The Celtics have conceded that they won't pry Eric Bledsoe away from the Clippers, but so far they aren't budging on the inclusion of Terry or Lee. It's possible that a third team will get involved to facilitate a trade centered around KG, Doc Rivers and DeAndre Jordan, and Caron Butler could become part of the deal, but for now the two sides continue to negotiate and mull their options. Stay tuned.
Celts-Clips trade talks hit another snag
Kevin Garnett | BOS
(June 17, 2013 6:07 PM EDT)
Trade talks between the Celtics and Clippers have reportedly hit another snag over L.A.'s unwillingness to accept the contract of either Jason Terry or Courtney Lee.
Source:
CSNNE.com
Report: Chris Paul would re-sign with Doc, KG
Chris Paul | LAC
(June 17, 2013 12:22 PM EDT)
Chris Paul would re-sign with the Clippers if Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett are traded to the team, sources told Yahoo! Sports.
The Clippers wouldn't be pursuing a deal of this magnitude without sign-off from their star, and landing both Rivers and Garnett would secure Paul's future in Los Angeles. It seems obvious, but it's worth noting after Paul was reportedly upset about how the team blamed Vinny Del Negro's firing on him.
Source:
Yahoo! Sports
Ellis opts out, will test free agent market
Monta Ellis | MLW
(June 17, 2013 11:21 AM EDT)
Monta Ellis will opt out of his contract and test free agency, sources told ESPN's Chris Broussard.
This is what we've known for a while and the Bucks received official notification of Ellis' decision. Ellis was always fully expected to opt out, and now it sounds as if he's made a final decision. After rejecting a two-year extension from the Bucks for nearly $25 million, we do not expect him to be back in Milwaukee. It's fairly clear he wants a multi-year deal elsewhere.
Source:
Chris Broussard on Twitter
Dario Saric officially withdraws from draft
Dario Saric | CLG
(June 17, 2013 8:45 AM EDT)
Dario Saric has officially withdrawn from the June NBA draft.
ESPN's No. 11 ranked prospect, Saric was seemingly a lock to go in the top 14 picks. Instead, he'll spend another year abroad (which he was planning to do regardless), and he'll look to enter the draft again in 2014. After saying he wasn't sure if he was ready or not, Saric apparently feels that he's not quite there.
Source:
Chad Ford on Twitter
Report: Pacers leaning toward keeping Granger
Danny Granger | IND
(June 17, 2013 8:24 AM EDT)
The Pacers are "leaning toward" keeping Danny Granger off the trade market, sources told ESPN.
The Pacers could bring back Granger and go all-in for one season after narrowly missing out on advancing to the NBA Finals, or the team could look to deal him in the offseason. Granger will be involved in a plethora of trade rumors until he's either dealt or kept, so don't expect those to fizzle or die down any time soon.
Source:
ESPN
Danny Green sets Finals record for 3-pointers
Danny Green | SA
(June 16, 2013 11:15 PM EDT)
Danny Green scored 24 points in the Spurs' Game 5 victory, shooting 6-of-10 from downtown to increase his series total to a Finals-record 25 made 3-pointers.
Green passed Ray Allen, the previous record-holder, just a few minutes into the second half of Game 5. He also leads the Spurs in the Finals at 18.0 points per game, and his 65.8 percent shooting beyond the arc is simply one of the best shooting displays, on the biggest stage, in NBA history. It's a terrific moment for Green, the No. 46 pick of the 2009 draft who was cut by the Cavaliers before the Spurs took a chance on him.
Miami facing elimination after Game 5 defeat
LeBron James | MIA
(June 16, 2013 11:09 PM EDT)
The Heat chipped away all night but couldn't overtake the Spurs on Sunday, falling behind 2-3 in the Finals despite LeBron James' 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
Dwyane Wade had another nice game with 25 points, 10 assists and two blocks, while Chris Bosh added 16 points and six boards, but Miami's star trio wasn't enough to beat an inspired Spurs' offense. Ray Allen scored 15 of his 21 points during a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, but everyone else on the team combined for 17 points on 5-of-21 shooting.
Spurs win Game 5 behind Manu's 24 pts, 10 ast
Manu Ginobili | SA
(June 16, 2013 11:05 PM EDT)
Manu Ginobili responded brilliantly to a surprise start in Game 5, scoring a season-high 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting, with 10 assists and one steal.
Ginobili set the tone with a vintage flurry of points and assists to start the game, quickly justifying Gregg Popovich's decision to match Miami's small lineup. He entered Game 5 averaging 7.5 points in the Finals, talking about retirement, and being relentlessly questioned in the national media, but he left to adoring chants of "Ma-nu, Ma-nu," with his team one win away from another NBA championship.
Update: Clippers moving on without Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers | BOS
(June 15, 2013 7:21 PM EDT)
The Clippers are preparing to move on without Doc Rivers and could offer their coaching job to Lionel Hollins or Brian Shaw.
After an afternoon full of rumors, this comes along. Of course, there is always a lot of cloak and dagger with any trade rumor and the Clippers could just be posturing. Hollins and Shaw could both be great coaches in the NBA, so it would make sense for the Clippers not to dump too much into getting a new coach. With the Clippers' deal receding as a possibility, Rivers is reportedly "prepared to stay in Boston."
Source:
Brad Turner on Twitter
Gallinari (ACL) could return in December
Danilo Gallinari | DEN
(June 15, 2013 3:46 PM EDT)
Danilo Gallinari (partially torn ACL) could resume basketball activities by December.
Gallo was originally expected to be out through February, but he got some good news when doctors determined his ACL was not fully torn. He said in a recent video posted on Twitter, "I underwent a healing response procedure, in which ligament is stimulated to respond naturally ... This procedure changes completely my rehab and recovery time." He's still expected to miss the first month of the season, at a minimum.
Source:
Denver Post