Gary Washburn: Terry Rozier and PJ Washington are OUT tonight for #Hornets. #Celtics
NBA Rumor: Terry Rozier Free Agency
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The Boston Celtics have acquired three-time All-Star and 2018-19 All-NBA guard Kemba Walker and a future second round pick (the least favorable of Brooklyn and New York’s 2020 picks) in a sign-and-trade agreement with the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guard Terry Rozier and a future protected second round pick, the team announced today.
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
Terry Rozier to Hornets
They’ve been reportedly linked to Julius Randle, Bobby Portis,and Terry Rozier, and, according to sources, have shown interest in bringing back Noah Vonleh and Lance Thomas. They haven’t expressed interest in taking back other teams’ problematic contracts to add long-term assets, preferring to prioritize only adding players who can help them be more competitive next season.
JD Shaw: The Hornets are emerging as a serious destination for free agent Terry Rozier, though it remains to be seen how much money Michael Jordan is willing to spend on the 25-year-old. Rozier has spent all four seasons with Boston.
Adam Himmelsbach: Per source, as of now Terry Rozier’s qualifying offer has not been renounced. The Suns, Knicks, Mavericks, Bulls, Hornets and Magic have all expressed interest in the point guard.
Jared Weiss: Was told half an hour ago the timing of Rozier’s QO being rescinded was still TBD. Phoenix is looking to strike a deal with Rozier per source, but plan to exhaust options to get D’Angelo Russell before moving forward. DLo will meet w/ Wolves and Lakers.
New York also has strong interest in Terry Rozier, but the club has competition. SNY sources confirm that Charlotte and Phoenix also have interest in Rozier. That interest, which was first reported by The Athletic and the Charlotte Observer, respectively, could complicate the Knicks’ pursuit of Rozier. Several teams with interest in Rozier believed on Saturday night that Phoenix was in a solid position to land the guard.
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.
Gary Washburn: Now that #Celtics have a commitment from Kemba Walker, expect them to renounce the rights to Terry Rozier, making the PG an unrestricted free agent. Many teams, including #Knicks, #Suns and #Hornets will be interested.
Chris Forsberg: Celtics would like to bring Daniel Theis back and can fit his small QO without impeding Kemba space. Terry Rozier’s QO can be rescinded whenever team needs that space to sign Kemba and gives them some time to examine any moves that could be made.
Steve Bulpett: It’s should be fair to assume Celtics will give Terry Rozier the $4,285,798 qualifying offer by today’s deadline to make him a restricted free agent. They would then rescind it if/when they need the space to sign a certain free agent point guard… Making the QO just covers them.
Gary Washburn: Expect the #Celtics to extend a qualifying offer to Terry Rozier as a means of insurance. If they get a commitment from Kemba Walker, they can renounce that offer and make Rozier a free agent.
As Kemba Walker continues to be poised to sign elsewhere, Charlotte has begun to target point guards in the marketplace such as Celtics free agent Terry Rozier, league sources said. Rozier is a target for the New York Knicks, too.
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.
If the Knicks get spurned by Kyrie Irving, who reportedly has the Nets higher on his wish list, the Knicks would consider Rozier a prime target. “After Kyrie and Kemba, I think Rozier is next up,’’ said a person familiar with the Knicks’ thinking. “I think he’d be good with Kevin Knox and RJ (Barrett).”
Adam Himmelsbach: Per sources, the Celtics have yet to offer a qualifying offer to Terry Rozier and will probably take it down to the deadline. Obviously the Kemba pursuit impacts this significantly.
Knicks eyeing Terry Rozier
The 25-year-old Rozier, a point guard who averaged 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 79 games last season, previously expressed his interest with the Knicks when he appeared on “Jalen and Jacoby” last month. “I definitely can [see it],” he said about possibly joining New York. “This is a great organization. Everybody knows about the New York Knicks, the sports market, the city of New York. It’d be great.”
Jay King: Danny Ainge listed a number of players who have worked out some in the Celtics facility this offseason already, but said he hasn’t seen Terry Rozier. Suggested he trusts Rozier, a hard worker, is putting the hours in elsewhere
“You guys know I’m a big fan of Terry’s,” Ainge said. “I don’t always agree with how everybody handles the media, just like they probably don’t agree with how I handle the media and things that I say. We don’t always think alike, that’s what makes the game fun. But I’m a big fan of Terry’s, I think that if Terry was in the right circumstance and the right role, I think he would love playing in Boston, is my opinion. And if not, then I think Terry would let me know that. But Terry and I have a very good relationship, as Terry does with Brad (Stevens) as well.”
With Rozier hitting restricted free agency later in July, he was pressed about his future in Boston. “I’m looking forward to just play ball,” Rozier said. “I don’t care where I go. Obviously the Celtics is the only organization I knew for four years. I love it there, and we just have to go from there. … I expect for me to get my chance, whether it’s with the Celtics or it’s anywhere else. I feel like I can be myself and play my game wherever I go.” He was asked later in the program though about the possibility of coming back with this current roster intact and threw cold water on the idea. “I might have to go. I put up with a lot this year. I said what I said after the season. I think we all know that I’m not trying to step into that again.”
Chris Grenham: Terry Rozier tells @FirstTake that if the Celtics wanted to bring back this year’s team next season: “I might have to go. I put up with a lot this year. I said what I said after the season. I think we all know that I’m not trying to step into that again.”
Rozier said he believed his teammates got used to Irving’s leadership style by the end of the season. But in Rozier’s eyes, there still was an on-court disconnect between how the Celtics practiced with Irving and how they played. “We would come in the game and it would be a different game plan than what we kind of expected and kind of went through in practice, so it was different,” Rozier admitted.
“We had the first five and then we had the second five (in practice). And when we go out there, I feel like a lot of guys would be mixed up. It wouldn’t be the first five and the second five. “So, what we’d be talking about in practice is not what we went through in the game. It was like, all right, we’re going to keep Kyrie out there and put the other guys out there with him, and we’re going to figure it out.”
Multiple league sources tell NBC Sports Boston that the Knicks, a team with plenty of roster holes to fill this offseason, have interest in at least two other Celtics players besides Irving — Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier — who like Irving, will be free agents this summer. New York’s interest in Rozier has been steady, only to have picked up during Rozier’s strong showing in the playoffs last year and continued through the February trade deadline, which is when Boston made the decision to keep Rozier and the rest of the team intact.
And while Irving is the bigger priority for New York, if the Knicks are able to land the No. 1 overall pick and package that in a trade for Anthony Davis while also securing Kevin Durant via free agency from Golden State, that would take them more or less out of the hunt for signing Irving and force them to potentially swing a deal for a less-established playmaker like ex-Celtic Rajon Rondo or a young player with upside… a player like Rozier.
“I don’t give a f— what nobody say, I sacrificed the most out of anybody. I’m a top point guard in this league. I feel like it’s a fresh start, whether I’m here or whether I’m gone.” said Rozier, a star last postseason in Irving’s absence who’s about to hit restricted free agency in July.
Tom Westerholm: Terry Rozier told me yesterday “I’m just grateful to still be wearing ‘Celtics’ across my chest.” He told Yahoo “I feel like I sacrificed the most, but I’d do it any day for this team.” Clearly he’s been unhappy, but I’m … honestly not sure with whom.
Jay King: Terry Rozier on what he wants in free agency: “I’m looking forward to a family, someone that greets me like a family and is gonna invest in me all the way. Other than that I’m gonna go from there.” His thoughts on the Celtics, who will have option to match offers: “No comment.”
Meanwhile, Terry Rozier gave a “no comment” when asked about the Celtics having his matching rights, commending Brad Stevens for “dealing with a lot of guys that want to be great trying to get theirs.” The Celtics held on to Rozier as an insurance policy in case Irving left this summer, but Rozier and his agents will try to price the team out of his market. It leaves Boston with a conundrum of whether, with Rozier likely gone, moving forward with Irving is actually in their best interest.
Another cause is an age-old conflict — lack of playing time. Rozier, who was a postseason star in 2018 while Irving recovered from knee surgery, saw his minutes and his shots reduced in a season when he was approaching free agency. “I felt like I went from the passenger seat to the trunk,” Rozier says, with a wry smile. “Everybody tells you, ‘Don’t think about the contract, don’t think about the money.’ I always tell myself, ‘I’ll get what I deserve one day. Maybe not this day, but one day.'”
Rozier will also be a restricted free agent, with Phoenix considered by league sources as a team likely to make a strong push for the point guard. The Suns offered a protected first-round pick for Rozier before the season, but Boston demanded an unprotected first, per league sources. Were Irving to leave, Rozier would be his logical replacement in the starting lineup.
The second is a function of the market as it stands. According to league sources, while there are certainly teams interested in Smith, there is some reluctance to make a commitment to him because there could be other more traditional young point guards on the market this summer. There will be the likes of Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker in free agency, of course. But for rebuilding teams in need of a point guard — Orlando and Phoenix have been mentioned as possible Smith suitors — the preference is to take aim at young restricted free agents like Terry Rozier or D’Angelo Russell this summer rather than gamble on whether Smith can develop into a point guard. “He is very athletic, but he’s not a playmaker and not a great shooter,” one front office executive told SN. “If you have money under the cap this offseason (the Suns and Magic will), there are other guys you can pursue who fit better, who can pass and score.”
With Dinwiddie off the free-agency board, Rozier and Russell benefit the most. However, as restricted free agency has taught us in recent years, Boston and Brooklyn have all the leverage until an offer sheet is presented. League execs identified the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns as potential suitors for both players.
Rozier acknowledged that he had to weigh the balance of contributing to a contender or seeking a more high-profile and less predictable role. His frustration never boiled over into a trade request. “If you know me, I’m not one to stir the pot,” said Rozier. “That’s not me. That’s not how I do things.” He proved his value in last year’s playoffs, and he can continue to do so in a reserve role on another deep run. Come July, Rozier can revisit the choice between re-signing with a star-studded roster in Boston or seeking a more lucrative opportunity elsewhere. That decision may already be made, or the Celtics might make it for him, but he’s not going to let it get in the way of his success. Not anymore. “I just need to play my game,” said Rozier, “and the rest of that stuff will work itself out.”
Up in the land of Kyrie, Knicks coach David Fizdale gave his strongest case yet that the Knicks have become an attractive free-agent destination after 25 games on the job. The Knicks are closing in on having cap space for a maximum salary this summer but have work to do. Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving, a Northern Jersey product, was considered their best chance until he proclaimed he will re-sign, but that is no guarantee after the Celtics’ sluggish start. Irving’s backup, Terry Rozier, is also a restricted free agent, and the two of them may not be able to coexist long term. The Knicks like Rozier a lot, according to a source.
The Knicks are closing in on having cap space for a maximum salary this summer but have work to do. Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving, a Northern Jersey product, was considered their best chance until he proclaimed he will re-sign, but that is no guarantee after the Celtics’ sluggish start. Irving’s backup, Terry Rozier, is also a restricted free agent, and the two of them may not be able to coexist long term. The Knicks like Rozier a lot, according to a source.
On Rick Pitino’s podcast you said you want everything you deserve in free agency. What do you mean by that? Terry Rozier: Yeah, that podcast was old. I did that podcast about a month ago. (That) shit (is) dumb old. So I don’t know why he’s just now coming out with it. It was just more attention on myself, so everything was just — but I want everything I deserve. And I’m going to get everything I deserve. Like I said, I’ve been around this game long enough to see how both sides work, and that’s why it helped me make my decisions.
No extension for Rozier
The Celtics and point guard Terry Rozier will not come to an agreement on a contract extension prior to Monday’s deadline, two league sources told the Globe. According to one source, Rozier is determined to become a starting point guard in the NBA, and next summer will seek the minutes and money of a starter, perhaps in the $20 million-per-season range.
“There’s not going to be any extension,” the source said. “It wouldn’t make any sense for Terry to do that.” It was never likely that Rozier, 24, would sign an extension given his current role as a backup to Kyrie Irving. Then last week Irving publicly declared his intention to re-sign with the Celtics after this season, making Rozier’s interest in a long-term extension on a team-friendly deal even more of a long shot. Irving likely will command a five-year, $189 million maximum-salary contract.
Adam Himmelsbach: Stevens on Rozier: “I think it’s very clear how all of us players, coaches and front office, people in Boston, everybody you run into, how they feel about Terry. And it’d be great if we could have him here for a long, long, time.”
Adam Himmelsbach: Terry Rozier on possible contract extension: “We’ve been trying to focus on us and I’ve been trying to take the pressure off the extension thing. So I’m focused on the team. If it’s right for me to sign an extension, I will. If it’s not, it still can happen in the summer.”
June 29, 2022 | 3:41 pm EDT Update
Magic emerge as leading suitor for Isaiah Hartenstein
Marc Stein: Orlando has emerged as a leading suitor for Clippers free agent big man Isaiah Hartenstein, league sources say. More NBA from me: marcstein.substack.com
Blazers make Anfernee Simons a restricted free agent
JD Shaw: The Blazers have officially extended a qualifying offer to guard Anfernee Simons, making him a restricted free agent.
Kylen Mills: “It was great to see him running around, smiling, dunking.” -Warriors California Classic Coach Seth Cooper says James Wiseman is having a lot of fun at practice, working back into playing. There’s still a lot of optimism in the organization about Wiseman’s future. #dubnation
June 29, 2022 | 3:29 pm EDT Update
Knicks interested in Dejounte Murray due to defensive concerns with Jalen Brunson, Evan Fournier backcourt
The Knicks are among the teams who have expressed interest in acquiring Dejounte Murray via trade, SNY has learned. Bleacher Report stated that the Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs had previously had talks around a potential trade for Murray. […] Some with the Knicks have talked about Murray’s fit in the backcourt if they are able to land Brunson. Some members of the organization are concerned about the backcourt of Brunson and Evan Fournier defensively.
