Celtics Off-Season News

[radiohead]

It’s so quiet at the Celtics’ front it feels like something big is gonna come up.

[Goldstar88]

“Right after the playoffs was over, (Mazzulla and I) got together, had a couple of phone conversations and he asked me, first of all, if was I interested in coming, joining the staff. I just told him it would be an honor, you know, I even heard from anybody else. It was an opportunity that I was looking forward to and I think Joe is an amazing coach. I’m here to just help them just, you know, to enjoy that. We have a great team and I won’t change his mentality, that’s who he is, but I’m gonna help him enjoy it a little more. That’s all.”

“That’s the only goal,” Cassell said. “It’s ain’t about making conference finals as a member of the Celtics, the coaching staff and the players. It’s all about winning the championship. That’s the tradition in Boston — win the championship. Playing for guys who won previously for us, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Russell, Cousy, Maxwell, the history goes on. It’s about them. That’s the thing that our guys have to understand. It’s a pride thing.”   Bobby Manning @ Celtics Blog

Souichi Terada: C’s coach Sam Cassell: “My voice will be, ‘Hey guys, this is a golden opportunity for us.’ It ain’t easy. I know how it feels to win a championship in Boston. It will make any player, everybody in that organization who was a part of winning a championship — it’s life-changing.”  – via Twitter SouichiTerada

Souichi Terada: New Celtics assistant Sam Cassell: “The time I was in Boston in 2008 was the most fantastic time in my life as a basketball player. … We was a family. We did things together. We coached each other hard.”  – via Twitter SouichiTera

Gary Washburn: New assistant coach Sam Cassell: “The whole main thing is winning Banner 18. That’s the only thing that matters to me. And if it matters to me, I’m gonna make sure it matters to (the players).” #Celtics.  – via Twitter GwashburnGlobe

[radiohead]

It’s good to know that it was Joe who reached out to Sam. I wonder if it’s the same case with Charles Lee?

[obnoxiousmime]

It’s good to know that it was Joe who reached out to Sam. I wonder if it’s the same case with Charles Lee?

I don't know if you can just assume it went down 100% the way he said. I'm sure there were other offers out there and some deliberation before Cassell made his decision. I'm also sure that, even if Joe made the initial call, that Brad still helped a lot with running through candidates with him. I also think Cassell is a savvy enough pro to know to pay deference to Joe in his first media interview.

[Vermont Green]

It’s good to know that it was Joe who reached out to Sam. I wonder if it’s the same case with Charles Lee?

I don't know if you can just assume it went down 100% the way he said. I'm sure there were other offers out there and some deliberation before Cassell made his decision. I'm also sure that, even if Joe made the initial call, that Brad still helped a lot with running through candidates with him. I also think Cassell is a savvy enough pro to know to pay deference to Joe in his first media interview.

I think what is good is that now we have assistants who we know want to be here.  Last season, all the assistants were stuck with a head coach they didn't choose, and may have been passed over when Mazzulla got promoted.  I care less about who reached out or whatever.

[Vermont Green]

With the regular roster pretty well set, +/- a possible TPE trade and/or a vet min pick up, suddenly the remaining 2-way slots are more interesting.  We know Davison is going to be one of them.  I think that is solid.  But we have 2 more and there really is no reason not to fill all 3.  The salary is not taxed and does not count against the second apron limit.

After seeing the work out video on Harry Giles, I am very excited about him.  The rule for eligibility for a 2-way contract is "three or fewer years of NBA service".  Giles is eligible due to a clarified loop hole.  He has been paid for 4 years in the league but missed his entire rookie season, thus only played 3 season.  They are letting that count as 3 years of service.  He to me would be a really good choice.  I am basing that largely on about 3 minutes of video of him practicing, but I am going to go with that.

I wonder if there is any list of players that have played in the NBA but are still eligible for 2-way contracts.  I think they are going to be hot commodities in some cases, with the new CBA rules.  Hoopshype has a tracker that lists all the teams and who they have signed but I am not seeing any way to generate a list of the top rated available players:

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/07/2023-24-nba-two-way-contract-tracker.html

They are showing 48 of the 90 slots filled (as of 8 Jul 2023).  A few more indicated as offers pending.  Still a lot of open slots.

So who should the Celtics get?  Assume Davison and Giles, who are some good candidates for the final slot?  I believe that Udoka Azubuike has played exactly 3 seasons so would be eligible for a 2-way.  Not sure if he would be the "best available" for the 3rd 2-way but he looks to me to be much better than Kabengele.

[otherdave]

Jay Scrubb - if he continues to play last 3 summer games the way he has played the first two.

[Vermont Green]

Going off of another thread discussing our "stashes", I wonder if Juhann Begarin is being considered for a 2-way this season.  It would be another PG type, not the best for diversity, but it would be good to have him over here I think.

[gouki88]

Going off of another thread discussing our "stashes", I wonder if Juhann Begarin is being considered for a 2-way this season.  It would be another PG type, not the best for diversity, but it would be good to have him over here I think.

Begarin is a wing - do you mean Madar, who just signed with Fenerbahce?

[Roy H.]

But Williams, a restricted free agent this summer, believes his departure in a sign-and-trade for second round pick-age was essentially a fait accompli. While the transaction has largely been characterized in a financial frame — the new collective bargaining agreement and the encumbrances that are visited on teams that hit the dreaded second tax apron, he believes there was more to it.


“Yeah, I don’t know if it was fully that,” Williams told Heavy Sports. “The CBA can make it difficult for teams, but it doesn’t PREVENT teams from making the moves they really want to make.”

So does he think that even if the money didn’t matter he could still be de-Celtic-ed?

“Potentially,” Williams said. “I don’t know. It was one of those things where I think both sides just did what’s best for each

[Roy H.]

KP extension is official:

The Boston Celtics have agreed to a contract extension with center/forward Kristaps Porzingis. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed. – via Boston Celtics @ NBA.com

[Vermont Green]

Going off of another thread discussing our "stashes", I wonder if Juhann Begarin is being considered for a 2-way this season.  It would be another PG type, not the best for diversity, but it would be good to have him over here I think.

Begarin is a wing - do you mean Madar, who just signed with Fenerbahce?

Hmmm, I remember him being more of a combo guard.  Maybe he has evolved.  If he is a wing, then fine, bring him over.  Davison, Begarin, and Giles.  Then when Giles gets promoted to the regular roster because he is doing so well, bring in Azubuike

[Celtics2021]

Going off of another thread discussing our "stashes", I wonder if Juhann Begarin is being considered for a 2-way this season.  It would be another PG type, not the best for diversity, but it would be good to have him over here I think.

Begarin is a wing - do you mean Madar, who just signed with Fenerbahce?

Hmmm, I remember him being more of a combo guard.  Maybe he has evolved.  If he is a wing, then fine, bring him over.  Davison, Begarin, and Giles.  Then when Giles gets promoted to the regular roster because he is doing so well, bring in Azubuike

He’s absolutely a wing.  He’s like a very, very, very poor man’s Jaylen Brown.  He also just re-signed a 2-year deal his club in Paris, I think, so next summer would be the earliest.

[Roy H.]

The Grant Williams S&T is complete.

Here is Boston's return as part of the three-team deal with Dallas and the San Antonio Spurs:

The more favorable of the Chicago Bulls' or New Orleans Pelicans' second-round pick in 2024

Dallas’ own 2030 second-round pick

The right to swap a previously-acquired 2025 second-round pick with Dallas' own 2025 second-round pick

[celticsclay]

The Grant Williams S&T is complete.

Here is Boston's return as part of the three-team deal with Dallas and the San Antonio Spurs:

The more favorable of the Chicago Bulls' or New Orleans Pelicans' second-round pick in 2024

Dallas’ own 2030 second-round pick

The right to swap a previously-acquired 2025 second-round pick with Dallas' own 2025 second-round pick

I guess a tiny bit exciting if second rounders have more value in new cba, but if we don’t use the trade exception at all it is just stupid and pointless