With the Las Vegas Summer League set to tip on July 10, Boston’s attention has been pulled in a dozen different directions lately. The buzz around the Celtics has been loud enough that the young group heading to Vegas has barely gotten a moment in the spotlight.
That should change now, and the name drawing the most eyes is Hugo Gonzalez. The sophomore standout is the face of Boston’s summer league roster, even if his summer has already been tangled up in the noise around trade rumors. Gonzalez’s name surfaced as a possible sticking point in Celtics-Bucks discussions for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and while the rumor was overstated, it still put him squarely in the middle of the conversation.
In reality, the situation was likely more complicated than the way it was framed publicly. Gonzalez may have been part of a broader package that also involved Baylor Scheierman, other players, and a pile of draft capital. But once his name got out there, it took on a life of its own, with plenty of people talking as if Boston’s refusal to include him was the reason a deal never happened.
That’s the burden Gonzalez is carrying into Vegas, and it’s not one he created. Still, the spotlight is there, and some fans and media members are bound to judge him through that lens. Fair or not, he’ll be asked to answer the noise with his play.
For now, Gonzalez is coming off strong work with the Spanish national team and is expected to lead a Celtics summer roster that also features rookies Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell. Boston’s group includes Amari Williams, a second-round pick who spent some time with the Celtics last season, and John Tonje, who arrived at the deadline and stood out in Maine.
The only player from last year’s Celtics summer league team who would have returned is Max Shulga. He was a second-round pick a year ago, did not receive a qualifying offer from Boston, and has since joined Golden State for summer league.
There’s plenty worth watching beyond the headlines around Gonzalez. Williams gets another chance to show what a year as a pro has done for him after flashing at times in Boston.
Cenac Jr. brings real intrigue as a big, freakish athlete with upside, and if he makes a strong impression, he could push for a rotation spot this season. Mitchell is in that same conversation, though his path is different: he’s already known as one of the draft’s best defenders, and the next step is clear - the jumper has to come along.
Gonzalez will draw the biggest crowd, but this roster has several players who could make Vegas worth following closely.
In Other News...
Celtics Already Linked To Another Young Piece After Brown Shock
Bostons roster picture is still shifting after the Jaylen Brown trade, and the front office may not be done looking for ways to plug holes with younger, more versatile pieces. One area that stands out is power forward, where the Celtics are thin enough that Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser are projected to soak up most of those minutes, with Paul George at the 4 also part of the conversation.
That has naturally pushed Boston toward the market for young wings and forwards who can help right away without boxing the team into a long-term mistake. The challenge is that some of the names floating around are not exactly easy gets, and the clubs holding them are in no rush to move them unless the return is right. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Stevens May Have Quietly Solved A Celtics Problem Nobody Saw
Brad Stevens spent the offseason quietly reshaping the Celtics frontcourt, and the moves have a chance to matter more than they looked at first glance. Boston brought in Mitchell Robinson, kept Neemias Queta on a new extension and gave Ron Harper Jr. a fresh deal after he broke through late last season, all while trying to keep the roster flexible and the costs manageable.
The appeal is in the math as much as the fit. A salary model from Steph Noh suggests Queta alone could provide far more value than his contract implies, and Harpers new four-year deal comes in at a team-friendly level for a player who earned his way into the conversation. Put together, the Celtics may have done more than add depth, they may have locked down an immediate frontcourt solution without paying anywhere near market price. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Finally Addressed The End Of The Two Jays
For years, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were the Celtics defining partnership, the Two Jays who carried Boston to the NBA Finals twice and finally broke through together in 2024, with Brown taking home Finals MVP honors. So when the franchise split the pair, it marked the end of one of the leagues most recognizable duos and one of the most successful stretches in recent Celtics history.
Tatum addressed the change publicly for the first time at an event for his childrens book, and he made clear the transition has not been easy on a personal level. Even with Boston always moving forward, the emotional weight of seeing a longtime teammate and co-star gone is part of the story now, and it is the kind of development that changes not just the roster, but the entire feel of what comes next. [Read more 🡒]