Tatum has thrived in Summer League

SALT LAKE CITY » Danny Ainge sat with a look of satisfaction Wednesday as he watched Boston play the San Antonio Spurs in summer league action. It’s been quite a week for the Celtics president of basketball operations.

The franchise came to an agreement with Gordon Hayward on a four-year, $128 million deal on Tuesday. Ainge also watched rookie Jayson Tatum, the No. 3 overall pick, shine in his first two professional games at the Utah Jazz Summer League.

Fans heckled Ainge throughout the game, but nothing seemed to bother him or coach Brad Stevens.

Tatum put on a show again, with 23 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 31 minutes. The rookie showed a bit of everything on offense, including a tip-dunk that had the crowd gasping.

“He’s going to be a pretty good player in this league for a long time,” Celtics summer league coach Jerome Allen said. “As the games progress, I think I’m beyond feeling surprise by what he’s able to do on the floor, from a number of different spots on the floor. It’s good to see solid production out of him.”

The Spurs won 81-70, but Tatum’s performance was most important to Celtics fans. He hit the go-ahead jumper on Monday with 5.7 seconds remaining.

“I’m just trying to be wellrounded,” Tatum said. “There’s effort in diving to the floor and rebounding. It doesn’t take skill to do those things. I’m just giving that extra effort to help the team.”

Nowitzki signs

Dirk Nowitzki has a deal with the Dallas Mavericks that sets him up to join Kobe Bryant as the only players to spend 20 seasons with one NBA franchise.

Nowitzki and the Mavericks have agreed on a two-year, $10 million contract that carries a team option in the second season, a person with knowledge of the deal said on condition of anonymity because a deal hasn’t been announced.

The agreement is similar to the one the Mavs and Nowitzki reached last year, although for significantly less money. Last year’s contract was for two years and $50 million, and the club declined its option before free agency opened this year.

The 39-year-old Nowitzki is no longer the primary option for the Mavericks, so a $5 million deal is more in line with his role on a roster that has become significantly younger since the start of last season. The $25 million salary from a year ago was as much about Dallas paying Nowitzki for his loyalty, which included taking less money to help acquire free agents through the years.

Bryant retired following the 2015-16 season, his 20th with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was the fifth player to spend at least 20 years in the NBA.

Nowitzki doesn’t seem to have ruled out playing past the coming season. At the NBA awards show last week, he hinted as much during his acceptance speech for the teammate of the year award.

Regardless of how much longer he plays, Nowitzki’s legacy is secure after leading the Mavericks to their only championship in 2011 as the NBA Finals MVP. The 7-foot German is also the only foreign-born player with 30,000 career points, a milestone he reached last season.

But Nowitzki wants to get back into playoff contention before he leaves after the Mavericks missed the postseason for just the second time in 17 seasons.

Nowitzki was second to Harrison Barnes in scoring last season at 14.2 points per game and could drop further with Wesley Matthews going into the third year of his deal as the starting shooting guard.

George deal

Kevin Pritchard struggled to make the deal.

Eventually, he figured dealing Paul George was the best way to protect the Indiana Pacers.

On Thursday, Pritchard finally made the blockbuster trade official by announcing the four-time All-Star was heading to Oklahoma City in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

“It was difficult both on a personal and professional level,” Pritchard said in a statement issued by the team. “Everyone here knows what Paul meant to this franchise; he was both a tremendous human being as well as player here for seven years. We thank Paul and his family for their contributions to the Pacers and wish him well.”

George essentially forced the move when word leaked that he intended to leave the team as a free agent next summer just before the NBA draft.

That disclosure put the Pacers in a bind: Build around George for one final run at an NBA title, lose their star player and get nothing in return or shop George for the best deal they could find with his public plans hurting his trade value. Pritchard called the news a “gut punch” during last month’s draft. He hasn’t spoken to reporters since then, but under NBA rules the deal could be announced Thursday.

“We feel very strongly about the potential Victor and Domantas bring to our team and what they mean for the future of the franchise,” Pritchard said. “Both are highly competitive, highly skilled and both are winners. That is why both were lottery picks. That is why we sought them out to be part of this deal.”

Oladipo could become an instant fan favorite in what is now becoming a major rebuilding project.

The former Indiana Hoosiers star was selected No. 2 overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2013 draft. He was on the league’s all-rookie first team that season and has averaged 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists over his four-year career. The 6-foot-4 guard is expected to start next season in a backcourt that also will include Lance Stephenson and Darren Collison, who is expected to sign as a free agent.

Sabonis made 66 starts in his rookie season and averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds after being chosen No. 11 in the 2016 draft. But none of the Pacers newcomers are expected to match George’s productivity individually, and third-year center Myles Turner and Oladipo are expected to be the cornerstones of Indiana’s revamped team.