Hooped Up

Celtics free agent guard Stephon Marbury said to The Globe early Friday morning that he doesn’t expect to be returning to Boston after receiving a disappointing one-year contract paying $1.3 million using the veteran’s minimum. Marbury said his representative, National Basketball Players Association deputy counsel Hal Biagas, called to tell him about the Celtics offer on Thursday night. The 32-year-old said three other teams, which he would not disclose, are currently interested. The two-time All-Star signed with the Celtics on Feb. 27 for the rest of the season after working out a buyout of his contract with the Knicks that paid $21.8 million after dealing with a soap opera-like situation that kept him sidelined over a year. Marbury averaged 3.8 points and 3.3 assists in 18 minutes per game during 23 contests last season with Boston.

Boston Globe

The Celtics need to improve their thin front line desperately at a reasonable price point and Rasheed Wallace would be a perfect addition.

Among Danny Ainge’s first calls was to Bill Strickland, agent for center-forward Rasheed Wallace. The Celtics’ interest in Wallace is not for the long term, though. Wallace, 34, might be the most intriguing of free agent candidates, his relationship with Celtics forward Kevin Garnett a possible advantage. Charlotte, Cleveland, Orlando, and San Antonio have also shown interest in Wallace.

If Ainge can get Wallace to sign, this might be the second best off-season acquisition in the east besides Shaq. That’s right, I said it Vince.

Via Boston Globe

After a rollercoaster of a season, Stephon Marbury finally ended up playing for the Celtics and according to reports, that’s where he would like to stay.

“I’m not trying to get a bunch of money,’’ Marbury said. “I know Boston doesn’t have a bunch of money. I’m not seeking out teams with more money. I want to play for a championship-contending team. I can’t play for a young team that’s not in a position to compete for a championship.

“I want to play in Boston. I’m not going to say that I don’t. But I know the way that business works. If I don’t come back it won’t be because of me.’’

With Boston trying to trade Rajon Rondo every two seconds, I can’t see the C’s letting Marbury walk away. Unless, Donnie Walsh becomes the GM of the Celtics all of a sudden.

Via Celtics Blog

Rajon Rondo has been mentioned in trade rumours all week and today GM Danny Ainge spilled the beans about the Rondo situation.

With Rajon Rondo’s name continually popping up in trade rumors, Celtics president Danny Ainge spoke once again this morning about his point guard, stressing his value to the team while also saying “he’s got to grow up” in some areas and making other critical comments. Ainge said Rondo needed to take more of a leadership role and revealed the 23-year-old was fined for showing up late to a playoff game.

Rondo already looks 12 years-old, so I feel this comment by Danny Ainge isn’t fair. Plus I bet if Ainge and Rondo went to Six Flags and talked things over, with some cotton candy they could work out their differences.

Via Boston Globe

The Boston Celtics appear willing to make major roster changes to balance a chance for a championship run and future financial flexibility. The Celtics offered Ray Allen andRajon Rondo to the Detroit Pistons for a package that includedRichard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Boston general manager Danny Ainge and Detroit’s Joe Dumars never spoke, but rather the Celtics had a lower-level executive make the pitch to aPistons official over the past weekend, league sources said. Detroit immediately rejected the idea, and it never advanced to the two top executives speaking about particulars. This isn’t an uncommon occurrence for a GM like Ainge to dispatch an underling to make that kind of a call, if for no other reason to give the top executive some level of deniability that he’s shopping his stars.

Yahoo! Sports

Despite rumors to the contrary, an NBA executive said there has been “zero” trade discussion regarding Ray Allen, who will be a free agent in 2010, and that such talk is “preposterous.”Another NBA executive said, “I’m not really hearing that. But I would expect that kind of rumor. They didn’t win without KG [Kevin Garnett], he was hot and cold in the [playoffs], and he’s a last-year guy. Upgrade if you can. It would make some type of sense.” 

Boston Globe

An NBA source told the Globe that Celtics forward Kevin Garnett underwent surgery today to remove bone spurs in his injured right knee, which kept him out of the entire postseason.

The source said surgery went well and Garnett would be sidelined from basketball activity for 6-8 weeks.

The spurs in Garnett’s knee were detected before the season, but were not considered serious enough to warrant surgery. However, he came up limping late in the first half during a Feb. 19 game at Utah, and was sidelined until March 15.

After playing briefly in four games, then was shut down by the Celtics, who were aiming to have him available for the playoffs.

Boston Globe

Celtics president Danny Ainge told the Globe’s Frank Dellapa tonight that forward Kevin Garnett would have surgery sometime next week on his knee.

Garnett missed 24 games and the postseason with a sprained right knee. The Celtics have said the All-Star would have right knee bone spur surgery that had been postponed previously in the hope that he could get healthy enough to play in the postseason. But with Boston being eliminated last Sunday, Garnett is now available to have knee surgery for the first time in his career.

Owner Wyc Grousbeck said today that he expected Garnett to be back at full strength next season, and coach Doc Rivers has said he didn’t expect Garnett to be out long following the surgery.

Boston Globe

Rajon Rondo has had a good basketball career thus far and I really don’t expect that to change anytime soon. If anything this guy just keeps getting better and better as he figures out the NBA game at the hardest position to master. So what’s life like for Rajon Rondo without a textbook jumper at this point? Kinda phat, as you’ll see in this video.

So after the Celtics stick a stake in the heart of the Magic tonight, you can better imagine how Rondo kicks it before he takes on the Cavaliers, ya stalker.

The Celtics have the luck of the Irish on their side and and that’s really bad news for the Orlando Magic heading back to Boston. With a chance to lead the series 3 - 1, Big Baby hit the biggest shot of his life to revive the Celtics and gave this series some legs winning the game 95 - 94.

Kevin Garnett was probably so happy, he didn’t make Glen Davis cry.