NBA Notebook: Celtics rumors crash course, Kawhi Leonard drama, and more 76ers stuff

If there were ever a time for a media literacy training session, it would be now. As the dog days of summer unfold, new rumors will be popping up every day: Some real, some fake, some surviving in a grey area in between. And unfortunately, in most cases, it's up to the consumer to decipher its legitimacy.

Reporters have a duty to report only factual information. Any journalist, media member, or person trying to actually become a figurehead in the space must pride themselves on publishing only accurate information. But not everyone is held to that same standard.

A lot of talking heads and social-media people don't have to abide by the same rules. They aren't posting their work in accredited publications or on platforms, and their faces aren't always attached to the information via a podcast clip publicly accessible to everyone.

The same goes for what may be the worst offenders of all: Aggregation accounts. These accounts make their money off engagement. Not accuracy, not well-fleshed-out rumors, but solely engagement. So they can post whatever they want -- as long as it gets clicks.

Let's use some recent Celtics rumors as an example. Specifically, rumors about whether Stephen Curry could be traded to the Boston Celtics as soon as this summer.

It all started with a familiar face: John Karalis. Now writing at Sports Illustrated, Karalis wrote an opinion piece about Curry and the Celtics. Much like the article I wrote here at BSJ. But one line in Karalis' article stuck out like a sore thumb:

"I’m not entirely confident in Curry being traded this season. It would be a bit of a shocking development if he did. There's no doubt Brad Stevens has already been on the phone with the Warriors brass to pitch a deal if they want one. "

That phrasing was enough to get clipped and shipped by aggregate accounts. More specifically, by NBABase, a Twitter account with over 11,000 followers. But the account phrased its tweet very differently from the actual words that Karalis wrote.

In no way did Karalis frame his article as a "report," like the post blatantly cited. Karalis said that if Curry were to request a trade, then he has no doubt that Stevens would have already made a call. He's sharing an opinion. A belief that the Celtics would almost certainly be interested if Curry hit the trade market. But that didn't matter.

NBABase followed up with a second post, noting the potential package Karalis put together in his article. However, when the package was used as a quote-tweet alongside the original "report" statement, it gained a ton of unnecessary traction as a legitimate trade option. In reality, it was nothing more than speculation.

Before long, even bigger aggregators picked it up. NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) posted the so-called report, crediting Karalis and giving a hat-tip to NBABase. Their tweet has since been deleted, but the damage was done. NBACentral has 2.2 million followers. The false report had gone viral.

Now, you may be thinking, 'Oh, anyone sane should know that's false information. No way people believed it.' Well, you would be surprised. The rumor spread like wildfire. To corners of the internet, with casual fans willing to believe whatever information is placed in front of them.

And for what it's worth, this information is pretty believable. It would be easy for even the biggest NBA fan in the world to get duped. It's a post that says "report" with a Celtics reporter's name next to it.

Within hours, the fake report had been shared to every social media platform imaginable. I saw it on my Instagram feed. It was everywhere on Twitter. It made it to TikTok. Facebook got a hold of it. An entire NBA news cycle spawned from an opinion piece and poor aggregation.

Then, there was the James Stewart tweet. Another Curry-oriented rumor, though on a smaller scale. Stewart is a producer for Felger & Max on 98.5 The Sports Hub. And he sent out a tweet stating that Curry, Barack Obama, and Jayson Tatum were golfing together in Massachusetts. It was inferred to be a recruitment tactic.

Now, Stewart's information wasn't completely false. Obama was in Massachusetts, and Curry and Tatum were on the same course as him. But it was a 65th birthday trip. Obama and Curry had a tee time together, and Tatum was a few holes in front of them.

Could they have met up? Absolutely. Did they? Probably. Curry and Tatum have a relationship from the Olympics, and Obama was present in that scene as well. But it wasn't a golf trip specifically for recruitment purposes, as the tweet would have implied.

In the span of a few days, the entire internet was turned upside down. Everyone believed that Curry was going to be a Celtic because of a bad aggregation account and a stretched-out version of the truth. That's why it's always important to fact-check everything.

Do a Google search. See if any other outlets are covering the information. See what other reporters have to say about the topic. Don't take everything at face value.

1. Assessing the 76ers

Obviously, Jaylen Brown's press conference was newsworthy enough for Celtics fans. But Mike Gansey, the President of Basketball Operations in Philadelphia, also shared some thoughts on the team.

Most of the highlights involve the LeBron James of it all. Brown's piece of the puzzle, in particular. Gansey said that, without Brown, the Sixers probably wouldn't have gotten James.

"Without getting Jaylen, I don't think we get LeBron," Gansey said. "Obviously Jaylen's one of the best players in the league, and to get him onto the roster with Tyrese, with VJ, with Joel, and then some of the free agents we got, obviously before all this it changed the game for us.

He also noted the potential James-Joel Embiid connection. Not only did Gansey mention James as a connector, but he also said that he went back to watch some tape from the 2024 Olympics when considering the move.

"When LeBron was maybe a possibility, I went back and watched some of the Olympic tape with him and LeBron," Gansey said. "Those two played pretty well together. We have so many different options. Any given night anyone can be the guy. So I think once we get clicking and get gelling, it's gonna be fun to watch"

Philadelphia has a lot of work to do if it wants to get it right. Lots of egos will have to be set aside. And after all that, it will still have to work on the court.

2. The Kawhi Leonard saga

A new development has been made in the Kawhi Leonard saga. According to Pablo Torre, the same person who broke the original news last year, Leonard had another deal to circumvent the cap and join the LA Clippers.

With that, there have been plenty of different rumors thrown around. A world in which Leonard's contract is voided. A world in which he and the Clippers get severely punished. But also a world in which nothing really comes of it.

Michael Grange of Sportsnet, a long-time Toronto Raptors reporter, shared his thoughts on the subject. He believes this is the most likely outcome:

"A negotiated settlement where the NBA gets to enforce some version of its rules, Ballmer can save face and Leonard can play for the Raptors."

Why is this the best possible outcome? Well, the NBA needs to set the precedent here. Punishing Leonard, the Clippers, and those involved would help it do that. This cannot go completely unpunished.

Steve Ballmer is one of the most front-facing owners in the league. He's always sitting courtside, he's always willing to spend, and he's very heavily invested in the Clippers. Allowing him to save face is good for him and for the league.

And lastly, with Leonard, everyone wants to see him in Toronto. The news is already out. The reporting has been done. Everyone expects him to be a Raptor, and the storyline would be great for the NBA. A world in which all three of those things happen would be best for everyone.

3. More 76ers additions

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Kevin Love has been in touch with the Sixers since James signed on board. There is potential interest there, as he would like to team back up with James.

"Love's agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, has been in touch with the Philadelphia 76ers' front office since James picked Philadelphia, sources told ESPN. Though the 6-foot-10 Love and James have remained close since teaming up for four seasons with the Cavaliers and even vacationed extensively together this summer, that bond doesn't necessarily mean there will be a roster spot for the former five-time All-Star by training camp."

Love is 38 years old. He's only appeared in 60 games across the last two seasons with the Miami Heat and Utah Jazz. And if the Sixers wanted to sign him, they would have to cut someone else, as they already have a full roster.

4. More from Mike Gansey

This is another tidbit from a different Gansey media exchange. He said that talks for a Brown trade picked up after the Sixers signed Dean Wade. He mentioned that the Celtics kept calling Philadelphia and vice versa.

"We kept at it. Boston kept calling, we kept calling ... Credit Brad. We kept this thing quiet. They got Paul. Paul still can really play." (Via Bobby Manning of CLNS Media)

It sounds like both teams were intent on getting a deal done. The Celtics wanted to trade Brown, and the Sixers wanted him. Gansey also hyped up the draft picks the 76ers gave up in the deal:

5. The Blazers drama

Mike Vorkunov and Jason Quick of The Athletic wrote a piece detailing the ongoing negotiations between the City of Portland and the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers are seeking funding for a new arena, but the two sides have had significant disagreements. This was the latest update:

"The Portland Trail Blazers moved one step closer to receiving requested public funding to renovate the Moda Center after the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved a term sheet that would grant up to $101.6 million to redo the 31-year-old arena.

"The board voted 4-1 to approve the funding, which is $13.6 million more than the original $88 million proposed in March. The increase accounts for maintenance and service costs, though two commissioners questioned how and where the funding will come from."

However, the piece also included some clarification: This vote did not guarantee funding. The Blazers want "at least $573 million in total from county," and a lot has to happen for that to happen.

Vorkunov and Quick did a great job of explaining the entire endeavor, but the biggest plot point is that there is some belief that Tom Dundon, the new Blazers owner, could angle to move the team out of Portland. At least, that's the concern.