Latest news with #BradStevens
New York Times
14 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Another Anfernee Simons trade coming? Celtics looking at ways to shed more salary
Anfernee Simons is smooth with the ball in his hands. He has proven himself as a big-time shot maker. He will likely fill up the basket next season. He just might do that somewhere away from Boston. Looking to continue shedding salary, the Celtics have explored the idea of flipping Simons' $27.7 million expiring contract, according to league sources. In such a move, they would be aiming to accomplish two organizational directives Brad Stevens emphasized after the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday: regaining more roster flexibility and setting up a path to retain free agents Luke Kornet and Al Horford. Advertisement Even after offloading the contracts of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis in a pair of trades this week, the Celtics have significant work left to do if they aim to escape the luxury tax entirely. At the moment, they appear hopeful of accomplishing that goal, which would help them initiate the process of resetting the repeater tax. Though they currently sit about $15 million above the luxury tax threshold, they would need to cut more salary than that to position themselves far enough under the threshold also to afford to keep Kornet and Horford. Stevens, who called the veteran big men 'huge parts of this organization' on Wednesday night, has stated he would like to re-sign both players. Speculation has surrounded Sam Hauser's future because it likely wouldn't be difficult to find a taker for his four-year, $45 million contract (which would also fit inside another team's non-taxpayer mid-level exception), but the Celtics are said to be more focused on avenues that would allow them to hold onto Hauser, who has proven himself as a valuable rotation piece and one of the NBA's best shooters. The team agreed to acquire Simons and Georges Niang this week, but both players are candidates to be moved before they ever play a game for Boston. The Celtics have already had an active offseason, but Stevens set the stage for more activity after the draft when he said he wants to retain Kornet and Horford. The team currently has minimal flexibility under the second apron and would need to cut even more salary to keep both big men while avoiding the tax. With Jayson Tatum 'a long, long time' away from even having a projected timeline for his return from a ruptured Achilles, according to Stevens, the Celtics have more incentive to escape the tax now while he is still recovering from his injury. Resetting the harsh repeater tax, which they would do by avoiding the luxury tax for two consecutive seasons, would set them up with more of a runway to spend big in the future. 'Our owners, old and new, are committed to spending,' Stevens said Wednesday. Advertisement At the same time, Stevens acknowledged, 'There's a lot of things that go into these moves and a lot of things that are really important. And, listen, again, it goes back to prioritizing our flexibility.' The Celtics knew they would eventually need to face cost-cutting decisions when they put together their 2024 championship roster. They are now dealing with the harsh reality of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. Vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren said, 'The fact of the matter is the new CBA is set up so that teams can't spend enormous amounts of money for long periods of time.' 'There's a bit of wistfulness always when guys move on,' Zarren said Thursday after the second round of the draft. 'But at the same time, the rules are the same rules for everyone and we've got a lot of good players here and a lot of good assets here and we feel like we'll be set up to compete really, really well in the near future. So that's always heartening when you know that you're in that spot. There's a lot of teams that feel further from that than we do, I'm sure.' Zarren said, 'there's a banner that will be here forever' because the Celtics were as aggressive as they were in the 2024 offseason. 'We sort of realized where we were a couple summers ago that we could take advantage of the situation with the assets we had and the salary situation we were in and the quality of players we already had,' Zarren said. 'We could make a jump before the rules got as punitive as they were going to get. That was a very conscious decision at the time, and it worked.'
USA Today
a day ago
- Business
- USA Today
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens full post-NBA draft presser
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens sat down with the media in a post-2025 NBA draft press conference soon after the Celtics elected to take Spanish small forward Hugo Gonzalez with the No. 28 overall pick of the draft on Wednesday (June 25) evening. Stevens had a host of things to address with the press, with Boston having dealt away veteran guard Jrue Holiday for Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons and two first round draft picks, and having traded Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that brought back reserve forward Georges Niang and a second round pick. The Celtics president also touched on Boston's plans with free agent big men Al Horford and Luke Kornet, the thinking behind drafting Gonzalez in the first round, how the team is viewing their offseason mandates, and more. The folks behind the "CLNS Media Boston Sports Network" YouTube channel put together a clip of Stevens' full media availability session from after the draft on Wednesday. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Celtics' Brad Stevens Sends Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum Message
Celtics' Brad Stevens Sends Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum Message originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Celtics entered the offseason facing significant uncertainty about their championship core. Six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum is currently rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered during the Eastern Conference semifinals and is widely expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season. Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, recently underwent minor knee surgery and has been ramping up rehab to return ahead of training camp. Advertisement The Celtics also made sweeping roster changes over the week, trading guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and center Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks, with more roster change potentially on the way. Boston Celtics forwards Jayson Tatum (0) and Jaylen Brown (7)© David Butler II-Imagn Images Amid these shifts, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens addressed the media after Wednesday's NBA Draft. Stevens gave an update on Tatum and Brown, praising both players' shared commitment to their recoveries: 'They've both prioritized getting better and rehabbing,' he stated during draft-night remarks. 'After a long season, I appreciate that about them,' confirming that both Tatum and Brown have been working out at the Auerbach Center frequently this offseason. Stevens noted that Tatum is making solid progress but emphasized that the team will not impose any return timeline. 'It's baby steps right now,' he said when discussing Boston's cautious approach to his rehabilitation (via ESPN). Advertisement Following a championship run in 2024, Boston finished second in the Eastern Conference last season, but fell short to the New York Knicks in the Conference Semifinals. While they may not return next season as a title-contending team, the Celtics will still hope to compete in the playoffs next year. Related: Fans Bracing for Jaylen Brown Trade After Celtics' Posts Related: Cooper Flagg Turns Heads With Jayson Tatum Message After NBA Draft This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Celtics Announce Trade After NBA Draft
Celtics Announce Trade After NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Celtics have been one of the busiest teams in the offseason so far, reshaping their roster in response to injuries and looming financial restrictions. With Jayson Tatum expected to miss extended time with an Achilles injury, the Celtics traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks and Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in separate deals aimed at dodging the second apron. Advertisement In the first round of the NBA Draft, Boston selected Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez with the No. 28 overall pick, a promising small forward with two-way upside. The pick, dubbed by many fans as a steal" reinforced the Celtics' continued effort to build next season's roster around Jaylen Brown, who is recovering from a minor knee procedure. Boston Celtics exec Brad Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Shortly after Thursday's draft, Boston made another move. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Celtics traded the No. 32 pick to the Orlando Magic in exchange for the Nos. 46 and 57 picks in this draft, plus two future second-rounders in 2026 and 2027. The Magic used the 32nd pick to select French forward Noah Penda, who had briefly been linked with Boston before the deal was finalized. The Celtics confirmed the trade via an announcement on social media:. The franchise now holds 10 second-round picks through 2032, positioning itself for potential trades or long-term player development. Advertisement President of basketball operations Brad Stevens has leaned into asset collection as a strategy during this transitional period. Boston now turns its attention to free agency and summer league, where multiple picks from this draft are expected to see action as the team evaluates future contributors. Related: Celtics' Brad Stevens Sends Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum Message Related: Kristaps Porzingis' Message to Trae Young Turns Heads After Celtics Trade This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
CBS News
a day ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Everything the Celtics did at the 2025 NBA Draft, and what could be next
After starting the week by trading away two key members of their 2024 championship team, the Boston Celtics ended up drafting three players and making a trade over the two-day NBA Draft. Brad Stevens added an extremely young wing at the end of the first round in 19-year-old Hugo Gonzalez, and after trading down early in Round 2, he added two more players Thursday night. None of the players are expected to make an immediate impact in Boston, but the Celtics are going to need some young and cost-controlled players as Stevens tries to keep the team out of the second apron and away from all the restrictions it would bring. Here's a look at what Stevens and the Celtics did at the 2025 NBA Draft. Celtics draft Hugo Gonzalez in first round The Celtics had to wait until the end of the first round to make their first pick, and Stevens took 19-year-old wing Hugo Gonzalez out of Spain at 28th overall. Gonzalez didn't do much as a role player on Real Madrid last season and has an extremely raw offensive game, but he's been playing in Real Madrid's system since he was 10 years old and has a ton of upside. Pundits (and the Celtics) love what Gonzalez brings on the defensive end in addition to his high motor all over the floor. He has good size at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and though he's still a teenager, Stevens said Gonzalez is a bit of an "old soul" given all his experience with Real Madrid. "When you talk about years overall, yes, he's young. But years of basketball experience, the things that we think are important, it's probably pretty high," said Stevens. Celtics trade back, draft Amari Williams in second round The Celtics had the second pick of the second round -- 32nd overall -- to start Thursday night, but made a trade with the Orlando Magic to move back and pick up three additional second-round picks. Boston reportedly wanted to take St. Joe's power forward Rasheer Fleming, but the Phoenix Suns traded up to take him at No. 31. Once that happened, Stevens traded back and got the 46th and 57th pick from the Orlando Magic, plus second-round picks in 2026 and 2027. Not a bad haul for the No. 32 pick, which Orlando used to take forward Noah Penda out of France. With the 46th selection, Boston drafted Amari Williams, an athletic 7-foot center from Kentucky. He doesn't have much of an offensive game but averaged 10.9 points per contest for the Wildcats last season. He's solid everywhere else, as he led Kentucky with 8.5 rebounds per game and his 115 assists tied for the team lead. A Nottingham, England native, Williams played his first four collegiate seasons at Drexel, where he was the CAA Defensive Player of the Year three times and a two-time member of the All-CAA First-Team. Celtics draft Max Shulga late in second round Boston took VCU guard Max Shulga of Kyiv, Ukraine at No. 57. The 6-foot-4 Shulga is an excellent shooter, as he connected on 40.2 percent of his threes over his two seasons for the Rams. He averaged a team-high 14.0 points and 4.0 assists to earn A10 Player of the Year honors and help VCU get to the NCAA Tournament. He can score in bunches, recording seven games of at least 20 points last season. Shulga played his first three college seasons at Utah State, where he was teammates with current Celtics big man Neemias Queta. Over his five-year college career, Shulga averaged 10.1 points while shooting 44 percent overall and 39.2 percent from three. He started 109 of his 162 games, including all 72 contests for VCU. Shulga is expected to join Boston on a two-way contract, according to ESPN. What's next for the Boston Celtics? The Celtics were able to get under the apron by trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. While the Jaylen Brown and Derrick White trade rumors around draft time proved to be just a lot of hot air, more moves are likely on the way for Stevens and the C's. The Celtics still need to clear some room if they want to re-sign Al Horford, Luke Kornet, or both this offseason. Sharpshooter Sam Hauser could become the next casualty of the NBA's apron system. Talented scorer Anfernee Simons, who was acquired from the Blazers in the Holiday trade, could also be on the move again soon with just one year left on his contract. And don't be surprised if teams keep calling -- and making wild offers -- for Brown once NBA free agency tips off next week. It looks like Stevens wants to keep the Celtics as competitive as he can while Jayson Tatum recovers from his Achilles injury next season, while also staying out of the second apron. He was a busy man this week, but still has more work to do this summer.
