Duke assistant Amile Jefferson finalizing deal to join the Boston Celtics

Duke assistant coach and former National Champion is headed off to join the Boston Celtics.

Duke assistant Amile Jefferson is finalizing a multi-year deal to become an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, a source tells 247Sports.
Jefferson, who won a National Championship with Duke as a player in 2015, joined the Blue Devils staff in July of 2021. After a season as the team’s director of player development, he was promoted to assistant coach.
Jefferson, 30, played a major role in the development of Duke’s freshman last season and was key factor in helping the Blue Devils land five-star commitment in Isaiah Evans.

Duke assistant Amile Jefferson finalizing deal to join the Boston Celtics
Prior to joining the Duke staff, Jefferson had a four-year professional career, where he played for the Boston Celtics in 2020. He also spent time with the Orlando Magic and the NBA G-League’s Iowa Wolves.

NBA Rumors: Celtics Have Had Trade Talks With This Team

The phone lines in the Celtics front office apparently have been very active in recent weeks.

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Boston has been no stranger to trade rumors since the home stretch of the 2022-23 NBA season. While the Celtics seemingly weren’t in the mix for Bradley Beal, the organization appears to be looking into a variety of potential deals, including a possible move-up in Thursday’s draft.

In a column published Tuesday, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor added to the stockpile of noteworthy Celtics reports. The plugged-in league insider revealed Boston is among the teams that have held trade talks with the Atlanta Hawks, who are “willing to trade anyone but Trae (Young).”

If the Celtics are, indeed, trying to pluck from the Hawks’ roster, one has to imagine they have their eyes on either John Collins or Clint Capela. Boston does not need any more guards — it might actually be looking to trade away a member of its backcourt — and either player could help Brad Stevens and company round out their roster.

Neither player would be a one-season rental for the Celtics either. Capela is under contract through the 2024-25 campaign, while Collins has two more seasons on his deal plus a player option for 2025-26. Neither big man likely is bound for All-Star nods, but either could help Boston improve nonetheless.

Trade Rumors: G. Williams, Hunter, Nuggets, Wizards, Ayton, More

The Mavericks are among the teams that have spoken to the Celtics about the idea of a Grant Williams sign-and-trade, a league source tells Tim Cato of The Athletic. While it’s not easy to envision a deal that gets Williams to Boston and appeals to both teams, the Mavs are just one of many potential suitors for the restricted free agent forward.

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According to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, there have been more than a half-dozen teams to inquire with the Celtics about the possibility of signing-and-trading for Williams. At this point, Boston is conveying that it wants to retain Williams, per Weiss, who notes that new Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee is a fan of the forward and could help get more out of him in 2023/24 and beyond.

Within his story, Weiss also notes that veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, who is optimistic he can avoid surgery on a torn tendon in his left elbow, would like to remain in Boston. Brogdon’s name has come up in trade rumors early in the offseason as the Celtics reportedly explore ways to clear a backcourt logjam.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Within his latest mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report cites league sources who say the Hawks have explored the trade market for forward De’Andre Hunter. One motivating factor, Wasserman explains, would be opening up more playing time for promising young wing AJ Griffin.
The Nuggets, who worked out Trayce Jackson-Davis, Andre Jackson, Jordan Walsh, Kobe Brown, Drew Timme, and Tyree Appleby on Tuesday, continue to actively explore deals that would get them into the first round of Thursday’s draft, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required), who says Denver is talking to multiple teams.
The Wizards asked for Suns center Deandre Ayton when the two teams were negotiating their Bradley Beal trade, but Phoenix was unwilling to include him, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
Gambadoro said this week during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast that he has been told the Heat weren’t all that interested in pushing for Beal. Reports have indicated that Beal would have approved a move to Miami, and it seems as though the Heat could’ve put a stronger package on the table than the one the Wizards got from the Suns if they’d been so inclined.
While it comes as no surprise, the heads of basketball operations for the Hornets (Mitch Kupchak) and Pacers (Kevin Pritchard) both said they don’t anticipate keeping and using all of the 2023 draft picks they own, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) and Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. The two teams, who each figure to make at least one draft-night trade, control five picks apiece — Indiana has three in the first round and two in the second, while Charlotte has a pair of first-rounders and three early seconds.