Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce on the identity of the next great Boston Celtics team
What will be the identity of the next great Boston Celtics team? The Celtics are currently in the midst of retooling their roster on the fly this offseason, making moves to cut salary without losing too much salary in the process. Now under the NBA's dreaded second apron, Boston has added talent to the team on the offensive end in former Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons and ex-Atlanta Hawks backup forward Georges Niang.
Niang is not known for his defensive chops at age 32 so much as his perimeter shooting, and Simons, an especially good shot from beyond the arc, is known to be a poor defender. Will Boston's next contender identity keep leaning into offense, or are these moves a temporary shift in team dynamic?
Few people are better positioned to talk about the identity of a Celtics contender than Hall of Fame champion Boston forwards Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who weighed in on these questions on a recent episode of their 'Ticket and the Truth' podcast. Check it out below!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
28 minutes ago
- New York Times
Morgan Geekie signs 6-year contract extension with Boston Bruins: Source
Morgan Geekie has signed a six-year, $33 million extension with the Boston Bruins with an annual average value of $5.5 million, league sources told The Athletic's Chris Johnston. Geekie would have been a restricted free agent on Tuesday. Geekie, 26, is coming off a 33-goal breakout season. Once a regular healthy scratch at the beginning of 2024-25, Geekie found a home as left wing on the Bruins' No. 1 line next to David Pastrnak. Geekie even occupied Pastrnak's favorite spot on the left elbow to launch one-timers set up by No. 88. Advertisement Part of Geekie's goal-scoring success was because of a career-best shooting percentage of 22.0. However, given the quality of his chances, the Bruins believe he can achieve similar production in future seasons. Geekie's previous high was 17 goals in 2023-24. It was his first season in Boston after signing a two-year, $4 million contract. The Seattle Kraken declined to issue Geekie a qualifying offer after 2023-23, making him an unrestricted free agent. Geekie and Pastrnak, friends off the ice as well, should remain on the same line for new coach Marco Sturm. They found chemistry with Elias Lindholm toward the end of 2024-25 as a scoring trio. Geekie was eligible for arbitration but repeatedly said he did not want to go through the process.
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Celtics Make $2 Million Move Before NBA Free Agency
Celtics Make $2 Million Move Before NBA Free Agency originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Celtics have already achieved their biggest offseason goal: getting under the NBA's second tax apron. Now they have other priorities to turn to, like keeping unrestricted free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet. Advertisement The Celtics are under the NBA's second tax apron, but not by that much. That could mean more moves are on the horizon. If they plan to keep Horford and Kornet, they will likely have to move some contracts around to make that happen. Among the players who could be on the chopping block is JD Davison. After playing for Boston on a two-way contract for most of the last three seasons, Davison's deal was converted to a full-time deal during the 2024-25 season. He had a team option for the 2025-26 season. Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens© David Butler II-Imagn Images The Celtics have decided Davison's future with the team for next season. HoopeHype's Michael Scotto was the first to report that Boston has decided to keep him for the time being. Advertisement Just In: The Boston Celtics will exercise their team option on JD Davison, which is worth $2.27 million non-guaranteed, league sources told (HoopeHype)," Scotto wrote. "Davison was the G League MVP, averaging 25.6 points, 7.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals." While Davison's option was picked up, that doesn't guarantee he will stay in Boston. The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach reported the details of Davison's deal with the Celtics next season. "According to a league source, the Celtics are picking up JD Davison's option for next season, but it will be non-guaranteed, preserving some flexibility for both sides," Himmelsbach wrote. Advertisement Davison's non-guaranteed contract means the Celtics can waive it or trade it to a team looking to shed money. Related: New Report Reveals Who the Celtics Will Not Trade Related: NBA Fans React to Celtics Trade Report on Saturday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Addison Barger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homer on consecutive pitches as Blue Jays beat Red Sox 5-3
BOSTON — Addison Barger and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered on consecutive pitches from Walker Buehler in the first inning and Toronto capitalized on the right-hander's wildness to add two runs in the fourth in a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. Andrés Giménez and Nathan Lukes each had an RBI single as Toronto took two of three games in the weekend series and improved to 7-3 against Boston this season. Buehler (5-6), who is g uaranteed $21.05 million in a one-year free agent contract signed during the offseason , is 1-4 with a 7.80 ERA in his last six starts. Carlos Narváez hit a solo homer and Ceddanne Rafaela an RBI double for the Red Sox, who have lost seven of eight. Boston reliever Zack Kelly walked off the mound with a trainer due to right oblique tightness. Yariel Rodríguez (2-0) got five outs in scoreless relief and earned the win. Jeff Hoffman struck out three batters in the ninth for his 18th save. Barger hit a slider into the right-field seats and Guerrero Jr. sent a fastball over the Green Monster at Fenway Park. After Boston rallied to tie the game at 2, Buehler gave up a go-ahead run-scoring single to Giménez and then walked the next two batters — Jonatan Clase and Tyler Heineman — to force in a run. He issued three walks in the inning. Boston dropped its third straight series and has lost three of four since trading Rafael Devers to San Francisco two weeks ago. Blue Jays RHP Max Scherzer (0-0, 5.63 ERA) makes his second start since coming off the injured list from a right thumb injury on Monday in a home game against the Yankees. LHP Carlos Rodón (9-5, 2.92) is scheduled for New York. Red Sox LHP Garrett Crochet (7-4, 2.06) is slated to start Monday against Cincinnati RHP Chase Burns (0-0, 5.40). ___ AP MLB:
