NBA Rumors: Celtics, Nikola Vucevic, Knicks, Landry Shamet, Nets

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, league observers consider it highly likely that Vucevic changes addresses again this offseason after finishing the season with the Celtics.

Boston acquired Vucevic from the Bulls at the trade deadline, hoping the former two-time All-Star could provide another experienced frontcourt option for a championship run.

Things never fully clicked.

Vucevic initially carved out a meaningful role in the rotation before suffering a fractured finger that sidelined him for much of the stretch run. He returned late in the regular season but never regained a consistent spot during the playoffs.

Now 35, Vucevic is headed toward unrestricted free agency. While his production dipped after arriving in Boston, several teams around the league are expected to have interest in a proven big man who can still rebound, score on the block and stretch the floor.

Whether that future includes a return to Boston remains uncertain.

Knicks

Landry Shamet may have played his way into a nice raise.

Per Stein, rival teams are already preparing to pursue the Knicks guard once free agency opens.

Shamet spent much of the postseason proving his value as a floor spacer and dependable reserve, connecting on 39.2 percent of his three-point attempts during the regular season before helping New York reach the NBA Finals.

The Knicks hold Early Bird rights on Shamet and will have the ability to offer more than outside teams. The challenge, however, is financial.

New York is already operating deep in luxury-tax territory, and bringing back key role players could push the club even further into apron restrictions.

Nets

The Nets continue their pre-draft homework.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, projected lottery prospects Karim Lopez and Nate Ament are scheduled to work out for Brooklyn.

Lopez, a standout from the New Zealand Breakers, and Ament, a highly regarded forward from Tennessee, are both viewed as potential top-10 selections.

Brooklyn owns the No. 6 overall pick, though most draft projections currently have both players coming off the board later in the lottery.

As always, workout season can be as much about gathering information as signaling intentions. The Nets appear to be doing plenty of both.