The 26-year-old forward Noah Bonley, the ninth pick in the 2014 draft, averaged 4.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in seven NBA seasons before spending time in China last year. Forward Bruno Caboclo (26), who was selected 11th after Bonley in 2014, has appeared in 105 games in seven seasons and was active in Brazil last year. The 27-year-old winger Justin Jackson was drafted 15th overall in 2017, and over the course of six seasons he played for six NBA teams, and last month was a member of his team in Boston’s Summer League. A 25-year-old two-way contract player, Mufión Duca Benguele is his 27th pick in 2019 and his first-round pick.
These players primarily battle for the last spot on the roster, but Stevens clearly values their age and experience and wants to take a closer look. It offers some strong camping competition.
⋅ If Brodrick Thomas, who signed a two-way contract last season, and veteran Denzel Valentine are also added to the training camp roster, Boston are two players short of the camp’s maximum of 20 players, as expected. . A final adjustment probably won’t happen until early September, according to league sources. Training camp starts on September 27th.
⋅ Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum has been busy all summer long. He hosted kid’s camps in Boston and St. Louis, attended the weddings of his NBA stars such as Draymond Green and De’Aaron Fox, and on Saturday nights in Seattle, run by former NBA standout Jamal Crawford. Pro-Am in his league, he played for The CrawsOver. .
It was a star-studded match. Tatum will pair up with LeBron James and Hawks star Dejounte Murray to face a team that includes June’s top two draft picks Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren and former Celtics star Isaiah Thomas. did. Tatum was largely guarded by Duke alumnus Banchero, who drilled a handful of 3-pointers while facing admittedly light defense. However, the game was abandoned due to condensation on the floor midway through the second quarter.
⋅ Celtics’ schedule was announced on Wednesday, but two overly long trips stood out. The Boston Western Conference field trip is usually attended by Western Conference teams. But the Celtics have his six-game, 10-day trip, which includes games against the Nets and Raptors, and his six-game, 11-day excursion, which includes a detour to Atlanta. A league source said the national television mandate was to blame for the unusual set-up.
⋅ Last winter, Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca led a group that bought a majority stake in Italian football club Atalanta, asking for help from a familiar and trusted voice. Celtics assistant His general manager Mike Zaren recently visited Bergamo, about 30 miles northeast of Milan, to meet with his staff at the club and talk about how they track player data and stats. Did.
“Steve thought I’d meet them and see if they could give me any advice,” Zaren said. “I’m a soccer fan, but I’m no soccer expert. The problem is that many of the challenges of running a sports team are the same across the board. The numbers may vary, but how you set up your infrastructure and how you think about what to analyze with your front office and coaching staff are all very common.
Zaren said the brief trip was largely an introduction, but some Atalanta executives will be coming to Boston to get a closer look at the Celtics’ approach and hope to reach Europe during the World Cup next fall. football may be suspended.
⋅ Celtics forward Grant Williams contacted Jaylen Brown after rumors spread that he may be involved in a trade for Nets star Kevin Durant. He is confident that Brown will not be affected.
“It’s one of those things that really doesn’t disappoint,” says Williams. “We feel that we love JB, everyone here in Boston, everyone on the team. [could be traded]and you are the focus?
League sources claim the Celtics haven’t had any substantive discussions about the Nets and Durant in weeks, and they’ve been in frequent contact with Brown about the situation.
“[Brown is] I’m going to take it with a competitive spirit as well,” Williams said. “I think he’ll come back with a chip on his shoulder. I love it.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. follow him on twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
