Storyline: Kemba Walker to Celtics?
27 rumors in this storyline
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Adam Himmelsbach: Some clarity on the Rozier/Kemba sign-and-trade: The Cs did this to keep options open for potential three-team sign-and-trades. But even if it stays as a 2-team transaction, Boston is expected to receive some compensation from the Hornets.
Chris Grenham: Bobby Marks just said on The Jump that the three-team deal between Boston, Charlotte and Brooklyn is “dead.” Cited the Nets lack of incentive as reasoning
Kemba Walker joining the Celtics
“The Hornets offer, I’m told, wasn’t even really close to the max contract offer of $190M.” NBA Insider @ShamsCharania on Kemba Walker leaving his longtime Charlotte organization for a “fresh start” in Boston.
The Boston Celtics will renounce the rights to guard Terry Rozier, making him an unrestricted free agent, to open a max slot for free agent Kemba Walker, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Cody Zeller: pic.twitter.com/XhN7KuETk8
Kemba to Boston
Adrian Wojnarowski: As reported this week, the Celtics and Walker both intend for the All-Star guard to commit to a four-year, $141M maximum contract once free agency opens on Sunday at 6 PM. Walker is traveling to New England to meet with Celtics officials at 6 PM ET.
Chris Grenham: Woj on @SportsCenter: “He has moved on from Charlotte. (Boston and Kemba) will get together on Sunday night. … Kemba Walker is on his way to the Celtics.”
According to an NBA source, there is mutual interest between the Knicks and Rozier. But it all depends on Walker, whose preference all along was to stay in Charlotte but the Hornets have not stepped up with a max offer in preliminary contract talks.
Kemba Walker is eligible to re-sign with the Hornets on a five-year super-max contract that projects to be worth $221 million. Instead, he sounds increasingly likely to join the Celtics. Stephen A. Smith on ESPNews: “My sources tell me that Kemba Walker has informed the Charlotte Hornets and Michael Jordan he does not want to be there. He was offered a five-year deal. It wasn’t the super-max deal he was qualified for. It was somewhere in the ballpark of 160-plus million.”
Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN: “Kemba Walker is poised to commit to the Boston Celtics on Sunday night when free agency opens. He has essentially left Charlotte in his rearview mirror. They were too far apart on a contract.”
Celtics, Kemba agreeing to deal on Sunday?
Chris Grenham: Woj on @SportsCenter says the Celtics are “more than a strong front-runner” for Kemba. Added that Boston “could have a commitment as soon as Sunday night.”
Celtics faves to land Kemba Walker
The Boston Celtics have emerged as the front-runner to sign Charlotte guard Kemba Walker once free agency opens on Sunday, league sources tell ESPN. Walker, 29, has averaged more than 20 points per game in four straight seasons and is averaging 19.8 points per game for his career since joining the league in 2011 out of UConn, where he won a national championship.
Shams Charania: All-Star Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets have sizable gaps and stalemate in talks so far, opening pathway for competitors in Boston, New York and Dallas, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium .
Celtics frontrunners for Kemba Walker?
Brad Townsend: Current Kemba Walker destination likelihood order, per league source: 1. Boston 2. Charlotte 3. Dallas (definitely in the mix, with Lakers) Somewhere down the line: New York
Celtics and Mavericks targeting Kemba Walker
Marc Stein: We can scratch “stealth.” Boston and Dallas are at the front of the line that will be trying to lure Kemba Walker away from Charlotte, league sources say
Celtics going after Kemba?
April 9, 2020 | 9:12 pm EDT Update
Gerald Bourguet: (5) Devin Booker beats (13) Rui Hachimura 71-55 in the quarterfinals of the NBA 2K Tournament. He’ll face the winner of (16) Derrick Jones Jr. and (8) Montrezl Harrell
Gerald Bourguet: (8) Montrezl Harrell beats (16) Derrick Jones Jr. 71-66 in the quarterfinals of the NBA 2K tournament, advancing to face (5) Devin Booker in the semis
Farbod Esnaashari: Montrezl Harrell and Derrick Jones Jr just showed more sportsmanship I’ve ever seen during an online game in my life. Jones: “Good game bro.” Trez: “Great game bro.” Jones: “Good luck in the next round.”
Will the NBA’s indefinite suspension limit what the Warriors do with the checkbook in the offseason? “We’re looking at all of those questions and the possible answers. But I don’t really have a good sense yet because I really have no idea how this is gonna shake out,” Lacob told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic on Thursday morning. “We don’t know what the salary cap is gonna be, we don’t know what the luxury tax is gonna be. We don’t really know what we can plan on at this point. We just have to look at a lot of different scenarios. That’s what we’re doing right now. It could make a huge difference, it might make no difference.”
Former Notre Dame High School star, and current Marshall Thundering Herd junior standout, Jarrod West has announced he’s entering the 2020 NBA Draft process.
As Illinois goes through this together, the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks, is proud to be playing a critical role with our city, state and federal response to the pandemic. As announced on March 25, our arena and outside campus will be transformed into a logistics hub where we will be assisting with food storage for hunger relief, first responder staging and the collection of critically needed medical supplies.
Moving forward, the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago’s food bank, will be utilizing the United Center as a satellite storage facility in response to the increased need for food. By alleviating space in the food bank’s warehouse, the Food Depository can bring additional volunteers into their facility to build more family food boxes in an environment that adheres to social distancing protocols. These boxes will continue to be distributed to those in need by the Food Depository’s partner network throughout Chicago and Cook County.
April 9, 2020 | 7:56 pm EDT Update
Pau Gasol contemplating retirement
With the league’s current campaign suspended indefinitely due to the global outbreak of the coronavirus, Gasol, who will turn 40 years old in July, is contemplating retirement at this point of his career. “With this recovery process and the injury that I have been dealing with for more than a year, it’s undoubtedly inevitable to think about retirement,” Gasol said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País, via NBC Sports. “Also, taking into account that I will be 40 years old in a few months. So, [retirement] is definitely on my mind.”
“It’s something that will come one time, sooner or later,” Gasol said of retirement. “We hope that time hasn’t come yet. But I also take the opportunity to focus on the Gasol Foundation and other off-court projects. And also think of what my next professional stage may be, my next challenges. All this while I’m still recovering, trying to give myself a chance to keep playing. Now, the priority is to overcome this pandemic among all. Everything else is completely secondary.”
The masks are among those Fanatics recently made at the company’s factory in Easton out of material usually used for uniforms for Major League Baseball jerseys for the Phillies and New York Yankees. So the police officers’ masks will be Phillies pinstripe masks.
In 2011, Jacob Hamilton was a 26-year-old cinematographer looking to expand his portfolio by directing a documentary. He came across a two-minute interview online titled, “The Man Who Invented the Jump Shot.” Four years later, Hamilton was screening his short film in Kevin Durant’s backyard, shocked to see one of the NBA’s best-ever jump shooters geek out over footage he’d gathered of Kenny Sailors from the 1940s. The film was still only halfway to the finish line. “Jump Shot” premiered at South by Southwest in 2019, but still hasn’t been released to the public. That will change next week, when the feature-length documentary will be available online April 16-18. Pre-order is underway at jumpshotmovie.com.
“Jump Shot” got two of its most important assists from NBA superstars Steph Curry and Durant. Hamilton had simply hoped for an interview when, through a connection between an executive producer and a chaplain for USA Basketball, the former Golden State Warriors teammates were introduced to Sailors’ legacy. The crew flew to Oakland and were invited to Durant’s home. Partway through the screening, KD asked for the film to be paused. Hamilton feared the worst, a bored millennial. In reality, the former Longhorns star was mesmerized. “These are moves that I’m doing today,” Hamilton recalls Durant telling them. “I was literally working on this in practice this week, and Kenny was doing this 60-70 years ago? This is unbelievable.”
Curry took his adoration a step further when he told Hamilton he was not only up for an interview, but wanted to get more involved. That’s how basketball’s greatest jump shooter became an executive producer. Both players are interviewed in the film, along with a lineup of basketball legends — from Dirk Nowitzki to Bob Knight, Nancy Lieberman and Clark Kellogg. Their astonishment at Sailors’ pioneering shot, particularly a photograph that appeared in Life magazine in 1946, will resonate with basketball fans.
April 9, 2020 | 6:35 pm EDT Update
Waiters, who’d been signed by Los Angeles less than a week beforehand and hadn’t even played a game with the Lakers yet, was watching the battle between Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic when the decision came down. “People start sending stuff, it got crazy,” Waiters told Sports Illustrated. “At that time, [the Lakers] were still trying to get all the information. Everybody found out at the same time.”
Waiters remained in Los Angeles to work out after the suspension, though those activities were soon banned. Then Waiters, like the rest of his teammates, was tested for the coronavirus in mid-March, a process he described as “terrible.” “They stick a Q-tip into your nose, it touches the front of your brain,” Waiters describes. “You start coughing and everything, it was the worst.”
When this all ends, whenever that is, what’s the one thing you’re most looking forward to doing on that first day? Dion Waiters: Just trying to hoop. Just vibe out and hoop. I’ve had damn near the whole season off. I’m trying to get back and hoop. I got something to prove at the end of the day. During this quarantine I’ve been dieting, getting my weight down, getting in shape. For me, it’s just playing basketball.
The partnership formed between Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls is allowing for the delivery of food and beverages to 2,000 healthcare workers at different Advocate and Rush locations across the Chicagoland area.
Without access to a studio or control room and with all cast and crew members isolated in their respective homes, it was impossible for “The Jump” to continue as a live, hour-long show with the high-level production value fans know and love. That is, until now.
Thanks to special software, iPad cameras, adjusted WiFi speeds, volume control, and “incredible ingenuity,” the “Live from Home” team — which comprises ESPN’s Remote Ops, Production, Production Ops, Creative Services, Transmission, Network Engineering, and Media Engineering teams — were able to pull off the spectacular feat of creating a live, hour-long daily show from their living rooms and basements.
“I am in such debt to the people who worked so incredibly hard on the technical side to make what I believe is still magic — there might be some elves involved, it is Disney after all,” ‘The Jump” host Rachel Nichols told Insider. “I can’t believe that they were able to figure out a way to produce an entire television show with everybody at home, not a single person in our television facility.”
April 9, 2020 | 6:29 pm EDT Update
If nothing else at a time when the Clippers have more questions than answers amid the NBA’s hiatus because of COVID-19, the team is confident in at least one thing to be true. Should the season resume, the same roster that had been dogged by injuries since last summer is on track to be the healthiest it has been. “The Kawhi [Leonard] we’ll see will be in phenomenal shape,” coach Doc Rivers said, adding that Paul George “is another guy that’s goig to be in phenomenal shape. Reggie [Jackson], who was injured when we got him, will now be healthy.”
Since there is a pause on all roster transactions across the league, the 10-day contract Noah signed remains in effect one month later. That has left the former defensive player of the year able to work into shape under the supervision of the team’s medical and performance staffs. “It’s been great for him,” Rivers said. “There are certain individuals who this rest period, or whatever this is called, has been a benefit, and Jo is one of them for sure because he’s got a chance now to get healthy, and to get in shape and that will be a factor for him. He will be a guy that will be able to help us.”
“I talked to Kevin Garnett on the day he went into the Hall of Fame and we had a long talk, but one of the things he actually said is, ‘Man, I can’t wait for the playoffs,’” Rivers said. “In typical KG fashion, ‘No excuses! Nobody should have any excuses! Everyone’s going to be healthy! Everyone’s going to be rested!’”
A whopping 72% of Americans polled said they would not attend if sporting events resumed without a vaccine for the coronavirus. The poll, which had a fairly small sample size of 762 respondents, was released Thursday by Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business. When polling respondents who identified as sports fans, 61% said they would not go to a game without a vaccine. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 3.6%.
Only 12% of all respondents said they would go to games if social distancing could be maintained, which would likely lead to a highly reduced number of fans, staff and media at games. For example, fan capacity for a Los Angeles Lakers or LA Clippers game at Staples Center is around 19,000.
Noordin Said, a beloved security official to NBA players and numerous musical artists, died Tuesday in New York after contracting COVID-19, his daughter confirmed to Yahoo Sports. Said’s mother, Anezia Clemons, who lived with him in New York, also died from COVID-19 approximately seven hours before her 56-year-old son, who died at 1:32 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
NBA star DeMarcus Cousins first hired Noordin Said to be his personal security guard in 2015 during All-Star weekend in New York. From there, the two hit it off, and Said worked the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2017 All-Star weekend in New Orleans at Cousins’ side. Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green hired Said to be his personal security guard during the 2018 playoffs, and Said worked this season with Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo at most home games.
April 9, 2020 | 5:21 pm EDT Update
As the coronavirus pandemic continues across the world, NBA owners are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. The league plans to keep all options to resume the season available for the time being, sources told ESPN, but the financial realities of the situation demand near immediate action. That has become clear in talks between the NBA, the National Basketball Players Association and player agents, sources told ESPN, as the league tries to get its finances in order in the event the rest of the season must be canceled.
The league’s CBA includes a force majeure clause, enabling owners to cancel games and recover salary in the event of a pandemic. This clause also gives the league a 60-day window within which it can rip up the CBA entirely — effectively beginning a work stoppage. No one wants to do that. But it underscores the gravity of the situation. Still, in recent years the two sides have worked as well together as ever, and the CBA isn’t set to expire until 2024.
The agreement between owners and players in the last CBA calls for roughly splitting revenue 50/50 and also splitting the coming losses. So, the owners want to hold back a percentage of players’ checks going forward — both giving them extra money they can use now, if needed, and also to help balance the books in the event some, or all, of the remainder of the season is canceled. From an economic standpoint, both sides would prefer to limit the pain of the shutdown to only this season and not start next season with IOUs on the ledger. Setting the money aside now would help do that.
Karnisovas, who was the only candidate to get multiple interviews the past few days – including a final conversation with chairman Jerry Reinsdorf – will be replacing John Paxson. A source said that Paxson will move into an advisory role, still being a sounding board for the Reinsdorfs — Jerry and Michael — and would only offer opinions in basketball matters if Karnisovas asks. This is completely Karnisovas’ show, and an important one.
Karnisovas will have full decision making over basketball operations, including the futures of Forman, head coach Jim Boylen, and the entire coaching staff. He was even asked about Paxson, and had the option of having the organization move on from the long-time Bulls executive if that’s what he desired. However, a source indicated that Karnisovas had no issues with the Reinsdorfs keeping Paxson around.
There were multiple reports that the search angered a handful of African American executives around the league, who felt like people of color weren’t involved in the searching process by the Bulls. A source close to the situation, however, indicated that not only did Michael Reinsdorf reach out to multiple minority candidates to try and get interviews – but was denied permission to do so by their current organizations, and in some cases simply turned down.
In an attempt to give fans an opportunity to help out those in need in the Central Florida community while also having a shot at winning a unique fan experience at a future NBA game, the Orlando Magic’s television and radio broadcasters will host an online donation drive in conjunction with the Christian Service Center.
April 9, 2020 | 5:10 pm EDT Update
His one concern, according to the source, is with Arturas Karnisovas now calling the shots, Boylen was at least hoping for a chance to sit down with his new bosses and discuss his year-and-a-half on the job before they make a final decision.
One of the most indelible images from the night the NBA shut down was a young girl crying at a Sacramento Kings game. Her tear-stained face and broken heart reflected how many people felt about the temporary end of life as we knew it and the indefinite stoppage of sports. That girl’s name is Sophie, and Kings player Harry Giles wanted to make her feel better. So he recently sent her and her brother a sweet video message. He apologized for the way their last game ended, and to make up for it, he invited them to a Kings game when sports are back underway. Not surprisingly, Sophie was extremely excited.
On Monday, Curry surprised an intensive care nurse and her fellow staffers with a FaceTime appearance in which the two-time NBA MVP shared how inspired he was by her dedication as a front-line healthcare worker.
Shelby Delaney of the Summit Medical Center in Oakland was one of the first nurses to volunteer to help coronavirus patients at the hospital. Curry made sure the 27-year-old knew how important that was. “I can’t thank God enough for what you’re doing and just the sacrifice, the selflessness and the way everybody’s coming together,” Curry told her on the call. “Thank you so much for just what you do, your heart and the inspiration you provide for everybody.”
April 9, 2020 | 5:02 pm EDT Update
Wizards not expecting John Wall back this season
Chris Miller: #Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard says it’s still not feasible for @John Wall to play this season despite the #coronavirus postponing the #NBA season. #RepTheDistrict
Candace Buckner: #Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard asked about preparing for upcoming draft: Says scouting group is doing video conference calls, talking in-depth about specific players and digesting game footage. At this point, Wiz have a lottery pick and second-round selection which would be No. 37
Beal offered this when asked by Lowe about the viability of resuming the season and what he is doing to stay ready: “We haven’t been doing anything for a month, going on two, who knows how long,” Beal said. “I think ultimately, not just for me, that plays a factor for everybody in the league. I don’t think anybody can come back and just go from zero to 100 and pick up right where we left off. There’s going to be some bad basketball if that’s the case…”
“I have an organization who basically gave me the keys,” Beal said. “‘We’re going to build around you. We’re going to get guys around like’ – if I go anywhere else, granted, it may be a good team, but I would be a piece. Who knows if my role would be the same? My role here is, I love what it is. I love [Scott] Brooks. I love what we have. I love our young guys. I think the fact that we actually have guys that are committed to getting better.”
Lowe opened the podcast by giving Beal the opportunity to address the omission: “I was angry, but I wouldn’t say I played angry because of that,” Beal said. “At the end of the day, I wanted to make the playoffs. The All-Star game was what it was. I’m not mad at you for your votes. For me, I will never take that moment away from the other 24 guys. Because that was me two years ago and a year ago. I can’t sit here and take that moment away from Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell and guys who got their first one.
Oleh Kosel: Griffin hopes teams get to model an offseason before games start if 2019-20 season resumes for conditioning/injury prevention. So equal time for both informal work & training camp (TC). Say if NBA schedules 2-week TC, players have access to work on games in prior 2-week period.
After tallying the votes from readers, Awful Announcing listed the team of announcers on YES’s broadcast of Nets games as the top NBA local broadcast. Voters were able to give letter grades from A to F. The YES team’s most popular grade was an A (72.73%), edging out the New York Knicks’ broadcast team by 2.58%.
April 9, 2020 | 4:50 pm EDT Update
Eric Gordon said he would not object to having a season restarted in a sequestered location, one of the ideas the NBA is considering. But he also indicated it is too soon to know if even that will be possible. “That sounds like almost our only option,” Gordon said. “That’s the only thing that can make sense. Just coop us up in a hotel for months and see if we can have that chance to have the season. It’s still a dicey situation, so we’re just hoping this virus calms down and goes away quickly. As of right now, it doesn’t seem like it is.”
