some news on back up bigs

Chris Kirschner: Not surprising, but the Hawks will officially not extend qualifying offers to DeAndre’ Bembry, Skal Labissiere, Damian Jones and Charlie Brown Jr. They will be unrestricted free agents.


Jones has size but if GA gave him away to Atlanta and the Hawks are letting him walk there probably isn't much there


Dallas Mavericks center Willie Cauley-Stein will decline his $2.28 million player option, as expected, and become an unrestricted free agent, league sources told HoopsHype.

probably a MLE type of deal I guess


what am I thinking, never mind Ainge don't want no big men he has Grant

I'm thinking we need to make a run at Charlie Brown, Jr.

Word is he can be signed for peanuts.

Sorry.

NYCelt wrote:I'm thinking we need to make a run at Charlie Brown, Jr.

Word is he can be signed for peanuts.

Sorry.

If you look for Chuck too long, people may accuse you of being a little Snoopy.

Chris Iseman: Knicks make it official: Wayne Ellington, Elfrid Payton, Kenny Wooten and Taj Gibson have all been waived. They’re not exercising team options on Theo Pinson and Bobby Portis. – via Twitter ChrisIseman


hey, beggars can't be choosers and Ainge is a beggin' now

Elfrid Payton. Isn't he the one who once sported a unique hair style that Rosalie just loves?

yes it is the one and only, but he changed his doo

kdp59 wrote:Chris Iseman: Knicks make it official: Wayne Ellington, Elfrid Payton, Kenny Wooten and Taj Gibson have all been waived. They’re not exercising team options on Theo Pinson and Bobby Portis. – via Twitter ChrisIseman


hey, beggars can't be choosers and Ainge is a beggin' now

Kdp,

Taj Gibson is a very reliable, solid veteran. He's 35 years old, and I haven't watched him play recently so I don't know how much he has left in the tank, but he'd fix our veteran leadership off the bench and need for beef void. He's not a scorer but we don't need him to do that. We need a physical defender and rebounder and he does that very well. He's always been a solid offensive rebounder, which is music to me.

Bobby Portis has always been a thorn in our side, he always seems to love playing us. That is not a good reason to sign him, but it shows he does have game. His mental state, however, is a red flag. He got suspended by Chicago because of a practice altercation with Mirotic. The story is Mirotic charged Portis and Portis punched him in the face, causing a concussion (which the NBA takes very seriously) and multiple facial fractures. Good news, bad news. Good news, he doesn't back down and is strong. Bad news, you're not supposed to punch anybody, especially your teammate who was having a good season and whose spot on the roster was more secure than yours.

2 more hours before we know about Hayward and Kanter's decisions. They will significantly help to dispel some of the fog of this war.


Bob


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Payton is just one of many vet PG's who are looking for jobs. Many will be taking one year vet minimum deals, which makes the drafting of Pritchard in the first round a head scratcher.

Obviously Ainge must feel he has upside as an NBA player.

kdp59 wrote:Payton is just one of many vet PG's who are looking for jobs. Many will be taking one year vet minimum deals, which makes the drafting of Pritchard in the first round a head scratcher.

Obviously Ainge must feel he has upside as an NBA player.

kdp,

First of all we're talking about 20/20 hindsight.  Danny didn't, and couldn't have known Payton was going to be waived before the draft.  Secondly, and thank you DBoss for educating me about this, our Payton is a First Team All-American.  That says something, that's some pedigree.


Bob


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here another one, Ainge might even like him


Suns make Frank Kaminsky unrestricted free agent

Adrian Wojnarowski: The Phoenix Suns are declining the $5.2M team option on Frank Kaminsky, making him an unrestricted free agent, source tells ESPN. – via Twitter wojespn

Frank the Tank

I saw Frank in Charlotte one night vs. the Celtics. He was wearing the man bun during the first half and sucked. He came out at half time without the man bun. It didn't change things, we still won.

Pro athletes are a funny bunch sometimes, with their superstitions, etc. trying to get their mojo back.

Heck I wouldn't want E. Payton here...But back up PG's play for peanuts every year in the NBA.

Vincent P just got traded for....guess what, Another pick! 2nd rd Thunder. WTF!!

Qualifying offers given to Waters and Fall???

You guys are getting punch drunk here watching for all these BIG moves.

VP traded for 2nd round picks saves us cap money.
Enes may be here for a year, unless we trade him.
I sure hope Gordon either resigns with us and stays or opts to get traded to Indy for Miles Turner plus.

Why are qe keeping Semi?

worcester wrote:Why are qe keeping Semi?

I think Semi is Semi gone. Just a matter of time

I would definitely say Semi is gone. What do you think of Pat Conoughton? He will be FA this weekend, Mannix said watch for Celtics to take a shot at him. He is from around here. I thing Bob C said he knows him and his family

RosalieTCeltics wrote:I would definitely say Semi is gone.  What do you think of Pat Conoughton?  He will be FA this weekend, Mannix said watch for Celtics to take a shot at him. He is from around here. I thing Bob C said he knows him and his family

His Mom and Dad were a year behind me in school I knew them both well. They were classmates of Steve and Karen by the way.

He went to a wedding with my nephew who aays Pat is a real clean cut guy, no drugs or alcohol, just 100% focused on basketball. He shot ,344 from three and .755 for fritos. Does not turn the ball over.

He always plays good against the Celtics. I wonder if he is on their list??

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/2020-nba-free-agents-some-big-names-celtics-could-target?b



2020 NBA free agents: Some 'big' names the Celtics could target


Free agency officially opens Friday night and the top line on Boston’s to-do list is almost certainly shoring up the big-man depth chart.

The Celtics didn’t draft a big man on Wednesday night, electing instead to address needs on the wing and at backup point guard. Now the focus will shift to a robust big-man market.

Boston was able to operate with a center-by-committee approach last season while leaning heavy on Daniel Theis as their No. 1 option. Enes Kanter opted into his $5 million player option on Thursday but could be moved via trade if the Celtics yearn to lean heavier on Robert Williams and Grant Williams. Boston traded Vincent Poirier and a bag of cash to Oklahoma City for a fictional draft pick to clear some room on the depth chart.

So how can Danny Ainge upgrade at the big-man spot? Given Boston’s limited means of adding in free agency, the bigger splash could come via trade, possibly acquiring a big as part of a Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade to deliver him to a new team if he doesn’t elect to re-sign in Boston.

But there’s intriguing options on the free-agent market, too.


BY CHRIS FORSBERG

23H AGO


The Celtics have other areas of need in free agency — they’d like to add a wing and they’ll examine what’s available among ball-handlers  — but the clear focus is on bigs.

“You’re never going to be hurt by adding more physicality, more size, more versatility, especially at the 4 and the 5,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. “We've talked a lot about that [center position]. … It’s something we’ll be looking at the next couple days as we move forward. It’s a big discussion point, a big discussion point all fall.”

Added Ainge: “We’ll just add a couple veterans [in free agency]. Look for a wing in free agency and maybe another big man in free agency, maybe someone who can play some 4 or 5.”



What the Celtics can offer


Hayward’s situation makes it a little hazy for what Boston can offer. If Hayward is back in Boston — or even if the Celtics simply take back enough salary in a sign-and-trade — the team could remain a taxpaying team and would be limited to the taxpayer midlevel ($5.7 million) to hunt free agents above a minimum salary.

If Hayward signs into another team's cap space, the Celtics would likely dip out of the tax and could feel comfortable spending the full midlevel exception of $9.3 million. While that extra cash is helpful in pursuing a higher level of talent there’s dangers because 1) The history of midlevel signings suggest few hits (hey there, Jermaine O’Neal!) at least when it comes to veterans on the backside of their careers and 2) It could handcuff Boston’s flexibility to add talent while having to stay out of the tax this season.

The guess here is the Celtics will operate like a taxpaying team during their initial foray into the market meaning they’ve got only that $5.7 million to play with. They can split that up over multiple targets or splurge on one but they’d be limited to minimum-salary offers for any other targets.


Who exactly should Boston be phoning?

Paul Millsap


Paul Millsap
USA TODAY Sports

He’ll turn 36 during the 2020-21 season and didn’t have a particularly encouraging bubble playoffs but hearing Ainge hint the other night at wanting 4/5 versatility made our minds wander to Millsap. The trouble: He might command more than the Celtics can spend. If Millsap can get the full midlevel at age 36, he should absolutely pounce on it. If he’s willing to take less money to compete for a title and be a veteran presence for a young core, he’d be ideal for what Boston needs.


Aron Baynes



USA TODAY Sports

His first stint in Boston helped unlock Baynes’ floor-stretching potential and he’s clearly the sort of disciplined backline bully the team so desperately missed last season. A crowded big-man market could keep Baynes' price point manageable and the Celtics should at least inquire about a return engagement. If Kanter is moved, Baynes slots perfectly in the bruiser role and can be confidently trotted out to help Theis against beefier bigs like Joel Embiid.


Harry Giles


USA TODAY Sports

Even if Giles wasn’t one of Jayson Tatum’s buddies, we’d make a case that he’s a very intriguing option. He’s still only 22, he was an elite prospect before injuries (and playing in Sacramento) hindered his development. At the right price, he’s a worthy dice roll and it can’t hurt to bring him in right before you slide that rookie extension in front of Tatum. The only downside: Will there be enough minutes on a contending team to allow Giles to develop? His passing skills would endear him quickly to Brad Stevens.


JaMychal Green - (MY NOTE:  Green has signed a 2-year deal with Denver)


USA TODAY Sports

Green turned down a $5 million option with the Clippers to enter free agency. The Celtics had eyes on Green a few years back and he really fits the mold of a versatile 4/5. He can stretch the floor and shoot 3s and he’s strong enough to play around the basket. If he turned down $5 million, it’s hard to see the Celtics being able to offer him more but they could certainly sell him on a hefty role on a championship-seeking team.


Nerlens Noel



USA TODAY Sports

Still only 26, the Massachusetts native had a solid season for the Thunder last year. There’s still plenty of concerns — including an inability to score anywhere but at the basket — but he’s switchy enough to fit in Brad Stevens’ scheme and adds size to the backline. Plus he knows plenty about defending his buddy Joel Embiid from his time in Philly.


Alex Len


USA TODAY Sports

If size is what the Celtics crave then they could do worse than Len, a 7-foot, 250-pound bruiser who played a limited role between Atlanta and Sacramento last season. He can gobble up rebounds while controlling the glass and the majority of his shot attempts will come near the rim. He has his defensive limitations but the Celtics were able to mask some of that with Kanter.


Tristan Thompson


USA TODAY Sports

Forever intriguing because of the way he controls the glass and his championship experience, then you Google his name and the first 1,000 news results all have nothing to do with basketball. Maybe it’s inevitable he lands in L.A. with the Clippers.


Bob


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some FA big men still unsigned , if the Hayward deal to Indiana doesn't work out.

Figure $9M MLE with Hayward leaving
$5M or so if he re-signs

T. Thompson
A. Baynes
H. Whiteside
W. Cauley-Stein
N. Noel
A. Len
T. Maker

also M. Gasol, though I thought I read he was planning on going back to Spain to play.

all may be available for the MLE or less.


woops..I forgot the PF/C's

S. Ibaka- Likely not in our price range
J. Henson
F. Kaminsky
H. Giles
N. Vonleh

We may not have the full MLE. The sign and trade will bring back salary but it remains unclear as to how much room we will have.