Boston, MA
Celtics notebook: Thoughts on Boston’s talent drain, Damian Lillard rumors
Buon giorno, Herald readers. I’m back from my two-week Italian honeymoon and have some thoughts on the moves the Celtics made (and didn’t make) while I was away:
— Brad Stevens said in his recent news conference at the Auerbach Center that the word “rebuild” is “not going to be part of the lexicon in (that) building” this season. Fair enough.
But however you want to phrase it, there’s no denying that Boston’s current roster is the weakest the franchise has fielded in years.
Consider this: If you include Jayson Tatum, who’s out indefinitely as he recovers from his ruptured Achilles, the Celtics have lost four starting-caliber players from their 2024-25 squad (Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, plus an ideal backup in Luke Kornet) and added just one: guard Anfernee Simons, whom they acquired from Portland in the Holiday trade (and still could offload in a subsequent deal for further luxury tax savings).
Outside of Simons, Boston has added a decent journeyman rotation player (Georges Niang), plucked two guys from the very end of Minnesota’s bench (Luka Garza and Josh Minott), used its first-round draft pick an intriguing but raw prospect who probably won’t be ready for a substantial role as a 19-year-old rookie (Hugo Gonzalez) and signed two second-round picks to two-way contracts (Amari Williams and Max Shulga).
The Celtics boasted the best roster in basketball during their run to the 2024 NBA championship, and that same group won 61 games this past season despite having its full starting lineup available just 24 times. Thanks to the dynasty-killing buzzsaw that is the NBA’s second apron, that enviable depth now is gone.
— No Celtics position has been hit harder this summer than center.
Boston traded Porzingis — an understandable and expected move given his hefty salary and durability concerns — and then failed in their stated goal to re-sign his top two understudies. Stevens said on draft night that the team hoped to retain Horford and Kornet, but it whiffed on both. Kornet landed a long-awaited payday in free agency (four years, $41 million from San Antonio), and though Horford remained unsigned as of Sunday, Stevens later admitted the 39-year-old locker room leader was “unlikely” to return.
What’s left? Three veterans who were not everyday rotation players this season (Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman and newcomer Garza) and second-round rookie Williams. That might be the weakest collection of big men in the NBA.
Queta, who projects as the top option at this early stage, made 62 appearances and six starts in his first season as a full-time NBA player, but the 26-year-old was a distant fourth on the depth chart behind Porzingis, Horford and Kornet by the end of 2024. Garza, also 26, played sparingly in a crowded Timberwolves frontcourt during his three seasons in Minnesota, averaging just 6.3 minutes per game over 92 outings. The two combined to play just 32 minutes this postseason, all in garbage time.
Tillman does have a fair bit of NBA starting experience (60 in his five-year career), but he was nowhere near head coach Joe Mazzulla’s rotation this season, exiled to the end of the bench due largely to his woeful 3-point shooting (15.6%). Also, unlike the 7-foot Queta and 6-foot-10 Garza, the 6-7 Tillman is more of a four than a traditional center.
Williams has some enticing traits, namely his length and passing ability. But as the 46th overall pick, odds are he’ll spend more time in Maine than in Boston this season.
“We’ll have to do that by committee,” Stevens told reporters on June 8. “That will not be the group that people will single out, based on paper, on what they’ve done with their careers thus far, as our strongest position, but it’s up to them to prove it otherwise.”
The reaction to Boston’s first Summer League game on Friday underscored the lack of proven talent in this group. After former Spurs reserve Charles Bassey, added to the C’s summer squad days earlier, had 14 points and 11 rebounds and was a plus-20 in 18 minutes against Memphis, speculation quickly began over whether there could be a spot for him on the big club.
— Changes were coming to the Celtics’ roster regardless of how the 2024-25 season ended. That’s a simple fact. But it’s hard not to wonder how significantly Tatum’s injury altered their offseason trajectory, especially as it relates to Horford.
Though Horford, who’s been heavily linked to the Golden State Warriors as his free agency drags on, hasn’t spoken publicly about his desires, he seems to be prioritizing a chance to contend for another title as his nearly two-decade NBA career winds down. Teams like the Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, who also were rumored as Horford suitors last week, can offer that opportunity.
The Celtics, as currently constructed, cannot — but they could have if Tatum was healthy, regardless of any other luxury tax-related cuts they needed to make this offseason.
— Stevens told reporters he’s “comfortable” entering the season with his team’s current roster, but with more than three months to go before opening night, there’s still plenty of time for additional moves.
The most pressing question is whether Boston will make a play for Damian Lillard, who became a free agent after being cut by Milwaukee and clearing waivers. The Bucks still owe Lillard $112.6 million, which they stretched over the next five seasons to clear salary cap space, meaning his next team should be able to sign the nine-time All-Star point guard on the cheap.
Multiple reports have listed the Celtics among the suitors for Lillard. Adding him would be a future-focused move, as Lillard also suffered a torn Achilles two weeks before Tatum’s and is expected to miss most or all of the upcoming season.
The appeal of signing Lillard is obvious: He’s long been one of the NBA’s top offensive players and premier 3-point threats, and he’s now available at a steep discount. The Celtics aren’t expected to contend this season anyway, so what’s the harm in bringing him aboard, letting him rehab and then entering 2026-27 with a core of Tatum, Lillard, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard?
The concern, though, is that while Tatum is in the prime of his career at age 27 — and, as such, should be uniquely equipped to overcome his Achilles injury — Lillard is eight years older. He turns 35 this week and could be 36 by the time he plays his next game. There is no precedent for an NBA star suffering Lillard’s injury at his age and continuing to perform at the same level upon his return.
If the Celtics do choose to sign Lillard, they could easily clear a 15-man roster spot by releasing guard JD Davison, whose salary is non-guaranteed.
Boston, MA
What we know about wrong-way driver killed in head-on collision with state trooper in Lynnfield – The Boston Globe
Court records show that Marrero was the father of three children, the oldest of whom is 17. The youngest two children, twins, are 13 years old; Marrero’s death came days before their 14th birthday.
Records in Middlesex Probate and Family Court also suggest that Marrero faced financial difficulties and personal troubles, stemming in part from a work injury that family members said caused a bout of depression and deteriorating behavior in his personal life.
For nearly a decade, Marrero worked at Dewberry, a Boston engineering consulting firm, court records show, obtaining a job as an architectural design apprentice in 2005. He left the company in 2014, according to a company spokesperson.
Throughout that time, he doubled as a bartender on the side, working at Mexican restaurants in Boston and Waltham, court records show.
A knee injury ended Marrero’s career at Dewberry, court records show, and he left the company shortly thereafter.
That injury, according to court documents, was the catalyst for what his wife described as a “major depressive episode,” which she said contributed to the strain in their marriage. The couple, who had been married for more than 20 years, separated in 2022.
Records also show that Marrero struggled with debts to family members and credit card companies. During his divorce proceedings, it was unclear how much money he was taking home in income.
Marrero briefly owned and operated a contracting business, 109 Construction, but the corporation was administratively dissolved in 2024, according to state filings.
Marrero had lived in US since at least 2001, holding legal status. He became a naturalized citizen in March 2021, court records show.
Social media posts suggest he was active in the tight-knit Venezuelan community in Massachusetts. Photos show him cheering on Venezuela at a World Baseball Classic watch party in Brighton earlier this year.
Court records appear to show Marrero’s interest in art and music, owning a Venezuelan guitar, conga drums, and several Venezuelan paintings, as well as homemade winemaking setup.
Marrero’s family could not be reached for comment. A close friend reached by the Globe declined to comment.
Trainor had just completed his shift at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday and was driving home when he responded to a report for a Jeep traveling south in the northbound lanes of Route 1, near the Lynnfield overpass.
Raised in Salem, Trainor began his public safety career as an Essex County correction officer before graduating from the State Police academy in 2023, State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said.
Trainor’s fiancée, Jessica D. Ostrowski, of Georgetown, posted an emotional message to social media Thursday, describing the late trooper as “my absolute best friend.”
“I am beyond proud for the amount of love you have been given by those who loved and cared about you,” she wrote.
Travis Andersen and Jeremiah Manion of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from previous Globe coverage was used.
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
Boston, MA
Funding scandal-hit Croft schools in Boston to close this summer after all
Administrators at the Croft School, struggling after allegations of financial fraud, haven’t been able to find a buyer for its Boston locations, which will now close at the end of the school year, parents were told Friday.
Millions of dollars were raised by families and community members to keep the private school open for a few more months while Croft School administrators scrambled to find a buyer. But in Friday’s email, the chief restructuring officer and independent sale advisor said that two parties expressed interest but they ultimately had to pivot toward winding operations down.
“To be clear, the 2025-2026 school year will be completed based on the availability of parent funding. However, without a viable timetable for a transaction, we are faced with this difficult decision,” the email said.
About 350 students had attended the Croft School’s three campuses, two in Boston and one in Providence. Regular tuition starts at $31,000, according to the website.
Millions were raised to keep the private school open for a few more months but the Croft School is looking for a buyer as a long-term fix to its financial problems.
More than 60 families unenrolled from the South End campus over the weekend, the email said.
News of the debt crisis surprised parents in March, when the school’s board revealed in a letter that founding Executive Director Scott Given admitted to fabricating a letter of credit regarding a possible expansion and keeping two sets of books, overstating the school’s revenue while understating its expenses.
The discovery that the school was more than $13 million in debt came after police were alerted to possible fraud. The school has said it’s cooperating with multiple investigations involving Given, who has been suspended.
The private school, with two locations in Boston and one in Providence, requires $5 million to stay open for the rest of the schoolyear.
Given has been sued by at least one Boston parent, accusing him of running a Ponzi scheme. His legal team has said he has no comment.
Parents rallied to save the school, raising enough funds to keep classes going.
The officials in charge of the sale noted “how hard many of you worked to maintain The Croft School as you know it,” but added that the “difficult circumstances, uncertain financials and condensed timeframe made this a trying environment for purchasers to timely make a binding offer for the schools.”
Boston, MA
Where to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 8
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
Baseball is back and finding what channel your favorite team is playing on has become a little bit more confusing since MLB announced plans to produce and distribute broadcasts for nearly a third of the league.
We’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know Friday as the Tampa Bay Rays visit the Boston Red Sox.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox?
First pitch between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. (ET) on Friday, May 8.
How to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox on Friday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Friday, May 8, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
- Matchup: TB at BOS
- Date: Friday, May 8
- Time: 7:10 p.m. (ET)
- Venue: Fenway Park
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: NESN, Rays.TV and WMOR
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for May 8 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
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