He had words about the departing Celtics, what we can expect of the newest members of the team, some of the logic behind the moves, and more.
With the trades of Boston Celtics veterans Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday now complete, and the signings of Luka Garza and Josh Minott as well, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens took some time to sit down with the media on Tuesday (July 8).
The Boston president had some words about the departing Celtics, what we can expect of the newest members of the team's roster, some of the logic behind these moves in light of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA)'s second apron penalties -- and hinted strongly that beloved vet big man Al Horford is unlikely to return to the team.
Let's take a look at some excerpts of what Stevens had to say about the Celtics' offseason moves to date and more.
On players leaving the team via trade or free agency
"I want to start by saying thank you to to Jrue (Holiday) and (Kristaps Porzingis) and Luke (Kornet) for all that they gave here and all that they meant here."
"I think I could go into great detail on each of them, but Jrue being here for two years, KP being here for two years, obviously had a huge impact not only on our team, but on the city and the community and and everything else, and Luke being here a little bit longer than that. We wish those guys well. We'll be rooting for them from afar."
On signing Luka Garza, Josh Minott
"We've been limited in what tools we can use with where we are, right around the second apron. And so we're looking for guys on those contracts that have upside that are competitors, that are workers that that want to be good, that haven't hit their peak yet. But we've seen something in them that we think gives them a chance to be very impactful."
How Payton Pritchard will see his role change
"I haven't thought a ton about how much roster change will change Payton Pritchard's work ethic, because it's always at the highest. He's as good as it gets with his work, so Payton will prioritize winning, which he always has, and will continue to grow in his game ... That's what he does. That's who he is. I've said many times, he loves basketball and ... loves to compete, loves to play hard. Those factors all matter."
On how much the second apron shaped the offseason
"I mean, the second apron's why those trades happened. I think that those are pretty obvious. And the basketball penalties associated with those are real. We've all talked about that, and we were fortunate because we like the guys we got back, and I think that that's one of the things that we are excited about. I think he stamped his Hall of Famer candidacy here, if he didn't already have it."
"We'll look forward to watching and again rooting and following him from afar. But he's as he's as good of a person as you could ever have in your building and and as part of your team and and KP, he fought some of the stuff healthwise in the last two years, but when he played he was awfully good, and we think he'll be awfully good for Atlanta this year. So again, those are not easy trades to make; those are not easy phone calls. Obviously those guys have been around the league a long time, they knew the CBA, they knew that that was a high likelihood that they could be part of a move -- and they were communicated that before."
Why Boston traded for Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang
"I think Anthony is a guy that people out here probably don't see as much because of the time that they play. But his ability to score, his ability to shoot the ball, make really hard shots is pretty elite. And you look at a guy that's 26 years old, that's averaged 20 a game for three straight years, I think he's a really good player and I think he can get better. That's a big part of it."
"Niang has just added value to winning on each team he's been on, and he's a pain to play against, which I very much admire. He knows what he does well, and he knows how to bring out the best in his group. It's not a coincidence that he was a part of the rotation on those really good Philly (76ers) teams."
On Horford's future in Boston
"I don't know what I can say about this or not say about it. We made offers to both Luke and Al. We would love to have had both of them back. I'd say that's unlikely. The only reason I haven't talked about Al is because that's not final. I could probably talk about Al my whole press conference and not say enough. But I don't want to speak in absolute terms until an ultimate decision is made. But, another guy that if he were to go and and play somewhere else, I think, he is an all-time Celtic and winner and and did everything he could for this organization."
Check out the rest of the presser below!
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics president Brad Stevens on offseason moves, future
Category: Basketball