On UConn-Celtics ties, New England basketball history, and Dave Borges new book

What we know, what we don't about Celtics trade interest in Giannis

What we know (and what we do not know) about the Boston Celtics trade interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo is not at all clear at first glance, with contradictory reports (sometimes from the same sources) muddying the waters for Celtics fans and analysts at the height of silly season. For those of us unfamiliar with that latter term, after the end of the playoffs and before the start of the next season (but especially before the NBA draft), all so-called intel about what teams might do should be taken with very large grains of salt. Teams, players, and agents negotiate through the media, and the media engages in especially creative couching of the facts to drive fan engagement. Which tells us little about whether Boston really wants to trade for the Greek Freak, if Jaylen Brown might be involved, or what they might have planned if all this Giannis talk is just hot air. To that end, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" took some time to take stock of what we DO know, what we still do not, and what it all may mean for Celtics president Brad Stevens' plans for the team this summer. We also get caught up on what little news there is, so be sure to tune in. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U [https://tiny.ee/Jk4U]or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How the Celtics can contend again by hitting singles over home runs

Under the current NBA collective bargaining agreement (CBA), what a contender looks like has started to change – and how contenders play in the postseason as well. As the Boston Celtics begin the process of shifting their team from a contender under the former regime to the present one, fans of the team might be expecting moves that may never come to pass. To be clearer, the days of spending deep into the tax for multiple seasons as franchises pile on talent to a talented core are likely gone for the foreseeable future. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks have instead leaned into depth and flexibility in ways it looks like the Celtics could already be emulating. What does this look like in practice? How will the way the players play and the coaches coach change? And how are we seeing current contenders like the Spurs and Knicks play out this new model of contention in the 2026 NBA Finals? To get a better idea of what this might look like in practice, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" linked up with cohost of the "How Bout Them Celtics!" podcast, Jack Simone, to break down what we're seeing unfold, and what we think might be coming. We also get caught up on the news still emerging this deep int a longer-than-usual offseason, so be sure to tune in. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U [https://tiny.ee/Jk4U] or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On UConn-Celtics ties, New England basketball history, and Dave Borges new book

New England is the home of basketball excellence, whether we are talking at the NBA level with the Boston Celtics, or at the college level with the University of Connecticut. And Huskies beat writer Dave Borges just wrote a book [https://reedypress.com/shop/uconn-basketball-an-illustrated-timeline-preorder/] tracing the history of the latter, including several key junctures where UConn and the Celtics share history. Focused on the rise and continued success of the Huskies in "UConn Men's Basketball: An Illustrated Timeline [https://www.amazon.com/UConn-Basketball-Illustrated-David-Borges/dp/1681066521]," Borges joined the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" to talk all things New England sports, but mostly his new book and the two ball clubs' entangled history. We also talk about potential future entanglements with an assessment of how 2026 NBA Draft prospects Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed might fit with Boston, how Stephon Castle is exceeding expectations with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals, and more. We also get caught up on all the trade rumbles, finals action, coaching searches and the rest of the Celtics and NBA news, so be sure to tune in. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A post-playoffs, post-combine look at who the Celtics might take in the 2026 NBA Draft

With the Boston Celtics out of the 2026 NBA postseason, attention turns to building the roster of the future for fans and executives of the team alike. So with that in mind, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with Motor City Hoops and Game Theory analyst Bryce Simon to talk through what prospects the Celtics ought to be working out. With the Nos. 27 and 40 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and company have a lot of directions they could go in for this draft, from taking the picks where they are slated to trading up, down, or out of this year's draft. We also touch on how Boston and the Detroit Pistons have had similar ends to great regular seasons, how they might approach their offseasons differently, and whether there might be a deal to be made between these East ball clubs. We also get caught up on what little news is still trickling out, so be sure to tune in! Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How the Thunder and the Spurs are changing Celtics, NBA contention plans

With the Boston Celtics now in their offseason after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs, retooling the roster is a given. But in the meantime, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are locked in a battle for the ages that is giving 28 other front offices pause when it comes to building a competitive contender. And we can and should include Boston and Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens in that camp, meaning teams that want to compete for titles will need a roster able to counter the buzzsaw that is the Thunder AND the Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs behemoth arising out of the West. To get a better idea of how OKC and San Antonio might be looking at the future (and the series mentioned above, yikes), the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with Thunder Wire editor and OKC beat writer Clemente Almanza. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about what the Celtics and the rest of the NBA need to consider when building contenders, just how worried we ought to be about Wemby, and more. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.