Category: .Rumors

Shams: Celtics are ‘going to be aggressive’ in searching for bench upgrades

“They want to see what’s out there in the marketplace in terms of bench depth,” reports Charania.

By now, one of the worst kept secrets in the NBA is that the 20-5 Boston Celtics are looking to fortify their bench rotation despite looking like the best team in the league early in the 2023-24 season.

Adding more smoke to that potential metaphorical fire is The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who previously reported on Boston looking to make moves in a less specific report a few weeks ago. Now, in a recent appearance on the FanDuel “Run It Back” podcast, Charania shared that it is indeed the bench that the Celtics are looking for ways to improve on the trade market.

“They still have assets left over” after their blockbuster deals to bring in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, related the Athletic reporter.

Isaiah Stewart reportedly of ‘great interest’ to the Celtics as a trade target

But is that realistic given Boston’s cap situation?

The Boston Celtics are widely reported to have interest in bolstering their bench ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline, but as a second apron ball club in the league’s new fiscal reality, trading for impactful players will be onerous, and by design.

With that in mind, recent word from The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III that the Celtics, along with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks, “have shown great interest in Isaiah Stewart,” the Detroit Pistons big man Boston was previously tied to in terms of trade interest. But before Celtics fans get too excited about the idea of adding Beef Stew to their bench rotation, doing so after he signed a poison-pill extension would require sending out a core player to pull it off.

That means Boston would have to deal with a player making at least as much as Al Horford’s $10 million salary to land Stewart, who would count as $13 million towards the Celtics’ cap despite making just $5.2 million this season due to the poison pill extension.

And before you ask, it is already too late in the season to bring a player into the Grant Williams traded player exception to then re-aggregate with additional contracts.

Beef Stew may indeed be on the move soon, but it doesn’t look like it will be to Boston, this latest rumbling perhaps tied to previous reported interest from the Celtics rather than anything current — or at least likely to happen.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Scotto: Celtics have ‘kept tabs on’ John Konchar’s situation as a trade target

Konchar could be an attractive, low-cost depth option if Boston is looking for a defensive-minded wing.

While it is not clear how serious the Boston Celtics might be in their interest for Memphis Grizzlies reserve small forward John Konchar. With the Grizzlies currently in a spiral towards the bottom of the standings due to extensive injury, Memphis may well be looking to move on from players it does not see as core parts of their future.

Per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, “Konchar is also a candidate to be dealt before the February trade deadline,” with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors also reportedly having interest in the Purdue-Fort Wayne alum. Currently earning $2.4 million this season and then $6.1 million flat per season over the next three seasons, Konchar could be an attractive, low-cost depth option if Boston is looking for a defensive-minded wing.

But with career averages of 4.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game and 37.1% efficiency from deep, Boston might be able to do better elsewhere at that sort of cap hit.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Boston reunion for Daniel Theis may be out as rumbles of Clipper interest percolate

As with Boston, Theis would likely need the Pacers to buy him out for this to happen.

The Daniel Theis faithful hoping for a potential return of the German big man to the Boston Celtics for a third go-round may soon be heartbroken to hear rumbles that the Salzgitter native is rumored to be close to the buyout Celtics fans were hoping for — but with plans to join a different ball club once bought out.

A “growing belief” has been reported by Fieldhouse Files’ Scott Agness regarding the Los Angeles Clippers planning to add Theis to their roster post-buyout. Agness correctly notes that Theis would likely need a buyout to get to Los Angeles since the Clippers — like Boston — can’t easily deal for the World Cup champ given the state of their cap sheet.

From a fan perspective, seeing that familiar face back in green and white at a position of need may sound attractive.

But, a bigger role on a potential contender that has not already traded one away twice may have an appeal that the Celtics by definition cannot reach (at least regarding the latter point).

This makes decampment to the Clips make all the sense in the world for Theis, especially after word that the German center is out for his current team, the Indiana Pacers, “for personal reasons” of an undisclosed nature.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Woj: Former Celtics center Robert Williams III a ‘target of several teams’ before injury

The team expects him to be fully recovered for the 2024-25 season after undergoing surgery.

Former Boston Celtics and current Portland Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams III will reportedly miss the remainder of the NBA’s 2023-24 season due to undergoing surgery to repair ligament damage in his right knee. That damage was sustained in a recent game against the Memphis Grizzlies facing former teammate Marcus Smart.

That turn of events has several ball clubs who hoped to trade for Timelord looking for other options, however, with ESPN senior writer Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that the Texas A&M alum “had been a target of several teams that hoped the Blazers would consider moving him before the February trade deadline.”

The team expects him to be fully recovered for the 2024-25 season after undergoing surgery, which is scheduled for early in the following week.

While Timelord’s injury may keep other contenders from trading for the former Celtic. such news will not be much consolation for Williams’ former teammates with whom the Louisiana native remains close.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Los Angeles Clippers showing interest in former Celtics center after Mason Plumlee injury

The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly kicking the tires on the notion of trading for former Boston Celtics big man Daniel Theis.

The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly kicking the tires on the notion of trading for former Boston Celtics big man Daniel Theis after learning their backup big man Mason Plumlee may be out injured with a sprained MCL for as long as two months per new reporting from The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Theis, who had a standout performance in World Cup play this summer, had recently been the subject of speculation of being a potential buyout target for Boston should no suitors for the sidelined big man come calling to the Indiana Pacers. But despite Indiana’s lack of playing time for the Salzgitter native this season, Charania’s reporting suggests this already unlikely scenario is even less probable to materialize for a Celtixs reunion.

“One player (the Clippers) they are showing interest in is Pacers big man Daniel Theis,” related the Athletic reporter in a recent video.

“The Pacers are not rushed but open to a potential move with Theis,” said Charania, “as he has yet to play this season (for Indiana) following a standout FIBA World Cup en route to a Gold medal with Germany, averaging 11 points, 5 rebounds and 59% shooting over the summer.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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