mavericks’ preseason finale with a mild left calf strain, coach Jason Kidd told reporters.

    Kidd added that Doncic “will be reevaluated later this week.”

    Meanwhile, Marc Stein of The Stein Line suggested the Mavs don’t suspect the injury is serious and the team is “optimistic” Doncic will be good to go for the season opener on Oct. 25.

    • In case you missed it, Dallas has signed guard Taze Moore to its preseason roster. We have that full post here.

    Celtics

    The Celtics and guard Derrick White have been discussing a contract extension in recent weeks, per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.

    The sides have a week to decide, and it may take that long. Since White has two seasons remaining on his current contract, he can only be extended through the end of the offseason.

    One thing’s for certain — he may become more important this season, as the Celtics traded away both Marcus Smart (Grizzlies) and Malcolm Brogdon (Trail Blazers).

    • New senior consultant Jeff Van Gundy was spotted at practice on Monday, talking with team president Brad Stevens. (Picture via Souchi Terada.) We have more on Van Gundy’s arrival and coach Joe Mazzulla‘s thoughts here.

    Pelicans

    • The Pelicans have waived Landers Nolley II and signed guard Izaiah Brockington, the team announced in a press release.
    • Brockington is getting a second chance with the Pelicans — and G League’s Birmingham Squadron — after being forced to sit out last season with a torn ACL. He played for New Orleans in Summer League in July.
    • Nolley went undrafted out of Cincinnati this past summer. He too is likely headed to Birmingham.
  • Joe Mazzulla on Celtics’ Jeff Van Gundy Hire: Fortunate That He’s Here

    Joe Mazzulla on Celtics’ Jeff Van Gundy Hire: Fortunate That He’s Here

    Coach Joe Mazzulla made it clear he’s in favor of the hire of Jeff Van Gundy as Celtics senior basketball consultant.Joe Mazzulla

    “Anytime you can add like high-character, high-level, professional people, I think it’s a no-brainer,” Mazzulla said, via Souichi Terada of MassLive. “Fortunate enough that he’s here, not just for the coaching staff, but for everybody and he’s been through every imaginable situation in the NBA, in coaching, FIBA, NBA and so we’re just lucky to have him. And he’s a great listener and a great worker. So he’s added a lot of value, even in the first couple of weeks.”

    Mazzulla said Van Gundy — who spent the past 16 years as an ESPN in-game analyst — will offer the Celtics a “bird’s eye view” of what’s taking place on the court. Mazulla also intends to ask for Van Gundy’s regular input.

    “Try to run a lot of stuff by him,” Mazzulla said. “It’s good to get a guy who hasn’t been here before that can kind of have an unbiased opinion as to where he thinks things are, and where they need to go. And so he’s kind of like a fresh set of eyes because he’s not around all the time. And he’s looking at it from an unbiased position, which kind of gives us an advantage because you kind of see it in a different perspective.”

    As a head coach, Van Gundy led the Knicks to the 1999 Finals, where they lost to the Spurs. He compiled a 430-318 record in 11 seasons as a coach of the Knicks and Rockets overall.

  • Celtics Hire Jeff Van Gundy as Senior Consultant

    Celtics Hire Jeff Van Gundy as Senior Consultant

    The Boston Celtics are making a splash this offseason, as they acquired Kristaps Porzingis as well as Jrue Holiday, and now Jeff Van Gundy will join the Celtics organization to be a senior consultant for the 2023-2024 season, according to team sources.

    Known for his persona as an opinionated announcer at ESPN, Van Gundy has quite a resume and reputation in the NBA. During his career as a head coach of the Knicks and Rockets from 1996-2007, he compiled a 430-318 record and led the Knicks to a Finals appearance in 1999.

    Then from 2007-23, Van Gundy appeared on air at ESPN commentating for 16 consecutive Finals, as he contributed analysis and some bold opinions alongside Mark Jackson and play-by-play announcer Mike Breen.

    Now, after falling victim to the summer ESPN layoffs in June, Van Gundy will join the basketball operations department of the Celtics, as he will reportedly travel between Boston and Maine to work with the Celtics’ G-League affiliate Maine Red Claws. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and the rest of the coaching staff will look forward to working with Van Gundy.

    “Anytime you can add high-character, professional people, I think it’s a no-brainer,” Mazzulla said at practice Saturday. “Fortunate enough that he’s here, not just for the coaching staff, but everybody.”

    To mention, Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown have been coached by Van Gundy during the 2019 FIBA World Cup. In addition, Van Gundy was the head coach for the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup Tournament, as well as the assistant coach at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

  • East Notes: Knicks, RJ Barrett, Sixers, James Harden, Celtics

    East Notes: Knicks, RJ Barrett, Sixers, James Harden, Celtics

    Knicks

    Guard/forward RJ Barrett suggested the Knicks can’t be worried about what outsiders think or are predicting for the season.

    “I think we’re still always going to be doubted and overlooked regardless,” Barrett said, via Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “That’s not really what’s important. We want to win. People can say we’re the greatest team ever or we’re the worst team ever, we’re trying to win. It doesn’t really matter what anybody else says except the people that are in there fighting together and working together every day. … We know the expectations we have of ourselves and we kind of work to that standard every day.”

    • Coach Tom Thibodeau said he’s not too worried about a GM poll that predicted the Knicks will finish fifth in the Eastern Conference. “Yeah, I put a lot of stock in that,” he joked, via Braziller.

    76ers

     

    Coach Nick Nurse wasn’t real pleased with how things went in a preseason loss to the Celtics on Wednesday — despite the fact many big names did not play for either side.

    “A night where we didn’t look very good,” Nurse said, via Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “… That was more what I thought would happen the first [game] with the offense, and it kind of got to us tonight with a few lineup changes.”

    • Center Joel Embiid and guard James Harden are healthy, but neither has suited up for the Sixers’ first two preseason games. Nurse would not say if either will play in the next, Monday at Brooklyn.
    • The Sixers are not close on anything resembling a trade when it comes to Harden, league sources told Hoops Wire. The situation remains in limbo.

    Celtics

    Guard Payton Pritchard said he hopes to offer several aspects to the Celtics this season — and not just outside shooting.

    “Obviously I can be able to stretch the floor out and be able to maybe hit 3s and stuff like that, but I really try to hang my hat on the energy plays and picking up and little things like that to change the game,” Pritchard said, via Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com. “Obviously we’ve got unbelievable players, so scoring is not something we necessarily need. So I’ve gotta find ways to always affect the game.”

    • Pritchard also addressed his recent contract extension. “It feels really good,” he said. “Just to be secure, lock it in and be a part of a great organization, a great city. Obviously, I think this is the best basketball organization and city in the NBA.”
  • NBA GMs: Bucks, Celtics Make NBA’s Best Offseason Moves

    NBA GMs: Bucks, Celtics Make NBA’s Best Offseason Moves

    The Bucks and Celtics are the offseason’s two big winners, according to a survey of NBA general managers, conducted annually by John Schuhmann of NBA.com. Damian Lillard speaks with his Bucks teammates.

    That’s not surprising, given that the Bucks added Damian Lillard and the Celtics added Kristaps Porzingis and former Milwaukee guard Jrue Holiday. 

    The Bucks and Celtics each received 23 percent of the votes when it came to what teams made the best offseason moves, tying for first. Interestingly, the Trail Blazers — who traded Lillard and Holiday — finished third.

    The Lakers (13 percent) finished fourth, followed by the Mavericks and Rockets (7 percent).

    Other winners in the GM poll:

    • Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is favored to win NBA MVP, followed by Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
    • Lillard is projected to make the biggest impact with a new team, followed by Holiday and Bradley Beal with the Suns, respectively.
    • Former Celtics guard Marcus Smart, now of the Grizzlies, was voted as the most underrated offseason acquisition. Another former Celtic, forward Grant Williams of the Mavs, finished second.
    • The Thunder were voted as the likeliest most improved team, followed by the Rockets.
    • Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, followed by Blazers guard Scoot Henderson and Thunder forward/center Chet Holmgren.

    Check out the full NBA general managers survey at this link.

  • Kristaps Porzingis: Fitting in With Celtics ‘Super Easy’

    Kristaps Porzingis: Fitting in With Celtics ‘Super Easy’

    It’s been a case of so far, so good for Kristaps Porzingis with the Celtics.Kristaps Porzingis

    He scored 17 points in the preseason opener and displayed a decent two-man game with Jayson Tatum, as relayed by Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.

    Porzingis arrived in a three-way trade with the Wizards and Grizzlies, with the idea that his length and outside shooting would be a nice complement to Tatum, Jaylen Brown and now newcomer Jrue Holiday.

    “It’s super easy, honestly,” Porzingis said of the transition, via Himmeslbach. “Those guys are so talented. Jayson draws so much attention that it opens things up for me and that’s a perfect scenario for me.

    “So I’m looking forward to more of those two-man, three-man actions where it’s really hard to guard, because we don’t even know what we’re going to do. We’re freestyling it and playing off of each other. So it has to be pretty impossible for the other team to understand what’s going to happen.”

    Thanks to the new additions, the Celtics are right up there with the Bucks as Eastern Conference frontrunners (on paper). For Boston, it’s nice to see it’s already working out on the court.

  • East Notes: Heat, Tyler Herro, Hawks, Celtics

    East Notes: Heat, Tyler Herro, Hawks, Celtics

    Heat

    Guard Tyler Herro was the subject of multiple trade rumors but remains with the Heat, and suggested he wasn’t bothered by any of it.

    “It’s funny, but everyone has their opinion,” he told Couper Moorhead of Heat.com. “The only people that really know are the ones in the front offices making the trades and ultimately deciding whose value is what. I feel like I’m pretty damn valuable. I don’t know. I feel like I’m valuable as hell. At the end of the day, I’m going to show that this season and hopefully by the end of the season I’m going to be in the same boat as (Bam Adebayo).”

    • Coach Erik Spoelstra has been non-committal on a starter at point guard. “(Kyle Lowry) is one of the great quarterbacks and quarterback minds in this league and he’s critical to what we do,” Spoelstra said. “(Josh Richardson) has been playing some there, just trying to get him re-acclimated to a little more of the role that he played with us previously. And Dru Smith is quietly or not so quietly had a very good camp. He’s improved considerably.”

    Hawks

    The Hawks are hopeful center Onyeka Okongwu can expand his offensive game this season, coach Quin Snyder told reporters.

     “Some of the things that he’s working on whether it’s a corner three or dribble handoff, taking the ball and driving, there’s some situations he’s in, they’re new to him, but he’s also very capable in those situations,” Snyder said, via Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I mean, when you see him, drive baseline, throw a left-hand pass along the baseline, he can do that stuff. It’s just got to become instinctive and that takes time but he’s putting in the work.” 

    • Atlanta will need to replace the traded John Collins at power forward. We have more on that here.

    Celtics

    After landing the likes of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, and signing Jaylen Brown to a contract extension, the Celtics are projected to be over the second tax apron for years to come.

    But they don’t seem too worried about it, team owner Wyc Grousbeck suggested, via to Souchi Terada of MassLive.com.

    “We haven’t blinked at all,” Grousbeck said. “I was part of the committee that put the aprons in place with the players committee and we’re aware of all that. We’re going to be over the second (apron), I believe, and paying those penalties and that’s the way life is. But it’s designed also we can have more competition in the league, and we’re fine with competition, as long as we win.”

    • The one-year contracts for both center/forward Wenyen Gabriel and Lamar Stevens are non-guaranteed, per reports. So both have shot at making the team, but their spots aren’t for certain.
  • Celtics Announce Signing of Wenyen Gabriel

    Celtics Announce Signing of Wenyen Gabriel

    The Celtics have officially signed center/forward Wenyen Gabriel, the team revealed in a press release.Wenyen Gabriel

    Gabriel, 26, spent last season with the Lakers and at times offered some underrated and valuable minutes. In 68 appearances, he averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds. In Boston, he will get every opportunity to fill the void left by Williams, sent to the Trail Blazers as part of the deal for veteran guard Jrue Holiday.

    Gabriel has also spent time with the Clippers, Nets, Trail Blazers and Kings since entering the NBA out of Kentucky in 2019. He is a native of Khartoum, Sudan.

    Terms of the contract weren’t released, though the deal is likely for one year at the veteran’s minimum.

    Gabriel is aiming to become a regular part of a big man rotation that also includes Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, and potentially Oshae Brissett, Lamar Stevens and Luke Kornet.

  • Celtics Finalizing Contract With Wenyen Gabriel

    Celtics Finalizing Contract With Wenyen Gabriel

    The Celtics may need some help in the middle after trading away Robert Williams, and apparently, they’re trying to at least get a little.Wenyen Gabriel

    Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Boston is finalizing a deal to bring in free agent center Wenyen Gabriel.

    Gabriel, 26, spent last season with the Lakers and at times offered some underrated and valuable minutes. In 68 appearances, he averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds. In Boston, he will get every opportunity to fill the void left by Williams, sent to the Trail Blazers as part of the deal for veteran guard Jrue Holiday.

    Gabriel has also spent time with the Clippers, Nets, Trail Blazers and Kings since entering the NBA out of Kentucky in 2019. He is a native of Khartoum, Sudan.

  • Celtics, Blazers Announce Jrue Holiday Trade

    Celtics, Blazers Announce Jrue Holiday Trade

    The Celtics and Trail Blazers have officially announced a trade that sent point guard Jrue Holiday to Boston.Jrue Holiday drives by Kyle Lowry

    In return, the Blazers received center Robert Williams, guard Malcolm Brogdon, a 2024 first-round pick (via Golden State) and a 2029 first-round pick from the Celtics.

    As we relayed here, the Blazers could look to move Brogdon as they shift toward focusing on youth in the backcourt.

    The Trail Blazers, of course, just acquired Holiday from the Bucks as part of the three-team Damian Lillard trade.

    Holiday, 33, appeared in 67 games last season with the Bucks, averaging 19.3 points, 7.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds shooting 48 percent from the field and 38 percent on 3-pointers.

    He joins a Celtics squad that features All-Star wins Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, as well as newcomer Kristaps Porzingis.

    Meanwhile, the Blazers now have the best one-two punch at center in the entire NBA, with Williams and Deandre Ayton.

  • Celtics Acquiring Jrue Holiday; Sending Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams to Blazers

    Celtics Acquiring Jrue Holiday; Sending Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams to Blazers

    The Celtics are acquiring guard Jrue Holiday in a trade with the Trail Blazers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.Jrue Holiday drives by Kyle Lowry

    In exchange, Boston will send center Robert Williams, guard Malcolm Brogdon, and multiple picks, back to Portland.

    The Trail Blazers, of course, just acquired Holiday from the Bucks as part of the three-team Damian Lillard trade.

    Along with Brogdon and Williams, the Blazers are landing two first-round picks from the Celtics — a 2024 first-rounder (via the Warriors) and the Celtics’ 2029 first-rounder.

    Holiday, 33, appeared in 67 games last season with the Bucks, averaging 19.3 points, 7.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds shooting 48 percent from the field and 38 percent on 3-pointers.

    Hoops Wire will have more on this story as the news becomes available.

  • Celtics Waive Jordan Schakel, Taylor Funk, Brandon Slater

    Celtics Waive Jordan Schakel, Taylor Funk, Brandon Slater

    The Celtics have waived guard Jordan Schakel, and forwards Taylor Funk and Brandon Slater, according to the NBA transactions log.Jordan Schakel

    All three players are likely headed to the Main Celtics of the G League, where they will be eligible for a $75,000 bonus should they remain with the franchise for 60 days.

    Schakel, 25, is 6-foot-6 and went undrafted out of San Diego State. He has spent most of his pro career in the G League, most recently with the Santa Cruz Warriors after a trade with the Capital City Go-Go in November. He has appeared in four NBA games, all with the Wizards.

    Funk, 25, is 6-8 and went undrafted out of Utah State in 2023. He spent the offseason with the Heat in the NBA Summer League, appearing in four games.

    Slater, 24, is 6-7 and went undrafted out of Villanova this past summer.

    “Much like Funk and Schakel, Slater is an older (24) and rangy, long wing able to defend, but has faults in his game that led the Virginia native to go undrafted out of Villanova in 2023,’ wrote Justin Quinn of Celtics Wire. “Unlike them, his shot from deep needs work.”