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The Boston Celtics hired a familiar face when they hired Sam Cassell as an assistant coach. Cassell won a championship with the Celtics in 2008 and has had a successful career as an assistant coach since retiring in 2009. Cassell’s former teammate Leon Powe voiced his approval of the Celtics bringing Cassell back as an assistant.
“I absolutely love the addition of my good friend Sam Cassell,” Powe said via his personal Twitter.
Powe also won a title with the Celtics in 2008, where he played a pivotal role in them beating the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
Powe was drafted No. 49 in 2006 to which the Celtics would acquire his draft rights. He then played in Boston until 2009. He went on to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies before retiring in 2011. Powe was then hired by the Celtics as a community ambassador in 2014.
Cassell has been among the multiple coaching hires the Celtics have made this season, including Charles Lee and Amile Jefferson.
Celtics Urged to Get Involved in Pascal Siakam Trade Talks
With all the reports of the Toronto Raptors potentially looking to trade Pascal Siakam, Brian Robb of MassLive suggested the Celtics could get involved in those sweepstakes, though he added that he doesn’t believe they should chase Siakam.
“Given that the Raptors showed interest in Malcolm Brogdon last year per sources before he was dealt to the Celtics, it’s fair to wonder whether Toronto would still have interest in him or Payton Pritchard in some type of three-team swap with players/assets from another team heading towards Boston and Siakam heading to a third team,” Robb wrote.
“These types of trade constructs are always challenging, but the Celtics are well positioned now as a potential facilitator with both player and draft assets that could get them in the mix for any type of swap if the price is right.”
Participating in a trade like this could help the Celtics with their cap flexibility while also potentially helping ship out one of the best players in their division.
Kelly Oubre Jr Floated as Free Agent Target
The Celtics have more spots to fill on the roster, and they could be looking for more scoring on the wing. Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer floated Kelly Oubre Jr. as someone they could look into.
“Thinking about the Celtics and the fact that, yeah, they do kind of have an opening in the frontcourt,” Fischer said during an appearance on the July 8 episode of “The NBA Front Office Podcast.” “But [Oubre] can be a small-ball four; I would say all three of [Boston’s bigs] are centers at this point. Al Horford’s shooting is interesting enough where you’re able to play him and Rob the other, but Boston would make some sense to me for him.”
Keith Smith, one of the podcast’s cohosts, not only agreed but added that “Oubre, basically anybody who needs a wing, he’s got to be at the top of their list.”
Oubre is coming off a season in which he averaged 20.3 points, a career-high. Oubre is more of a scorer than a defender, but he is a more proven option than Jordan Walsh or Oshae Brissett.
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