Latest news with #MikeZarren
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boston Celtics executive addresses Jaylen Brown, Derrick White trade rumors
After the Celtics made a pair of big trades ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, the rumor mill swirled around the organization. In the lead-up to the draft, there were murmurs the team could trade one of Jaylen Brown or Derrick White. Now, the caveat was that it would take a massive haul to land either core Celtic. Turns out, per Boston vice president Mike Zarren, they weren't that close to trading away one of their star players as he addressed the trade rumors. Zarren spoke Thursday after the conclusion of the 2025 draft as the Celtics added three new faces to the roster and organization. Advertisement 'Those two guys are really, really great NBA players, and there hasn't been anything close to serious about trading them,' Zarren said. 'I'm not sure where all this reporting came from but those guys are key parts of our team, and we're lucky to have them here.' The reporting was that the Celtics were getting calls on both White and Brown. Teams saw that the C's traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis as the franchise cut payroll significantly. Considering more trades were expected, that's when there were questions on if the Celtics would seriously consider moving one of their key guys. But it appears no team was willing to meet Boston's high price point. It even got to the point where the Celtics reportedly laughed off a trade offer, when the Raptors shopped the No. 9 overall pick for White. The amusement was more that it would be a straight swap, which was not close to enough to land a caliber of White's player. The Celtics did make a trade during the draft, but it was a relatively minor one as they traded down from the 32nd overall pick. In the deal, they got the 46th pick (Amari Williams) and 57th pick (Max Shulga), along with a second-round pick in 2026 and 2027. So, there were no fireworks despite the trade speculation. Advertisement 'All the time we're looking for the ability to get more assets in the future and still get a bunch of good players,' Zarren said. 'And we felt pretty confident that there'd be guys we liked lower in the draft and we had the ability to add a couple of really good future draft picks in addition to getting those guys. So, that's what we did.' More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Scouting new Boston Celtics guard Max Shulga: ‘He's just a winner'
The Celtics selected VCU guard Max Shulga with the No. 57 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, putting the finishing touches on what's been a busy few days. The C's originally started the night with the No. 32 pick, but traded down, netting them three more second-round picks, including the 46th overall pick in Amari Williams. Shulga, 23, will have his opportunity to stick in the league as one of the last picks in the 2025 draft. He was measured at 6-foot-4 without shoes at the NBA Draft combine as he also has a 6-foot-6 wingspan. Celtics vice president Mike Zarren gave his scouting report on the newest Boston guard Thursday after the conclusion of the draft. Advertisement 'Max is a tough guy who can handle and shoot and elite toughness,' Zarren said. 'He's been all over the world. He moved to Spain when he was 13, I think, to play basketball. ... But he's just a winner. Was the A-10 player of the year. I think they won 18 of their last 20 games or something like that, was the A-10 player of the year.' Zarren pointed out that Shulga already knows a member of the Celtics roster in Neemias Queta. They were teammates at Utah State during the 2020-21 season. Back then, that was Queta's final year in college while it was Shulga's first. Zarren said they were able to reconnect when Shulga was in Boston for a predraft workout. Now, they're teammates again. Shulga averaged 15.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals in 35 games for VCU last season. He helped lead the Rams to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed, though they lost to BYU in the first round. Notably, he shot 39.2% on 3-pointers during his five-year college career as the Celtics hope that shooting translates to the next level. Zarren said it's likely that both Shulga and Williams end up on two-way contracts with the Celtics, but that's still not official at this point. They'll both likely be on the Summer League roster in Las Vegas, which takes place from July 10-20. First-round pick Hugo Gonzalez is set to be in Boston next week coming from Spain, Zarren said, though it's unclear yet if the wing will play in Summer League. Advertisement Regardless, the Celtics are undergoing an offseason of change. They added three new faces through the draft, though that comes after trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis earlier in the week. More moves are likely on the horizon as the front office continues to tweak the roster for the salary cap. But for the three new rookies, they'll have an opportunity to stick in the pros with the winningest franchise in NBA history. 'We've been watching both of these guys for a long time,' Zarren said. 'They had long college careers and have been very, very successful players everywhere they've been. So we'll see how they do at the next level, but they're just really, really successful, winning college players.' More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Celtics drafted ‘elite rebounder' Amari Williams
After the Celtics acquired the No. 46 pick in a trade with the Orlando Magic that also included pick 57, they knew who they wanted to draft. Boston selected Amari Williams out of Kentucky in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night. The 7-foot center averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season. Williams also had 10 double-doubles. Advertisement 'He's been one of the best passing big men in college for a long time,' vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren said after the conclusion of the draft. 'He's an elite rebounder, he's a great guy, he had a wonderful career at Drexel, and then stepped it up another level at Kentucky. When you meet him, you'll see he's got just an enormous, enormous wingspan. And as you'll see on the court, if you haven't seen already, he's got incredible vision. And those things are just key abilities in the modern NBA.' Williams' wingspan, for what it's worth, is 7-foot-6. Zarren noted that the plan for Williams is for him to be on a two-way contract. The Celtics currently have 13 players under contract for the 2025-26 season, including Hugo González, who Boston drafted in the first round on Wednesday night. While some reports on Williams suggest he needs to work on his perimeter mobility, it's his playmaking instincts that make him a good fit for the Celtics. Advertisement 'Sometimes we play through big guys at the post,' Zarren said, 'with the guys we have had on our roster, and Amari should fit into that pretty well.' More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Boston Celtics traded back in second round of 2025 NBA Draft
The Celtics offseason of wheeling and dealing continued on Thursday night as Brad Stevens elected to trade back from the No. 32 overall pick in a deal with the Orlando Magic. The swap netted Boston four second-round picks, two of which the team used on Thursday night on Amari Williams at No. 46 and Max Shulga at No. 57. Both players are expected to sign two-way deals with Boston. Amid reports that Boston's original target at No. 32 was taken by the Suns at No. 31 after they traded to get ahead of Boston, Boston opted to scoop up the extra second-round draft capital on Thursday night, along with a 2026 second-round pick and 2027 second-round pick. Advertisement Celtics vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren discussed the rationale behind the decision to move back on Thursday night after standing pat with Hugo Gonzalez at No. 28 in the first round Wednesday. 'All the time we're looking for the ability to get more assets in the future and still get a bunch of good players,' Zarren said. 'We felt pretty confident that there'd be guys we liked lower in the draft and we had the ability to add a couple of really good future draft picks in addition to getting those guys. So, that's what we did.' The Celtics are still dealing with a luxury tax crunch despite dipping under the second apron ($207 million) with their trades of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday last week. However, Zarren did not indicate that finances had any impact on Boston's decision to move out of the No. 32 slot. 'I don't think our draft philosophy has changed that much relative to the CBA,' Zarren said. 'The draft pick contracts tend to be relatively small relative to the rest of the cap, so most of the time we're looking to get the guys we think will be good contributing NBA players, particularly later in the draft. Most people aren't that, and so we're looking for the guys who are. And because of that you can't spend a lot of time thinking about what your team need is. So mostly we look for the best players we can get, with an eye toward the fact that you have to have an opportunity for them to contribute at least a little bit to know if they're gonna be successful or now. But for the most part it's go get the best guys.' Advertisement After Thursday's trade, the Celtics have now compiled 10 future second-round draft picks through 2032, which Zarren says the team plans to put to use in future moves. 'You need those assets in order to be able to swing trades for great players later or to move around either in the draft or with guys you've got,' Zarren said. 'So yeah that adds additional flexibility. We got two picks tonight, both of which should be good future picks, they're the best of three and two teams in some upcoming years. I think we'll put the press release out on that shortly if it's not already out. But that's a key part of our strategy. We've used picks to go acquire a lot of good players over the years and hopefully we'll be able to do that with these if we're not also drafting them.' BETTING: The Celtics are +250 on BetMGM to win the Atlantic Division next season. Our complete list of Massachusetts sportsbook promos will help you decide which sportsbook to use. For all of the best Celtics futures bets, be sure to check out our expert analysis. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jaylen Brown trade rumors: NBA insider hints at new team targeting Celtics star
Jaylen Brown is one of several Celtics who have been involved in trade talks this offseason as MassLive reported earlier this month. Rumors that swirled around the All-Star during draft week ultimately came and went, while the Celtics brass attempted to downplay any negotiations involving the high-scoring wing and Derrick White. 'Those two guys are really, really great NBA players, and there hasn't been anything close to serious about trading them,' said vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren on Thursday night. 'I'm not sure where all this reporting came from but those guys are key parts of our team, and we're lucky to have them here.' Advertisement MassLive reported Friday that Boston is exploring trade scenarios involving role players with free agency approaching as they try to collect more assets and open up more spending power to retain their own key free agents in Al Horford and Luke Kornet. However, the door is not closed on Boston listening to offers for their top-tier talent, including Brown. There are some obvious potential fits for Brown around the league (Houston, San Antonio) but Zach Lowe of the Ringer hinted at a surprising new suitor on his podcast Saturday. 'I get the sense there was real smoke, there was something going on,' Lowe said of Brown trade rumors over the past week. 'That something maybe has subsided. I said last week that I would bet on (White and Brown) being on the Celtics next year but I'm not slamming the door shut on some team — the Kings come to mind — being like, we'll offer you everything, all the swaps, all the picks, whatever you want for Jaylen Brown and at least making the Celtics think about it. I don't think that's going to happen. I think they will both be on the team next year but they instantly could become the main characters of free agency.' The Kings have already been linked to the Celtics in trade talks this summer, with Sacramento registering interest in Jrue Holiday per sources, before the team ultimately dealt him away to Portland for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. Sacramento is certainly not close to a contending team as composed, but they looked primed for major changes this offseason. They have a new general manager in Scott Perry at the helm, and several of their players have already been mentioned in trade rumors in the past few weeks. The team could certainly be looking for a new face of the franchise after dealing away De'Aaron Fox and Brown would certainly be a better option there than any of their current top players. Advertisement What could a 'godfather' offer from the Kings look like exactly? Any deal would need to be centered around one big salary player such as Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis or DeMar DeRozan for salary matching purposes. Sabonis is obviously the most valuable piece in that bunch, but is a step below Brown in trade value. Sabonis also might be the type of player Perry hopes to pair Brown with, in theory. Elsewhere, the Kings have a few intriguing young players (Keegan Murray, Keon Ellis, Devin Carter) but all are either unproven (Carter) or will need new contracts starting next offseason. Thus, the prize of any big Kings offer would be the draft capital. The Kings own all their future first round picks as well as a 2031 Wolves unprotected first round pick. If the Kings offer the Celtics a big contract, Murray and/or Ellis, and a massive haul of draft capital including several first-round picks and swaps, the most attractive part of that deal for Boston would probably be the draft capital. Conceivably, the Celtics could take those picks (and a big contract) to target another star for Tatum's return. Whether or not a massive offer like that emerges for Brown remains an open question. However, Sacramento is a surprising team to hear as potentially interested in Brown and given how active they plan to be this summer elsewhere on the roster, this remains a situation worth watching as free agency begins. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
