The Celtics filled their 21-man preseason roster ahead of training camp by signing free agent guard/forward Wendell Moore Jr. to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog (Twitter link).
The 26th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Moore spent two seasons in Minnesota before being traded to Detroit during the 2024 offseason. He started last season with the Pistons, was waived at the trade deadline in February, then joined the Hornets on a two-way contract about a week later, finishing the season in Charlotte.
Moore, who turned 24 earlier this month, has played sparingly at the NBA level during his first three professional seasons, appearing in 90 games and logging just 8.1 minutes per night. He saw more action in Charlotte at the end of last season than he ever had before, averaging 5.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 17.5 minutes per game across 16 outings off the bench.
There may not be a path to a regular season roster spot for Moore with the Celtics, who are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. Boston is unlikely to carry a 15th man into opening night due to the luxury tax implications, so Moore’s best chance to make the team would be to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal. That would require the Celtics to cut one of their current two-way players.
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If Moore is instead waived before the season begins, he’d be a candidate to report to the G League and join the Maine Celtics. If he were to spend at least 60 days with Boston’s NBAGL affiliate, he could earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his base G League salary.
Underrated player, he might be good