NBA Rumors: Latest on Potential Celtics Draft Pick Trade, Greg Monroe and More
Free agency is rapidly approaching, and with the 2015 draft right upon us, the NBA’s version of the hot stove is already beginning to heat up.
As the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers continue to battle in the NBA Finals, 28 other teams are trying to improve their rosters to be in a similar position at this time next year.
One team that has been mentioned frequently this summer has been the Boston Celtics, who could be in the mix to make a splash at next Thursday's draft.
According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, the Celtics are making an effort to trade both of their first-round picks in order to move up in the draft and land a lottery pick: "It’s hardly a secret a slew of teams, including several lottery ones, are exploring potential trades. One team that is making a concerted effort to move into the lottery, league sources claim, is Boston. The Celtics are dangling their No. 1 picks: Nos. 16 and 28."
With two picks in the first round and 12 total picks over the next two drafts, Boston is in a prime position to make such a move. The question is: Which prospect is the team eyeing?
With a backcourt of Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics may be best suited to explore upgrades in the frontcourt. Meanwhile, power forwards Brandon Bass and Jonas Jerebko are both free agents this summer, according to Spotrac, as are small forwards Luigi Datome and Jae Crowder.
Other frontcourt contributors such as Gerald Wallace, Tyler Zeller, Evan Turner, Jared Sullinger and Chris Babb all hit the market in 2016.
It would be difficult for Boston to get as high as No. 1 or 2 to land the top big men in the draft, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor, but perhaps the team could put itself in a position on the next wave of frontcourt players.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England reported there are “growing signs” that the Celtics have interest in Willie Cauley-Stein but would have to move up in the draft to land the former Kentucky star.
In addition to Cauley-Stein, Kristaps Porzingis and Myles Turner are other players projected to fall somewhere in the top 10 for whom the Celtics could potentially move up, should they have interest in going in that direction.
Monroe Destined for New York or Boston?
Greg Monroe is going to be one of the hottest free-agent commodities this summer. Thus far, the center has been linked to two different destinations.
According to Woelfel, the Detroit Pistons’ acquisition of Ersan Ilyasova from the Milwaukee Bucks was meant as a plan to replace Monroe should he leave in free agency.
Woelfel wrote that “there is strong speculation” that the coveted free agent will sign with either the New York Knicks or Boston Celtics:
"Ilyasova, who was dealt for Racine native Caron Butler and Shawne Williams, was a part-time starter for the Bucks last season, playing in 58 games and starting 36 of them.
However, he could be the Pistons’ full-time starter as veteran Greg Monroe will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. There is strong speculation Monroe will sign with either New York or Boston.
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Both the Knicks and the Celtics have a major need for a center, especially one of Monroe’s caliber.
Last year, the 6'11" seventh-overall pick (2010) averaged 15.9 points and a career-best 10.2 rebounds per game in Detroit. He also saw a minutes reduction under coach Stan Van Gundy and made 57 starts, his lowest amount since his rookie season in 2010-11.
New York currently has Andrea Bargnani penciled in as the starting center and Lou Amundson at power forward. The team needs to upgrade at one or both positions either via the draft or free agency and has been connected to Monroe in the past.
Marc Berman of the New York Post reported in April that Monroe had plans to meet with Knicks president Phil Jackson at the start of free agency:
Additionally, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News called Jackson’s affinity for Monroe “maybe the worst-kept secret in the NBA” and was told by a source it’s already considered a lock to happen:
"Maybe the worst kept secret in the NBA is that Phil Jackson plans to pursue Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe in free agency this summer. In fact, one league executive called it “about as close to a done deal as you can get.”
Still, the talk among scouts and executives who attended the Portsmouth Invitational is that Monroe is Jackson’s primary free-agent target.
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Likewise, the Celtics could benefit from adding Monroe to their frontcourt, one that includes a high volume of free agents over the course of this summer and in 2016. He’s an upgrade over Bass, an impending free agent, but more expensive, too.
Millsap to Return to Utah?
Paul Millsap began his NBA career with the Utah Jazz, and now the team that drafted him with at No. 47 overall in 2006 is expected to make a play to bring him back.
According to Spencer Checketts of 1280 The Zone in Salt Lake City, the Jazz plan to “actively pursue” Millsap when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Millsap played in Utah from 2006-13 before leaving town as a free agent to join the Atlanta Hawks. He was named to the NBA All-Star Game twice in as many years and just recently helped lead the team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Millsap, 30, averaged 18.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and a block per game last season in Atlanta.
After the Hawks' season came to an end, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he would take a look at all of his options, including Atlanta:
"I think looking at different options, looking at this team, looking at what we’ve built thus far, in weight my options (sic) I can’t make a decision right now. It’s been a long series, a long year, for me and the team. Let things die down, cool off, relax and think about it a little bit. We are a family. This team is close. It will play a lot into the decision.
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The power forward should draw interest on the open market but must also factor in returning to Utah or remaining in Atlanta with a team that made a deep playoff run.
Millsap may also consider where he fits with the Hawks or other potential suitors versus what his role with the Jazz may be.
Millsap started 73 games for the Hawks each of the last two seasons. He became a full-time starter in Utah in 2010, his fifth year in the league. He became expendable when the Jazz traded for Derrick Favors during the 2010-11 season.
Since joining the Jazz, Favors’ numbers have steadily risen. He averaged a career-high 16.0 points and 8.2 boards per game last season.
In other words, after investing so much in Favors and seeing him steadily develop, would the Jazz move him to a sixth-man role, or is that what the team had in mind for Millsap? That could be a deciding factor for Millsap to consider this summer.
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