While the NBA keeps waiting on Jaylen Brown news, the Celtics handled a busy stretch of roster housekeeping ahead of player deadlines.
Boston picked up the options on Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh and Dalano Banton. The team declined the option on Amari Williams, but he’s set to return on a two-way deal. The Celtics also declined the option on Shulga, though it’s not yet clear whether he’ll stay on a two-way contract.
That approach fits the path Boston has been on for a while. Williams and Shulga were signed to standard deals as part of the team’s tax-avoidance plan, and the idea now is to bring them back on two-way deals so they effectively land back where they were before the cap maneuvering.
Banton’s situation stands out a little more. Boston kept him on a non-guaranteed deal, which suggests the Celtics are holding onto him as insurance while the rest of their roster business gets finished.
Queta was another player whose option had drawn some league chatter, with some wondering whether Boston might decline it as part of a new contract. That didn’t happen, and for good reason: the Celtics are still trying to stay under the tax line, and an extension this summer would make that harder. Queta has had just one strong season, too, so the option gives him a clear “prove it” year.
Ron Harper Jr. was also part of the team-option group, but Boston worked out a three-year, $9 million deal with him this weekend. The Celtics technically declined his option, but the first year of the new contract matches that number, with two guaranteed years added on. That keeps Harper Jr. under team control until he’s 29 at a very low cost, which could matter if his improvement from last season continues.
All of those moves leave Boston with 13 rostered players, including 27th pick Chris Cenac Jr. They do not include 40th overall pick Dillon Mitchell, who is expected to end up on a two-way deal.
Mitchell, along with Williams and possibly Hugo Gonzalez, is expected to be part of the Celtics’ summer league team. Gonzalez is reportedly set to play for Spain in FIBA World Cup qualifiers on July 2 and 5, and summer league opens July 9.
In Other News...
Celtics May Have A Real Opening To Fix Their Biggest Need
The Celtics still have a familiar offseason problem hanging over them: finding the kind of frontcourt help that can raise the ceiling without forcing them to reinvent the roster. NBA insider Michael Scotto reported that Denver could be open to bigger changes this summer, and Boston has already been linked to a pair of Nuggets forwards who would fit different needs for a team trying to stay versatile at the top of the East. Cam Johnson would bring size and spacing, while Aaron Gordon offers the sturdier, more physical option that teams covet when the games get tighter.
Johnsons appeal is obvious because of his expiring contract and the kind of production that has made him one of the more movable names on the market, especially with several teams circling. Gordon, meanwhile, would give Boston a more natural answer at power forward and could even let Jayson Tatum slide back to small forward, which is the type of lineup flexibility the Celtics have been chasing. Whether Denver is actually willing to move either one is the part still worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Suddenly Loom Over One Celtics Shooting Threat After Giannis Move
Miamis trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo has shifted the conversation in South Florida from splashy star power to the far less glamorous business of filling out a roster. For a team that already has to think carefully about shooting around its new centerpiece, the search for help on the perimeter suddenly matters a lot more, especially with free agency approaching and the Heat needing more than just another name to keep the offense balanced.
Anfernee Simons fits the type of scoring and spacing Miami is likely to be chasing, and the possibility of a bigger role there makes him one of the more intriguing Celtics-related names to watch. If the Heat cannot bring back Norm Powell, the pressure to find another guard only grows, and Bostons view of the market could end up intersecting with Miamis roster math in a way that puts Simons squarely in the middle of it. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Rumors Just Reignited A Familiar Frontcourt Debate
Bostons frontcourt conversation has quickly turned from a short-term cleanup job into a familiar roster debate, with the club apparently weighing how to use its mid-level exception to bolster the middle of the floor. The appeal is obvious: one option brings the kind of steady, low-maintenance veteran presence teams trust, while the other offers a defensive impact that can change the tone of a game when he is on the court.
For the Celtics, the bigger question is less about whether help is needed and more about what kind of help makes the most sense. Boston watched its center depth get stripped down last season, then saw the position become a recurring issue when the games tightened up in the playoffs, so any move here will say a lot about how the team wants to balance reliability, health and upside moving forward. [Read more 🡒]