The Boston Celtics’ Summer League roster came out Wednesday, and most of the names were easy to see coming.
Mohammad Amini was the surprise.
The 21-year-old Iranian guard was in the 2026 NBA Draft class but went undrafted, and it hadn’t been widely reported that Boston planned to bring him in for Summer League. Still, there he was on the roster, an unfamiliar but interesting addition for the Celtics to evaluate up close.
Amini stands 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, a profile that immediately jumps off the page. He’s originally from Iran and has been playing for Nancy Basket in France. According to NBA.com’s draft profile, “In 2023, he participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp and represented Iran’s senior national team in the World Championship, leading the squad with 13.2 points per game,” and he also made noise in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers with a 33-point game against India in February.
His most recent season with Nancy’s senior team gave scouts a clearer look at the package. NBA.com noted that in 2025-26, Amini averaged 7.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists across 24 games while shooting 47% from the field, 23% from 3 and 62% at the line. He entered the 2025 NBA Draft before withdrawing, then declared again for the 2026 draft.
The appeal is obvious: size, length and enough athletic tools to make people wonder what he could become if the rest comes along. The concern is just as clear.
The shot hasn’t been there yet. He hit 25.7% from 3-point range in 2025-26 and 62.5% from the foul line, which makes the offensive projection a tough one right now.
NBA.com put it bluntly: “Amini’s combination of size, length and competitive drive give him a foundation to build on, but the shooting limitations make it difficult to project a clear NBA role at this stage,” and added that he “may benefit from additional time in the European professional system or, as some scouts have suggested, a move to a mid-major NCAA program where he could expand his game.”
The profile also pointed to a possible long-term path if the jumper improves, saying he could grow into “a switchable wing defender with some scoring versatility, similar to current NBA players like Kyle Kuzma and Franz Wagner.” For now, though, NBA.com described him as “a draft-and-stash candidate at best.”
For Boston, Summer League is the chance to get a firsthand read on Amini’s strengths, his flaws and how much upside is really there. It may not mean anything immediate, but it gives the Celtics information they can use later.
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