Celtics rumors: Vinny Del Negro not a coaching candidate, Brian Shaw a possibility

If the Boston Celtics complete a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers to send Doc Rivers to L.A., Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports says Vinny Del Negro is not a candidate to replace Rivers in Boston.

by Steve von Horn

Jun 20, 2013, 1:54 PM UTC

Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

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The Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics are close to consummating a deal that would send Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers to L.A. in exchange for DeAndre Jordan and a pair of first-round picks, and if the transaction goes through Vinny Del Negro will apparently not be a candidate to replace Rivers as head coach in Boston. Del Negro's rocky relationship with Jordan would make him a poor fit for the Celtics, and the team may instead be targeting an up-and-coming assistant like Brian Shaw of the Indiana Pacers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, speaking on WEEI radio in Boston.

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When trade rumors featuring the Clippers and Celtics surfaced last week, Del Negro was initially named as a potential “stop gap” solution for Boston. His low price tag opened him up to consideration, but his iffy relationship with Jordan may foreclose the option. Woj says Ainge likes Del Negro, but he may not be “the right guy at the right time for Boston.”

Brian Shaw was one of the hottest names on the coaching market this season, but after getting passed up by the Brooklyn Nets and likely missing out on a job with the Clippers, his price may be dropping as well. Wojnarowski posited that the Celtics will not spend a lot of money on a veteran coach like Stan Van Gundy or Jeff Van Gundy to replace Rivers. Boston will likely go younger, and may want Shaw, but the Celtics will have to compete with the Denver Nuggets, which could increase his cost this summer.

Chris Paul has been pushing for a deal to get done, and Wojnarowski said the transaction could be completed on Thursday. He added that there is "a lot of confidence in the organization" that Paul would be prepared to re-sign this summer if the trade happens, and that Paul Pierce could find his way to L.A. as well after a buyout.