Hoops Rumors

Celtics star Jayson Tatum played in his 65th game of the season on Wednesday against Milwaukee, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That means the 26-year-old will be eligible for postseason awards, including All-NBA. As Marks observes, Tatum already met the performance criteria for a super-max extension by a earning spot on the All-NBA First Team each of the past two seasons. However, … [Read more...] about Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Maxey, McBride, Thomas

The reeling Raptors appear doomed for an NBA draft lottery return this summer, but there are still plenty of reasons to pay attention to the team down the stretch, contends Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Chief among them, argues Koreen, is watching combo guard Gary Trent Jr. make his push towards a lucrative new contract in free agency. As Koreen notes, Trent is enjoying a … [Read more...] about Atlantic Notes: Trent, Porzingis, Barclays, Jones

Celtics forward Sam Hauser appears to have escaped serious injury after stepping on the foot of a Wizards player during Sunday’s game, a source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. X-rays on Hauser’s left ankle came back negative, according to Himmelsbach’s source. His status for tonight’s game against Detroit hasn’t been determined, but he isn’t expected to be out of … [Read more...] about Celtics Notes: Hauser, Pritchard, Tatum, Porzingis

Former All-NBA big man DeMarcus Cousins will be returning to the Taiwan Beer Leopards in mid-April, according to Chen Jung-chen and James Lo of Focus Taiwan. Cousins played four games for the Leopards in January. “Super excited to be back and gearing up for an epic season of playoffs with my teammates and all of you,” Cousins said in a video released on the team’s Facebook … [Read more...] about And-Ones: Cousins, LeBron, Redick, Value Contracts, 2025 FAs

Hornets forward Grant Williams has been on the receiving end of some media criticism recently in his former NBA markets. Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported after Williams was traded from Dallas to Charlotte last month that he had “personality clashes” and “rubbed a lot of people the wrong way” during his half-season with the Mavs, while Celtics commentator Mike Gorman said this week … [Read more...] about Hornets Notes: G. Williams, Offense, M. Williams, Ball

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla recently started adjusting the rotation patterns and responsibilities for his two star wings, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. For most of the season, Jayson Tatum had been getting his first rest about six minutes into the game while Jaylen Brown typically played the entire first quarter. Brown then started the second quarter on the bench … [Read more...] about Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Tillman, Roster Opening

Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa has impressed in the midst of several injuries to key players like Julius Randle, starting 18 straight games and averaging 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per night. He returned to the bench as the team got healthier on Tuesday, but remained productive, registering 12 points, eight boards and two blocks against … [Read more...] about Atlantic Notes: Achiuwa, Hart, Anunoby, Porzingis, Celtics

After missing four games with knee inflammation, Bruce Brown hopes to be able to play against his former team when the Raptors visit Denver tonight, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Brown, who played an important role in the Nuggets’ title run last season, has been increasing his workload recently and hopes he’ll receive medical clearance to take the court. This will be … [Read more...] about Atlantic Notes: Brown, Raptors, Reed, Nurse, Maxey, Celtics