Boston Celtics

Veteran forward Blake Griffin agreed to a one-year, fully-guaranteed contract with the Boston Celtics on Friday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Griffin, 33, spent the last season-and-a-half with the Brooklyn Nets. He averaged a career-low 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the floor in 2021-22.

A six-time All-Star, Griffin's career has been ravaged by injuries. He's dealt with persistent knee pain for several seasons, taking him from one of the game's best players to someone who could barely hang on the fringes of the Nets rotation.

Nets coach Steve Nash played Griffin only 25 minutes in Brooklyn's first-round series against the Celtics last season and benched him entirely for two games. Nash had also taken Griffin out of the rotation earlier in the regular season before injuries thrust him back into a role.

"Well, I feel for him," Nash told reporters in November. "That's not easy. You know it's tough when you go through a rough stretch of play and the world kind of caves in on you a little bit. I've been there and understand it. We have to give other guys an opportunity at this point, but Blake's had a great attitude. I really admire him for being positive through this and keeping himself ready so if his opportunity comes back, he can have an impact."

As disappointing as it is given his brilliance during his prime, there is a good chance Griffin is done as a valuable NBA contributor. The man who once dunked over a car in a dunk contest went 15 months without a dunk from December 2019 to March 2021. He had only 13 total dunks last season.

The lack of explosion near the rim makes Griffin a perimeter-bound player and hurts him on the defensive end. While he made massive strides to become a solid perimeter shooter, it's not a skill that should be the focal point of his game.

However, by signing with Boston, Griffin has a chance to carve out a role for himself, especially during the early part of the season.

The Celtics are short on frontcourt bodies with center Robert Williams set to miss the start of the season due to a knee injury, and while Griffin is a completely different player than the defensive-minded Williams, he could provide some needed minutes at power forward.

Jay Larranaga has reportedly decided to remain an assistant under Tyronn Lue with the Los Angeles Clippers rather than return to the Boston Celtics' coaching staff.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported Thursday the Celtics received permission to speak with Larranaga, who worked for the team from 2012 through 2021, after head coach Ime Udoka was suspended for the entire 2022-23 NBA season. However, Larranaga "prefers to remain" in L.A. where he's a "valued member" of Lue's staff.

Larranaga, the son of longtime college basketball head coach Jim Larranaga, played 13 professional seasons as a guard, mostly overseas, before starting his coaching career in 2008.

The 47-year-old North Carolina native spent time as head coach of Ireland's national team and the G League's Erie BayHawks before joining the Celtics in 2012.

One of his main success stories in Boston was helping transform Jayson Tatum from a high-end prospect into one of the NBA's best all-around players.

Larranaga left the Celtics to join Lue's staff in L.A. last summer as the C's went through a coaching transition, which saw Brad Stevens leave the sideline to take over as the team's president of basketball operations followed by the hiring of Udoka.

He likely could have taken on a prominent role alongside interim head coach Joe Mazzulla in a return to Boston, but he will instead stick with the Clippers.

Larranaga, who's often mentioned as a potential NBA head coach, received praise from Stevens in 2018.

"He's great," Stevens said. "He's super smart. He works exceptionally hard. He always is looking proactively at projects. He's great with individuals and helping individuals get better. His player development stuff is off the charts."

If Udoka ultimately doesn't return to the Celtics—the team's statement said they'll decide his future "at a later date"—it wouldn't be a surprise if Larranaga ends up on the shortlist to become the C's next head coach.

For now, he'll continue to help the Clippers prepare for the new campaign, which opens Oct. 20 when they take on the rival Los Angeles Lakers.

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was suspended for the entire 2022-23 season after violating team policies, reportedly having an intimate relationship with a female employee of the organization.

On Monday at the team's media day, stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown discussed the situation.

"I guess I feel like everybody else. It's a lot to process," Tatum told reporters. "Unexpected especially coming into the season when you feel a certain way, coming off last year that you're excited and trying to do all these things. It's just a lot, if I'm being honest, and along with everybody else still trying to process it all knowing that we start practice tomorrow."

He added he didn't have much more insight on the situation than the public.

"You read the statement, you watch the press conference, apparently there are a lot of things they can't speak about," he told reporters. "I’m kind of in the same boat. I don't know. It's hard for me to answer if things were handled in the right way or they weren't. ... I just don't know."

He also said he found out "on Twitter, like everybody else," and hasn't spoken with Udoka in the aftermath of the suspension.

Brown also said he hasn't spoken to Udoka.

"No conversations as far as me on my end," he told reporters. "Initial reactions, we were all shocked what was going on, a little confused, but a lot of the information wasn't being shared with us or members of the team, so you can't really comment on it."

"I wish we had more details," he added. "From what we know, it's hard to make a decision based on whether it's consensual or not in the workplace, which we know has happened before in the workplace. It looks like there is more to it than what meets the eye."

Both Tatum and Brown expressed optimism about the upcoming season under new head coach Joe Mazzulla, however:

The Celtics reached the NBA Finals last season, losing to the Golden State Warriors in six games, and will be one of the favorites yet again in a loaded Eastern Conference.

There's no doubt that training camp will open with a certain level of uncertainty about the upcoming season given the nature of Udoka's suspension, however.

Ime Udoka's status as head coach of the Boston Celtics beyond the 2022-23 season is uncertain, but an NBA agent believes his career in the league as a whole is "done," per NBA insider Ethan Strauss.

The Celtics suspended Udoka for the entire 2022-23 season after a lengthy investigation by an independent law firm found that he had violated multiple team policies. The second-year head coach allegedly had an intimate relationship with a female member of Boston's staff.

The Celtics became aware of the relationship in July, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, but the franchise did not get involved until he allegedly made "unwanted comments" to the woman in the relationship.

Udoka apologized in a statement after his suspension was announced:

"I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down. I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team's decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment."

With Udoka suspended, Joe Mazzulla will serve as the team's interim head coach in 2022-23, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens confirmed during a press conference on Friday:

"Joe's going to be in charge. It's not an easy timing for him or the rest of the staff. But he's an exceptionally sharp and talented person. I believe strongly in him and his ability to lead people, his ability to galvanize a room and get behind him, and his ability to organize and understand all that comes with running a team during the season."

Mazzulla has served as an assistant for the Celtics since 2019. If Udoka does not return as Boston's head coach in 2023-24, it's unclear if Mazzulla will be considered for the team's vacant head coaching position.

The Celtics hired Udoka as their head coach before the 2021-22 campaign after Stevens was promoted to basketball operations. He led the team to a 51-31 record and an Eastern Conference title in his first season.

Boston Celtics reporter Amanda Pflugrad is speaking up about the "disgusting" coverage of the allegations against Ime Udoka both in the media and by basketball fans on social media.

"As a female of the Celtics organization, watching these last few days unfold has been heartbreaking," Pflugrad wrote on Twitter Friday. "Seeing uninvolved people's names thrown around in the media, including mine, with such carelessness is disgusting. This is a step backwards for women in sports who have worked hard to prove themselves in an industry they deserve to be in."

The second-year head coach was suspended by the Celtics for the entire 2022-23 season after a monthslong investigation by an independent law firm uncovered violations of multiple team policies.

Udoka was reportedly suspended for allegedly engaging in an intimate relationship with a female member of Boston's staff, which is a violation of team policy, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Athletic's Shams Charania added that the Celtics became aware of the relationship in July, but that the team did not get involved until he allegedly made "unwanted comments" to the woman involved.

For obvious reasons, the name of the woman Udoka allegedly had a relationship with has been kept private. However, that has not stopped the media and people on Twitter from trying to uncover her identity.

People have been scouring the internet searching for the identities of female members of Boston's staff, which has led to the names and photos of women within the organization being spread on social media. Pflugrad was one of the women targeted.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens addressed the ill-advised efforts during the team's press conference on Friday morning.

"We have a lot of talented women in our organization, and I thought yesterday was really hard on them," Stevens said. "Nobody can control Twitter speculation and rampant bulls--t, but I do think that we as an organization have a responsibility to make sure we’re there to support them now, because a lot of people were dragged unfairly into that."

Udoka's status with the Celtics beyond the 2022-23 season is unclear as the franchise has not determined his long-term fate.

Boston Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari underwent successful surgery to repair his torn ACL on Friday.

Team physician Dr. Tony Schena performed the surgery at New England Baptist Hospital, the team announced in a statement.

No formal timetable has been determined for Gallinari's return, but he is expected to miss the entire 2022-23 season. The 6'10" forward suffered the injury last month while playing for the Italian national team in a FIBA World Cup qualifier.

The 34-year-old signed a two-year, $13.3 million contract with the Celtics this offseason. He has a player option for the 2023-24 season at $6.8 million, and it would be a surprise if he did not exercise it given his injury status.

Gallinari spent the last two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 2021-22 campaign.

The Celtics hoped Gallinari would provide scoring stability and depth to their reserve unit, but Grant Williams will instead have to fill that role.

Boston Celtics center Robert Williams is expected to be on the shelf for the next eight-to-12 weeks.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Celtics announced the timeline Friday after Williams underwent surgery on his left knee.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski initially reported Tuesday that Williams required arthroscopic surgery on his knee. At the time, Wojnarowski noted that Williams was expected to miss four to six weeks with a return early in the 2022-23 season being likely.

Williams underwent surgery in March to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, which caused him to miss nearly one month of action. Wojnarowski referred to the latest procedure as a "cleanup."

While Williams returned for the third game of the Celtics' first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets last season, he missed five additional games during a postseason run that saw Boston go all the way to the NBA Finals.

The 24-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign last season, averaging career highs across the board with 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 73.6 percent from the field.

Williams also averaged a career-high 29.6 minutes per game and started all 61 regular-season games he appeared in after almost exclusively coming off the bench in his first three seasons.

The 2018 No. 27 overall draft pick out of Texas A&M was also recognized for his defensive excellence last season, earning second-team All-Defensive honors.

Williams was a key part of a deep and talented Celtics starting lineup last season that also included Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford, all of whom are back with the team for the 2022-23 campaign.

The Celtics largely have the same roster as last season with the exception of guard Malcolm Brogdon, who was the biggest addition by far.

Boston also signed sharpshooting veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, but he may miss significant time with a torn meniscus, meaning the injuries are already starting to mount for the defending Eastern Conference champions.

Until Williams is able to return, Horford will be leaned on heavily to own the paint at both ends of the floor for Boston. It is also likely that Luke Kornet and Mfiondu Kabengele will have increased roles behind Horford.

The likeliest candidate to replace Williams in the starting lineup is Grant Williams, who thrived last season as a bench player.

Boston opens its regular season on Oct. 18 against the Philadelphia 76ers, and the eight-to-12-week recovery timeline likely means Williams will miss at least the first 17 games of the season.

While there is currently no long-term answer at head coach for the Boston Celtics, Brad Stevens has ruled out returning to the bench for the 2022-23 season.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Stevens said "absolutely not" when asked about the possibility of serving as Celtics head coach.

The Celtics announced on Thursday that Ime Udoka has been suspended for the entire 2022-23 season for violations of team policies and a decision about his future "will be made at a later date."

Joe Mazzulla, who has been an assistant coach for the Celtics since 2019, will serve as interim head coach.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Udoka's punishment stems from "an intimate relationship with a female member of the organization" that some within the Celtics became aware of in July.

"At that time, team leadership was led to believe by both parties that the relationship was consensual," wrote Charania. "But sources said that the woman recently accused Udoka of making unwanted comments toward her—leading the team to launch a set of internal interviews."

According to Charania, Udoka's suspension was decided after a meeting between Celtics governors and Stevens that lasted "several hours."

In a statement to ESPN's Malika Andrews, Udoka apologized to Celtics players, fans, the organization and his family for "letting them down." He also said he accepted the team's decision and would have no further comment on the matter.

Udoka spent nine seasons as an assistant coach before being hired as Celtics head coach. He previously worked for the San Antonio Spurs (2012-19), Philadelphia 76ers (2019-20) and Brooklyn Nets (2020-21).

Boston overcame a slow start last season to finish as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 51-31 record. The team defeated the Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

The Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games in the Finals.

Udoka was hired by Boston after Stevens moved into the front office as the team's president of basketball operations. The 45-year-old Stevens went 354-282 with seven playoff appearances in eight seasons as Celtics head coach.

This will mark the first head-coaching job in the NBA for Mazzulla. He went 43-17 in two seasons at Fairmont State from 2017-19.

Boston Celtics president Brad Stevens said the social-media speculation related to allegations against head coach Ime Udoka was "unfair" to women on the NBA team's staff.

The Celtics announced Thursday night that Udoka would be suspended for the 2022-23 season for "violations of team policies," but the statement didn't come until 21 hours after Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported Udoka engaged in an "improper intimate and consensual relationship" with a female staffer, leading to unfounded rumors.

"We have a lot of talented women in our organization and yesterday was really hard on them," Stevens told reporters Friday. "Nobody can control Twitter speculation, rampant bulls--t."

He added: "We have a responsibility to make sure we are there to support them."

Some members of the Boston organization knew about the relationship since July and believed it was consensual, but Charania reported the woman recently came forward to say Udoka was "making unwanted comments toward her," leading to an internal investigation.

No further information about what the probe discovered was publicly released. The Celtics' announcement stated Udoka's future with the franchise beyond this season would be decided "at a later date."

Assistant coach Joe Mazzulla is taking over the coaching staff on an interim basis.

Mazzulla was arrested in 2009 on a domestic violence charge while he was a player at West Virginia University. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct and was given a $100 fine and sentenced to 40 hours of community service.

"When I was considering hiring him as an assistant, I vetted him thoroughly," Stevens said Friday. "I believe strongly in his substantiveness as a person. He's been very open with me on how those incidents impacted him."

Mazzulla previously served as a head coach at Fairmont State from 2017 through 2019.

Other assistants on Boston's staff include Damon Stoudamire, Ben Sullivan, Aaron Miles and Tony Dobbins.

Udoka was hired by the Celtics in June 2021 after Stevens vacated the head coaching role to accept the role as president of basketball operations. He guided the C's to an appearance in the 2022 NBA Finals in his first season. They lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.

Boston will start the new season Oct. 18 when the Philadelphia 76ers visit TD Garden.