Report: Nets want Rivers

A couple of notes from the past few days...

* According to Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com, the Brooklyn Nets have contacted Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge with hopes of speaking to Doc Rivers about their vacant head coach position. Sources claim that Ainge denied the Nets' request. "Doc has told me he's coming back," Ainge said. "I talk to him almost every day about our team and what we are going to do moving forward." Rivers has three years $21 million left on his contract.

* There has been much speculation as to why Rivers has not publicly said what he is going to do. Last Thursday, Ainge told reporters at the NBA Draft Combine that Rivers would indeed return. It has been eight days since then, and yet Rivers has still not said anything. Maybe he feels that Ainge has already spoken for him and he does not feel the need to say anything at all. Maybe he is using this as leverage. Maybe he is waiting to see what Ainge does with the team. Who knows?

* In an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub, Celtics CEO Wyc Grousbeck said that he, along with the rest of the Celtics front office, is unsure of what the future has in store for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Grousbeck said that the front office gathered earlier this week and had preliminary discussions about the direction of the team. While admitting that keeping the team in tact is a possibility, Grousbeck hinted that changes are in store. "I don’t know what will happen, I’ll know more about the plan in early July," Grousbeck said. "At the moment, we just have to see what the options are...Keeping it all together just as it was is one option, but we lost in the first round, so there is an obvious possibility that we ought to start making some changes. And we’re going to have to make those decisions. They won’t be made in May."

* James Pallotta, Celtics minority owner and president of the Italian soccer club A.S. Roma, traveled to the Vatican on Wednesday as part of his presidential duties. His team is taking on its rival Lazio in the Coppa Italia final this weekend. Delegations from the two clubs visited St. Peter's Square during Pope Francis' daily general audience as part of a peace initiative and presented the Pope with jerseys from each side. Along with soccer memorabilia, Pallotta presented the Pope with a Celtics jersey. The jersey has "THE POPE" written on the back of it and has the number one. Pretty cool.

* For those of who looking for a fun way to kick off your Memorial Day weekend, tune into E!'s Fashion Police tonight at 10 p.m. EST. Why? Because fashion virtuoso Rajon Rondo will stop by for a visit. Must-see television, people.