The Celtics have waived guard JD Davison, the team announced (via Twitter).
Boston exercised its 2025/26 team option on Davison at the end of June. However, as we noted at the time, Davison’s $2.27MM salary for next season is fully non-guaranteed, so the Celtics won’t incur a cap hit by releasing him.
According to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), cutting Davison has moved the Celtics under the punitive second tax apron, giving the team more maneuverability on the trade market.
The Celtics selected Davison 53rd overall in the 2022 draft after he played one college season at Alabama. The 22-year-old had spent virtually all of the past three campaigns on a two-way deal with Boston, but was converted to a multiyear standard contract just before the ’24/25 regular season ended.
While Davison’s NBA contributions have been very modest to this point – 36 total regular season appearances for a total of 198 minutes over his three seasons – he has been a standout performer in the G League, including winning the MVP award with the Maine Celtics in ’24/25.
Davison appeared in 45 combined games with Maine last season, averaging 25.6 points, 7.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 34.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .482/.332/.762.
The Celtics now have 15 players on their standard roster.
Stevens has something simmering, just can’t pull the trigger as yet. I.e trading Simons, Niang, etc
Someone’s gonna get a gem when they sign this guy to the league minimum
Do you mean the G-League minimum?
He’s been on a two way contract for three years. Each summer any other team in the league could have made him an offer. Each year he came back to the Celtics on a two way. He’s not going to get a guaranteed contract with anyone.
Perth Wildcats are looking for a PG. He’d love that part of the world.
He signed a standard contract at the end of last season in order to be playoff eligible.
He signed a contract at the end of last season because the Celtics had an open roster spot going into the playoffs. He hadn’t played any real minutes in three years. his playoff eligibility wasn’t an issue.
They could have very easily signed someone else for the 15th roster spot. They didn’t.
Anyway if he’s getting released before camp it’s usually a favor to the player / agent. This will often happen if they get an international offer.
Is that supposed to be a “gotcha”?
I know they didn’t.
Why would they? Their rotation was set. Davison never played meaningful minutes in three years
Why are all the best G League guys getting cut? What happened to rewarding these guys for their play?
A bad cba happened
Two Ways need to be rewarded better.
For what? They aren’t on NBA contracts. They’re equivalent to minor leaguers.
Minor league baseball players make like 40k a year. Their money comes from the signing bonus
Two way players are on NBA contracts, they make 640k a year.
Two-Ways aren’t standard contracts. The players aren’t playoff eligible. They primarily exist to limit the need for 10-days throughout a season.
They are essentially top-billed minor-leaguers (part of the 40-man roster, but not the main 25).
I know all of that but your “minor league contract” thing makes no sense, since there is no other similar minor league contract that’s even slightly similar. In MLB minor leagues are paid a minor league rate and a major league rate, not the same rate no matter what.
It also makes no sense to claim they aren’t on “NBA Contracts” Because they obviously are.
Very Sad. I hope he is a Max Strus but better. Minott over a guy that did all he could. LOYALITY is not much in Boston.,
Pretty sure they’re trying to put together the best team they can, not show loyalty to two way players.
I don’t know about “LOYALITY”,but loyalty is not much in any professional sports especially when it’s a minor/G league player. Stevens’ job is to put together the best roster possible- not keep guys by rank of their time employed.
Besides Davison didn’t have any other offers so suggesting he’s been loyal is an overstatement. We just don’t know. But even if he did,it doesn’t change what the goal each season is.
If he also isn’t good enough to stay on this roster right now he likely just isn’t good
GS
JD is a doG!! A Good pick up by any team!!
Any team could have had him each off season for the past three years.