Boston Celtics

Doc Rivers will be in Boston on Wednesday and plans to sit down with Danny Ainge, league source says. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 18, 2013 Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier that Doc will be in Boston on Wednesday and will sit down with Danny to discuss his future and, I imagine, the future of the Celtics. And Steve Bulpett is reporting in the Herald that Doc plans to make comments after he meets with Danny. According to a league source, Rivers hopes after that discussion to make his first public comments regarding his future since saying on May 3rd that he was uncertain if he would be on the Celtic bench for the 2013-14 season. Danny has insisted from the start that he wants Doc as the Celtics' coach this season. Now, it's up to Doc to decide whether he can come back and coach the Celtics after flirting with the Clippers' job. It should be an interesting press conference from Doc. Danny isn't sure if anything will be decided in this meeting, but at least they are headed in the right direction. Hopefully he will make his decision and the Celtics can get on with their off season without the dog and pony show that has been surrounding them. [Discuss on CG Forums!]

Welcome to Ainges' Auctions! "Where the deals are always square, and even the coaches are for sale." So it seems obvious that Danny is willing to make moves with the teams roster as long as it brings in young talent or cap relief. So it seems Ainges' Auctions is open for business. Allow me to show you a few deals we have on special right now. Please remember that all deals at Ainges' Auctions must either bring in young talent or cap relief, and if you're a true auctioneer..... both ;) Let's begin with those specials. Special 1: http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=n27l57v Boston Gets: Kendrick Perkins, Jeremy Lamb Oklahoma City Gets: Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee OKC gets a nice bench scorer/swing 4 defender in Bass, and a 3/D threat to replace Martin if he walks during Free Agency. The Celtics get Perks nice, big amnestiable (is that a word?) contract, and prospect Lamb. Only at Ainges' Auctions will you find such good deals! Special 2: http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=l6l6llw Boston Gets: Thomas Robinson Houston Gets: Fab Melo, Jordan Crawford Delfino might walk in FA, Crawford is serviceable as a backup to Harden. Melo is a throw in. For the Celtics, Thomas Robinson is a nice young big, and a rotation of him and Sullinger would be beasty at the PF. Special 3: Boston Gets: Anthony Randolf Denver Gets: Jordan Crawford Denver has a logjam in the paint, and could use some depth at the guard position. Boston is the exact opposite. Randolf who had a down season for Denver is a nice young prospect..... just what we're looking for here at Ainges' Auctions. If Denver twisted my arm, I might be convinced to throw Tyronne Lue in to be Denvers next head coach. Special 4: Doc Rivers for any first round pick. Seriously, if we can get it, why the hell wouldn't we? Special 5: http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=mtofc5l Boston Gets: Aaron Afflalo, Nikola Vucevic, 2nd overall pick, and 2015 first round pick Orlando Gets: Rajon Rondo Orlando gets their star, Boston get's a starting SG, a young C with potential, and two first.... Sound familiar? These are just a couple of Specials here at Ainges' Auctions.... Can you think of anymore? Let us know, we're always looking to expand. Remember the rules though, we only deal for young prospects, cap space, or picks..... Thanks for joining us here at Ainges' Auctions "Where the deals are always square, and even the coaches are for sale." As always, I look forward to your comments, and if you liked the post be sure to Rec ;) Welcome to Ainges' Auctions! "Where the deals are always square, and even the coaches are for sale." So it seems obvious that Danny is willing to make moves with the teams roster as long as it brings in young talent or cap relief. So it seems Ainges' Auctions is open for business. Allow me to show you a few deals we have on special right now. Please remember that all deals at Ainges' Auctions must either bring in young talent or cap relief, and if you're a true auctioneer..... both ;) Let's begin with those specials. Special 1: http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=n27l57v Boston Gets: Kendrick Perkins, Jeremy Lamb Oklahoma City Gets: Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee OKC gets a nice bench scorer/swing 4 defender in Bass, and a 3/D threat to replace Martin if he walks during Free Agency. The Celtics get Perks nice, big amnestiable (is that a word?) contract, and prospect Lamb. Only at Ainges' Auctions will you find such good deals! Special 2: http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=l6l6llw Boston Gets: Thomas Robinson Houston Gets: Fab Melo, Jordan Crawford Delfino might walk in FA, Crawford is serviceable as a backup to Harden. Melo is a throw in. For the Celtics, Thomas Robinson is a nice young big, and a rotation of him and Sullinger would be beasty at the PF. Special 3: Boston Gets: Anthony Randolf Denver Gets: Jordan Crawford Denver has a logjam in the paint, and could use some depth at the guard position.

Questions: Something that has seemingly gone under the radar sense the deal seems to have fallen through, what happens to Paul Pierce? The general consensus during the trade talks was that Pierce would either be waived or moved to a team who would waive him, in order that he could than join the Clippers. What now becomes of Pierce? It's easy to say he just stays with the team (I'm all for it,) but there are some serious financial ramifications for keeping him. I don't want to hash them out here, but a full run down of these can be found here: http://www.celticsblog.com/2013/6/13/4425494/the-financial-truth-the-cost-of-keeping-paul-pierce The deal has fallen through so far, but what happens to Pierce now? Now for something that's blatantly obvious, what happens to Doc? Tough now to imagine him back on the sideline next season, but by the same token it's tough to imagine him not being there. Personally. I can go either way on this one. If KG and Pierce are going to be back than so is Doc I'd imagine. If not, Doc will go to broadcasting for a while, and rooting for the Pelicans. Hopefully we'll know more tomorrow. What about KG? If he's not going to Cali, is he going to call it quits? With seemingly no chance of a title in Boston, is it worth coming back for another year? Personally, I hope he sticks around next year and mentors our young big men, while playing limited minutes. Oh, by the way, you may have forgotten that the NBA draft is only a week and a half away, and the Celtics have the 16th pick. Question is who will they pick? Will they buy a late first/early second round pick? Will they attempt to trade up into the top 7? Personally, if I'm Danny Ainge, I'd sell an assistant coach for a late first, combo that up with the 16th, and move up.... too soon? Just kidding, but in all seriousness, I'd give my left nut to get Dieng at 16, then maybe buy a late first for Whitey. What happens in Free Agency? The Celtics have some holes in the roster, and only a mini-MLE to buy someone out of FA. I'd like to see us go after an experienced PG like Jarret Jack, who's capable of starting the season while Rondo is rehabbing. You could try to find a PG in the draft, but they'd have to learn the system very quickly..... I'd rather a vet. The question is, what does Danny want? What happens to Chris Paul? Unless the Clippers can pull off some other mega-deal, odds are Paul walks. If that's the case, where does he go, and what happens to the Clippers? Answers: Firstly, we've found out that if Ainge is going to move Pierce, KG, or Doc he's going to ask for the moon. 2 young players with potential, and two picks, for a couple of late-30 year olds, and a coach who was talking about not coming back prior to these trade talks. The only thing that Danny Ainge could have asked for to add more value to this deal would have been the rights to sign Cliff Paul to a deal. Good for Danny, shot for the moon and accept nothing less. Doc and KG are not Pierce. Think about this, Pierce's destiny is out of his hands. Ainge is making all the calls concerning Paul. Paul said he didn't want to go. KG and Doc, not only would they go, they'd be willing to go. If they weren't than KG could just use his NTC. Pierce is a lifelong Celtic, KG and Doc are something else. Eric Bledsoe is apparently the next HOF point guard in the league. I don't know if anyone else knew this before these trade talks, but if you didn't, you do now. I guess we'll all find out soon enough as it looks like Paul is probably changing zip codes. Clippers Lakers. The Lakers had one of their worst seasons in recent history, and don't look to be much better next with no Kobe for a while. It's the perfect time for the Clippers to make a huge deal, make themselves relevant in the Western Conference as serious contenders, and make sure everyone knows you're the best team in LA. Instead, it looks like the Clippers will always be playing second fiddle to the Lakers..... at least for the f

The NBA Finals are coming to an end and the NBA draft is right around the corner. Every year the draft brings about another chance to make your team better and find the right piece for the future or for the present. For my hometownCeltics, they could move in either direction. During this past season, Boston finished above .500 without their best player and key role players battling injury all year. With all players 100% healthy, and the role players farther along in development, the Celtics could be one free agent away from a chance at a playoff run. However, as much as I would love the core of Rondo, Pierce, and Garnett to stick together until retirement, everyone knows that will not be able to happen. In a draft year that is lacking a superstar like Derrick Rose or Blake Griffin, there are still great players that can be developed into all-star players. The consensus top prospect in this years draft is 7’0 center Nerlens Noel out of Kentucky. Although Noel is recovering from a torn ACL, he is still believed by many professionals and myself to be taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is where my mind starts to wonder and think about some shocking and difficult draft day moves. Trade talks have started swirling around veteran forwards Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Clippers as well as others. At the same time, the Cavaliers have been talking about looking to trade the first overall pick for an established scoring forward which both Garnnett and Pierce are. Now this is not something that would work over the long term, however the Cavaliers only need a short burst of success in my mind. With all of the young talent already on the Cavs roster, and the superstar point guard Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers just need to show that they can make some sort of a playoff push and allow for the prime opportunity for the home town king to come back. Yes thats right folks. This whole situation would not only give the Celtics the number one pick, but also bring LeBron James back home to Cleveland. Time will tell on what the Cavaliers do with the first pick and if they keep it who they draft. Most of our answers with be answered on June 27 on ESPN. The NBA Finals are coming to an end and the NBA draft is right around the corner. Every year the draft brings about another chance to make your team better and find the right piece for the future or for the present. For my hometownCeltics, they could move in either direction. During this past season, Boston finished above .500 without their best player and key role players battling injury all year. With all players 100% healthy, and the role players farther along in development, the Celtics could be one free agent away from a chance at a playoff run. However, as much as I would love the core of Rondo, Pierce, and Garnett to stick together until retirement, everyone knows that will not be able to happen. In a draft year that is lacking a superstar like Derrick Rose or Blake Griffin, there are still great players that can be developed into all-star players. The consensus top prospect in this years draft is 7’0 center Nerlens Noel out of Kentucky. Although Noel is recovering from a torn ACL, he is still believed by many professionals and myself to be taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is where my mind starts to wonder and think about some shocking and difficult draft day moves. Trade talks have started swirling around veteran forwards Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Clippers as well as others. At the same time, the Cavaliers have been talking about looking to trade the first overall pick for an established scoring forward which both Garnnett and Pierce are. Now this is not something that would work over the long term, however the Cavaliers only need a short burst of success in my mind. With all of the young talent already on the Cavs roster, and the superstar point guard Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers just need to show that they can make some sort of a playoff push and al

Just wanted to call your attention to the SBNation Blogger Mock Draft that is being run a few picks a day this week over on the great site Ridiculous Upside. Check out the whole stream with each pick here. SB Nation Blogger 2013 NBA Mock Draft - Ridiculous Upside With the NBA Draft just weeks away, SB Nation will turn to its lead bloggers for a unique and interactive mock draft next week. Right now we are on pick 11 and you can see the picks so far at the bottom of this post. The Celtics pick is due up tomorrow. These picks were actually completed a week or so ago, but I won't spoil the surprise for you. Enjoy.

The long silence is coming to an end. According to Steve Bulpett's "league source," Doc Rivers will finally face the music and the press for the first time tomorrow. Celtics Insider | Boston Herald According to a league source, Rivers hopes after that discussion to make his first public comments regarding his future since saying on May 3rd that he was uncertain if he would be on the Celtic bench for the 2013-14 season. Great. Can't wait to hear what he has to say. Will he sweet talk us into falling in love with him again? Will he convince us that Ubuntu is alive and strong and he's ready to run it back again this year and for years to come? Unlikely, but it will still be interesting to hear his side. This will apparently happen after he sits down to meet with Danny Ainge tomorrow (for a meeting that was scheduled anyway). Will that meeting actually resolve anything? Nobody really knows (or cares to say) right now. "I don't know if anything will be decided tomorrow or if anything will be resolved," said Ainge, the Celtics' president of basketball operations. "I just know that I'm meeting with him." ... He was less certain when asked where Rivers now stands on his career. "I don't know," Ainge said. "I don't know. I'll wait for him to decide that." So basically Danny doesn't know. Does Doc even know at this point? Or are we in for more waiting around? Hopefully it won't be too long. Doc Rivers unsure about returning to Celtics as coach after Clippers deal falls apart - Yahoo! Sports The Celtics and Rivers plan to reach a final resolution in the next few days, sources said. Perhaps there won't be any decisions or grand announcements made right away. After all, the Clippers still haven't hired anyone and have a couple of interviews left to conduct this week. They might yet be interested in re-opening the talks in a few days. Or maybe not. To quote Danny Ainge: "I don't know." Bonus Reads: Celtics' unique offseason circumstances may give reason to revisit talks with Clippers | The Point Forward How the Clippers could walk away - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN

Chad Ford came out with his Mock Draft 5.0 this afternoon. Let's first take a look at his Mock Drafts 1.0-4.0 to see how his thinking has evolved on the Celtics' pick. In Ford's first mock, the Celtics were projected to go big with 7 footer Kelly Olynyk out of Gonzaga. In this newest mock, Olynyk has dropped to the Pacers who are picking 23rd. His 2.0 Mock projected that the Celtics would pick Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams. This prompted Carter Williams to say that he didn't want to play in his hometown. Then after he thought about it for awhile, he changed his opinion and said that it would be a blessing to play for the Celtics. Carter-Williams stock has risen considerably since then and he is now projected to go 7th to the Sacramento Kings. The 3rd iteration of his mock draft had the Celtics picking point guard Dennis Schroeder. Of course, this was right after NBADraft.net came out with the rumor that the Celtics had made a promise to Schroeder. But, since that rumor, Schroeder has worked out with the Bucks and the Jazz, both of whom pick before the Celtics, and both of whom are looking to draft a point guard. Schroeder's workouts have gotten mixed reports with some not going as well as he had hoped. In Ford's 5.0 mock, he has slipped to the Jazz, who are picking 21st. Mock Draft 4.0 projected that the Celtics would take 6'6" small forward, Shabazz Muhammad out of UCLA. Here is what he said about the pick in his 4th mock. Analysis: Muhammad might be the most difficult player in the draft to place right now. After coming in with enormous hype, scouts are obsessed right now with the weaknesses in his game. Can he shoot off the bounce? Can he go right? Does he have the athleticism to defend? Is he a selfish player? Muhammad is working hard to answer his critics and these workouts will go a long way to determining where he ultimately lands. But with Paul Pierce's run with the Celtics nearing an end, Muhammad might be worth the risk here if the Celtics' preferred target, Schroeder, already is off the board. In Ford's Mock draft 5.0, he once again has the Celtics drafting Shabazz Muhammad. Here is his analysis this time. Analysis: Muhammad's stock is all over the place. But then again, so are the Celtics. He could go as high as No. 7 to the Kings or No. 9 to the Wolves or even No. 12 to the Thunder or No. 14 to the Jazz. But if he does slide this far, it's hard to see Danny Ainge passing on him. There's just too much talent there, and what the Celtics are going to need -- if they really are going into full rebuilding mode -- is more talent. Muhammad is ranked 13th on Ford's Top 100 and is ranked 2nd among small forwards. Even though the Celtics immediate needs are for a point guard and a center, Danny said he would draft the best available player regardless of need, so, drafting Muhammad would fit with that. Muhammad is a strong, physical player who is a very good natural scorer with NBA 3 point range. He is an excellent slasher who can finish strong at the rim. He is a good rebounder and and a hard worker. He's not particularly athletic and needs to work on his jumper off the dribble. The talent is there, but if there is an equally talented point guard or center there when the Celtics pick, I'd say that Danny would go in that direction instead. Sheridan Hoops also put out a new mock draft today, 5.0.1 for them. Sheridan is back to where Chris Ford started, taking Kelly Olynyk the 7'0" center out of Gonzaga. Here is Sheridan's reasoning for the pick. Never afraid of taking chances on players, the Celtics are high on Giannis Adetokunbo and also would be very intrigued if Dennis Schroeder fell to them. With Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and many veterans from last season still on the roster, the Celtics could also choose to give it one more run. Regardless of what happens, the Celtics still need help inside, as evidenced

International prospects can sometimes be more appealing to fans of basketball due to the lack of knowledge and understanding about them. For that reason, Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most mysterious and intriguing prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft. Antetokounmpo is a young 18-year-old point forward that was born in Greece but is of Nigerian descent. With Giannis' interesting background and his potential future in the NBA, his story is most certainly something for people to keep an eye on. Giannis Antetokounmpo Position: Small Forward Height: 6'10" Weight: 205 lbs Age: 18 Nicknamed "The Greek Freak," there has been some confusion on the correct spelling of his last name. Giannis' last name is spelled as Antetokounmpo in Greek and on his passport. However, Adetokunbo is his Nigerian family name. For this scouting report, I will be referring to him as "Antetokounmpo." Be sure to give me a follow on Twitter @Kevin__OConnor and let me know what players you'd like to see profiled next! Follow @Kevin__OConnor Offensive Overview With point guard skills and small forward size, Giannis Antetokounmpo has the versatility to be a very effective point forward in the NBA. Giannis has huge potential as a playmaker in both transition and the half-court. Antetokounmpo's advanced dribbling ability allowed him to get to the basket with ease in the Greek A2 league. He showcases a sleek euro-step, along with a nice crossover, and hop step. He dribbles and passes the ball well with both hands, giving him more freedom to make plays at the rim. Giannis Antetokounmpo shot 61.2 percent from the field last season, with the majority of his baskets coming in the lane. He only averaged 1.4 assists per game but he could have had more with a more prominent point guard role. From the perimeter, Giannis Antetokounmpo needs to improve his consistency, but he shows good potential from three-point range. Defensive Overview Giannis Antetokounmpo has great upside on the defensive end due to his long arms, measuring in with a 7'3" wingspan. Giannis can alter shots but also has the speed to stay in front of his man on the perimeter. Antetokounmpo struggles off-the-ball because he can sometimes lose his man or have a hard time fighting through screens. With more coaching and experience, Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely improve that aspect of his game due to his willingness to work hard. Keep an eye on the hyperlinks throughout this article, click on them to see videos of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Full Analysis Athleticism and Intangibles With his tall, lanky frame, and long, skinny arms, Giannis Antetokounmpo has a ways to go in order to look the part of an NBA player. Right now, Giannis is only 205 pounds despite standing at 6'10". His body will remind optimists of Kevin Durant and realists of Nicolas Batum. At only 18 years old, he has plenty of time to develop his body and add muscle to his frame. It's reported he grew about three inches in the last year, so reaching 6'11" is not out of the question. Unlike Durant and Batum, Antetokounmpo appears to have slightly wider shoulders, which could allow him to put on more weight. Right now his lack of strength will hinder him in the NBA, but with time he should be able to compete with the big boys and still retain his speed to stay with guards and wings. "The Greek Freak" doesn't exactly have freakish athletic ability to go along with his nickname. Compared to some ‘freaks' in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo might appear relatively normal. Giannis doesn't explode out of the gym with insane leaping ability and he won't blow past anyone with his speed either. That is not to say that Giannis doesn't have good athleticism -- he does -- but the ‘freak' nickname shouldn't fool anyone into thinking that he is an all-world athlete. His lengthy 7'3" wingspan and excellent body controlare what truly give him the ability to compete at the next level. Better yet, at only 18 years old, Anteto

As part of WEEI.com’s coverage of the 2013 NBA draft, here is one in a series of profiles of players who could be available to the Celtics when they make their lone selection at No. 16. Ricky Ledo spent the 2012-13 season at Providence but did not play due to NCAA eligibility issues. (AP) RICKY LEDO Position: Guard School: Providence Age: 20 Height: 6-foot-7 Weight: 195 pounds Achievements: Jordan High School All-American (2012) Key 2012-13 stats: Ledo did not play in 2012-13. What he brings: Ledo comes equipped with the ability to be either a shooting guard or point guard, having done the latter for PC’s scout team this season. He’s strong athletically and is a solid ball-handler, based on his performance at the NBA combine, according to draftexpress.com, which called him “a long-term project” due to his lack of experience. Providence coach Ed Cooley commended the guard’s shooting ability while also noting his impressive range in this NBA.com piece. Back before he went to Providence, draftexpress.com wrote that he was a “mixed bag” on defense, though the potential was certainly there for him to be very good on that end, both on and off the ball. That November 2011 showing also earned Ledo an O.J. Mayo comparison. Notes: Ledo’s development has been hampered because he was limited to practicing with the Friars in 2012-13 due to his status as a “partial qualifier” for issues stemming from his attending four high schools in five years, a trend that has caused concern among some when evaluating his character. … As a senior at South Kent (Conn.) Prep, he averaged 23.4 point and 6.2 rebounds per game. … While he briefly attended St. Andrew’s in Barrington, R.I., he was teammates with fellow draft prospect Michael Carter-Williams. Recent articles: JSonline.com: No college, no problem for Ricky Ledo AZcentral.com: New Suns GM Ryan McDonough comments on Ledo’s recent workout with Phoenix Video: Set to Flawless Tracks’ “Best Kept Secret,” here are highlights from one of Ledo’s workouts last month.

With the trade deal between the Celtics and the Clippers reportedly dead, it doesn't appear Doc Rivers will be the next head coach of the Clippers, but that doesn't necessarily mean Chris Paul won't return to the team. Paul didn't object when the deal fell through, according to a report from Sports City. More: Clippers moving on? Paul is scheduled to become a free agent on July 1, but was a "lock" to re-sign with Los Angeles if the Clippers acquired Rivers and Kevin Garnett, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Now that the deal has fallen apart, Paul's status is back in limbo, but the fact he didn't object to Los Angeles' decision to not include two first round picks could be a good sign for the Clippers. According to the report from Sports City, the Clippers were in contact with Paul throughout the negotiations. The deal reportedly fell through because Los Angeles was only willing to include one first-round pick and Boston wanted two. Considering the value of a late first-round pick in the NBA Draft, you'd have to think the Clippers would have met Boston's demands if Paul said he would depart unless the deal got done. Whether or not Paul's lack of objection means he's still likely to re-sign with the Clippers remains to be seen, but Los Angeles will find out soon enough. More from SB Nation: • Ziller: LeBron and the age of sports skeptics • Doc Rivers trade to Clippers is dead, says Danny Ainge • Flannery: Finally, The Manu Game | How the Spurs won • SB Nation's blogger mock draft • NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board