E’Twaun Moore became the first Boston Celtics player (albeit an unsigned draft pick) to defect and sign a contract overseas due to the NBA Lockout. Moore has signed with Italy’s Bennetton, located in Treviso, Italy, but has a clause in his contract that will allow him to return to the NBA if and when the lockout ends.

Over the last week, Moore had reportedly come close to signing a deal with another Italian team, Cimberio Varese, in the same league (Lega Serie A), but talks broke down over an opt-out clause that would allow him to return to the Celtics when the NBA lockout comes to an end. Moore’s agent Mark Bartlestein did negotiate that opt-out clause as part of the deal with Treviso, according to multiple reports. (via WEEI)

Moore, who was drafted No. 55 overall by the Celtics in the 2011 NBA Draft, played four seasons at Purdue and averaged 18 points and 5.1 rebounds in his senior season for the Boilermakers.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

For many, the Boston Celtics’ championship window has all but effectively closed.

They’re old, breaking down physically, and there’s no telling what their bench support will look like once the NBA gets going again.

Rajon Rondo doesn’t share in that pessimistic outlook. According to the Celtics’ star point guard, Boston has just as good a chance as any other team to win the NBA title next season.

Rondo says the Celtics let the Kendrick Perkins trade affect them a little too much last season, but that he likes what the team’s future looks like.

From Yahoo! Sports:

If [Glen] Davis departs, Rondo, Pierce, Garnett and Allen would be the only Celtics left from the 2008 championship team. Boston already lost a significant piece of that team after trading [Kendrick] Perkins last season. The Celtics took a lot of heat for the Perkins deal which affected their chemistry and changed their starting lineup in the middle of the season.“It wasn’t like the man passed away or something,” Rondo said. “I think we put too much emphasis on it. It’s a business. He got traded. He’s very happy where he’s at. We still talk and I’m always going to have his back. It shouldn’t have affected us the way it affected us.”

“Doc [Rivers]‘ proven with the players that we have that he will have a winning record,” Rondo said. “But most of all, he’s never going to settle. We always want to win a championship. That’s the only goal we have as a team and that’s his mindset. When you talk to him, he believes we have the talent and the ability to win a championship. That’s our standard. He holds us accountable … “They said we were done two years ago,” Rondo said. “We could care less about that. We could care less about people saying we are done.”

In addition to overall toughness, and a relentless commitment to defense, these Boston Celtics are built on a foundation of defiance.

They will ride this attitude out until the wheels fall off.

Legendary coach Larry Brown may have a serious interest in becoming an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics when Lawrence Frank leaves the team to run the show with the Detroit Pistons, as Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reports, but he also is the target of another team: the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Timberwolves would like to interview head-coaching position that’s been open since the team fired Kurt Rambis.

Other folks reportedly on Minnesota’s list include Don Nelson, Rick Adelman, Terry Porter, Mike Woodson, and Bernie Bickerstaff.

Wojnarowski’s sources told him that even though Brown and Celtics head coach Doc Rivers have a good relationship, Rivers “is inclined to promote a well-regarded young assistant on his staff – Mike Longabardi,” but Rivers hasn’t eliminated the idea of hiring Brown.
Adrian

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Source: Minneapolis Star TribuneYahoo! Sports

Related: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves

Boston Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank has agreed to become the head coach of the Detroit Pistons, according to a report in the Boston Globe.

Justin Rogers of Mlive.com approves of the hiring with his Five things to know about new Detroit Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank, noting that the Celtics assistant has experience, works well with young players, and is a good communicator. Funny, no mention of Doc Rivers as a mentor.

Meanwhile, the Maine Red Claws, D-League affiliate of the Celtics, formally introduced their own new head coach Thursday, Dave Leitao, a Massachusetts native who formerly coached in the college ranks at Virginia, Northeastern, DePaul and Connecticut. Leitao refers to himself as a defensive specialist.

Though the immediate future of the Celtics and the rest of the NBA remains decidedly dim in the face of the lockout, Deltonte West has expressed a desire to return to the team, according to his agent.

“Delonte was drafted by Boston and he has a special place for Boston because of that,” said his agent Jarinn Akana of Lagardere Unlimited. “He spent some good years there, then came back last year and was able to play, but had injuries here and there. He did contribute, but he wanted to contribute more and help Boston advance further. Of course he’d like to be back, I think that’s his No. 1 goal to be back and help Boston win another championship.”

Guard Delonte West(notes) may have only played 24 regular-season games for the Boston Celtics last season because of a suspension at the start of the year and injuries, but he turned things on in the second round of the playoffs. He scored in double figures in every matchup of the five-game battle with the Miami Heat.

During the season, he averaged 5.6 points, 2.7 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game.

Now he is an unrestricted free agent and is aiming to return to the Celts, ESPN Boston reports. “Delonte was drafted by Boston and he has a special place for Boston because of that,” said his agent, Jarinn Akana of Lagardere Unlimited, according to the site. “He spent some good years there, then came back last year and was able to play, but had injuries here and there. He did contribute, but he wanted to contribute more and help Boston advance further. Of course he’d like to be back, I think that’s his No. 1 goal to be back and help Boston win another championship.”

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Source: ESPN Boston

Related: Boston Celtics, Miami Heat

As expected, the Boston Celtics will be losing one of their assistant coaches once the NBA lockout ends.

No, not Lawrence Frank, although there’s still a strong possibility he ends up elsewhere.

Assistant Darren Erman has agreed in principle to a deal with the Golden State Warriors, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports. He will join former ESPN analyst Mark Jackson on the remade Warriors staff.

Erman spent four seasons in Boston, where he performed a variety of tasks such as scouting and working out players.

In addition, Frank remains one of the main candidates for the Pistons head coaching gig, along with being a viable option to join the Knicks’ staff.

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics are scheduled to start their 2011-12 season at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 2.

The schedule, released by the NBA on Tuesday, could be changed if the current lockout is not resolved in time.

Boston has two games against the champion Dallas Mavericks, at home on Jan. 11 and on the road on Feb. 20. The Celtics are scheduled to play two games against the Miami Heat, who beat them in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinal — at Miami on Dec. 16 and in Boston on Dec. 1 and Apr. 1.

Boston also is scheduled to play on Christmas Day in New York against the Knicks.

The lockout began after the last collective bargaining agreement expired on June 30.

Read More: LeBron James (F – MIA), Boston Celtics

The 2011-2012 NBA schedules have been released, and as usual, the Boston Celtics will be playing in several high profile games, such as their match-up with the New York Knicks on Christmas Day.

Boston opens the season against the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 2, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at TD Garden (a game that would have been a marquee match-up two years ago thanks to one LeBron James).

The C’s take on the rival Los Angeles Lakers twice in the regular season, hosting the Lakers on Thursday, February 9 and traveling to Staples Center on Sunday, March 11. Boston faces the Miami Heat three times, once on the road on Wednesday, November 16, at home on Thursday, December 1 and at home again on Sunday, April 1.

In addition, the Celtics face the defending champion Dallas Mavericks on the road on Monday, February 20.

Boston hosts the Orlando Magic in their season finale on Wednesday, April 18. The complete schedule can be seen on the Celtics’ website.

Boston is slated to have 23 games on national television (between ESPN, ABC and TNT), which is the fourth most in the league. Miami, Los Angeles (Lakers), and Dallas lead the league in nationally televised games.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

BOSTON (CBS) – IF there is a 2011-12 NBA season, the Boston Celtics will get things started at home on Wednesday November 2.

That is a big IF.

The Celtics will host the Cleveland Cavaliers when they tip-off their season, a big difference from last year when they opened the NBA season against the Miami Heat at the Garden.

Speaking of the Heat, the Celtics will meet up with the defending Eastern Conference Champs three times this season beginning with a tilt in Miami on November 16. The next two games will be in Boston with Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh coming to town Thursday December 1 and Sunday April 1 at 3:30pm. Both games will be televised on national TV.

Watch: Celtics 2011-12 Dance Squad Selected

The Celtics-Lakers rivalry will add two new chapters, with the C’s hosting Los Angeles on Thursday February 9 and heading out west for a matchup on Sunday March 11.

Another opponent to watch out for, if there is basketball, is the New York Knicks. The Atlantic Division foe boasts their own Big-3 with Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.  The C’s and Knicks will battle four times, including a Christmas Day matinée in New York starting at noon.

View The Entire 2011-12 Celtics Schedule

The 2011 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks come to Boston Wednesday January 11. Kendrick Perkins returns to town with the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday January 16.

Read: Rondo Hurting, Hosting Youth Camp 

The Celtics have a very tough stretch in March when they head out West for a five-games-in-seven-nights road trip. The C’s start with back-to-back against the Lakers and Phoenix Suns, a meeting with the Golden State Warriors two nights later, and finish with another back-to-back against the Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets.

The NBA is currently in a lockout.