Las Vegas Summer League gets underway Thursday, and the Celtics will open play Friday with assistant coach Amile Jefferson again running the bench. Boston released its roster and schedule Wednesday, and there’s plenty to keep an eye on over the next week.
The biggest name in the group is Hugo Gonzalez, and the expectation is pretty simple: he may be too advanced for this setting. Gonzalez has been in the middle of summer chatter because of Giannis trade rumors, but the source of the buzz doesn’t change the reality that he already looks like a good NBA player. He’s supposed to take on a larger role this season, and if he looks clearly above the rest of the field in Vegas, the Celtics may not need to keep him out there long.
Amari Williams is another player worth tracking, especially if you’re looking for possible help beyond the summer roster. The second-round pick from last year is back on a two-way deal and showed real comfort as an offensive hub at center in Maine.
He also had some encouraging stretches in Boston. If he keeps adding strength and sharpens the details, there’s a path for him to provide frontcourt depth this season.
Boston’s first-round pick, Chris Cenac Jr., brings a different kind of intrigue. He’s the classic high-upside bet: a big, raw athlete with tools that jump off the page.
The talent is obvious, but so is the work ahead before he can make a real NBA impact. Even so, a strong run in summer league would be a meaningful step, and with Boston’s development staff in place, this could be the kind of pick that looks a lot smarter a few years down the line.
Dillon Mitchell gives the Celtics a wing defender with a clear identity. The second-round pick was a force on that end at St.
John’s last season, but the shot remains the big question. He has never really developed a jump shot, and that could make life difficult at the pro level if the rest of his game can’t carry him.
The best-case version is one where he makes enough open looks and brings enough value everywhere else to become something like a Josh Hart-type contributor.
There’s also a chance John Tonje keeps building on what he showed after coming over from Utah at the deadline. He earned a two-way deal in Boston and flashed enough in the G-League to stay on the radar. He can create with the ball and score, and if everything breaks right, he could eventually become the kind of bench guard who gives the Celtics a needed offensive spark.
Curtis Jones is another name that could surprise people. Boston added him quietly, but he made noise with the Nuggets last season as a rookie, scoring more than 20 points per game in the G-League while taking more than 10 three-point attempts a night. That kind of volume scoring is hard to ignore, and he has a real chance to emerge as a low-cost microwave scorer if it translates.
Milos Uzan, who played alongside Cenac at Houston, joined the Celtics on an Exhibit-10 deal after going undrafted. He was a steady point guard for the Cougars, and at 6’4” with a high basketball IQ, he has the kind of traits that can keep a player around. He may not be flashy, but he looks like someone who can hold his own and possibly build a career.
Tucker DeVries rounds out the group as the other undrafted player on an E-10 deal. He spent last season at Indiana and comes in as a real shooter at 6’7”.
The challenge is obvious: he’ll have to do plenty of other things well to stick. Still, with his size and track record, it isn’t hard to imagine a Sam Hauser-like development path if things click in Boston.
In Other News...
Chris Cenac Jr. Gave Celtics Fans Exactly The Rookie Promise They Crave
Bostons summer league opener gave fans a first look at the kind of rookie impact theyve been waiting to see, and Chris Cenac Jr. delivered plenty of it in an 83-80 overtime win over Toronto. The Celtics had to rally from a double-digit deficit, but Cenacs debut offered the blend of activity and poise that can make a summer showcase feel a little more meaningful than the average July box score.
He finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, giving Boston a frontcourt presence that showed up on both ends and kept the game within reach when it mattered. Dillon Mitchell also flashed with defense and energy, while Hugo Gonzalez, Amari Williams and John Tonje each had their own stretches, leaving the Celtics with a promising opening-night mix and a few more reasons to keep watching this group closely. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick White Gets Real About Celtics Pressure After Chaotic Offseason
The Celtics offseason has already delivered enough twists to keep the locker room on edge, and Derrick White sounded like a player trying to make sense of it all while keeping the focus on the same old standard: winning. He spoke about the changes around Boston, including the shock of seeing Jaylen Brown moved on and the arrivals of Paul George and Mitchell Robinson, while making clear that his respect for Brown remains intact and that the teams expectations have not changed.
White also touched on the ripple effects inside the roster, from Neemias Quetas new contract to his own push for a better season. He said he wants to sharpen his shooting and clean up a few small areas after feeling he did not play as well as he wanted last year, a reminder that even amid the roster churn, the Celtics are still measuring themselves against the same internal bar. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Brown Move May Have Created A Bigger Celtics Problem
Jaylen Browns departure from Boston was framed as a harsh but necessary cap decision, the kind of move Brad Stevens said the Celtics had to consider when so much of the roster-building money was already tied to Brown and Jayson Tatum. It was the sort of front-office choice that can reshape a contenders present and future at the same time, especially when a team is trying to keep its title window open without boxing itself into impossible financial corners.
Now that decision may be echoing beyond Boston. Victor Wembanyamas reported willingness to accept a rookie extension below the maximum has sparked the idea that stars could start viewing a little short-term sacrifice as a way to help their teams stay flexible, and that is exactly the kind of precedent the Celtics would not mind setting in the abstract. The lingering question is whether this becomes a one-off gesture or the start of a broader shift in how elite players approach their next big deals. [Read more 🡒]