Celtics Rumors

Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Atlantic Division

September 19th, 2024 at 10:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the next week, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re beginning our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Atlantic Division. Let’s dive in…

Boston Celtics

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Luke Kornet, Kristaps Porzingis, Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman, Jaden Springer, Jayson Tatum, Xavier Tillman, Jordan Walsh, Derrick White
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 4
- Tristan Enaruna, Ron Harper Jr., Dmytro Skapintsev, Lonnie Walker
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- JD Davison, Drew Peterson, Anton Watson

The Celtics are at their 21-man limit, so this could be the roster they take into training camp during the first week of October. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if the 14 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals are the ones who are on Boston’s opening night roster.

Outside of the usual shuffling in and out of Exhibit 10 players, there are two minor storylines to keep an eye on here. One, will Walker – who has 322 NBA regular season games under his belt – make the team as a 15th man? And two, what are the Celtics’ plans for Jay Scrubb?

Scrubb was set to start the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with the Celtics before he tore his ACL, resulting in his release just ahead of opening night. A report this offseason indicated the team plans to bring him back on an Exhibit 10 contract once he’s fully recovered from his ACL surgery. If he shows he’s back to 100% health, could he be in the mix for a two-way spot?

Brooklyn Nets

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Bojan Bogdanovic, Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, Shake Milton, Dennis Schröder, Day’Ron Sharpe, Ben Simmons, Cam Thomas, Trendon Watford, Dariq Whitehead, Ziaire Williams
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- Keon Johnson (partial guarantee), Jalen Wilson (partial guarantee)
Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Jaylen Martin
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 4
- Mark Armstrong (Exhibit 10), Amari Bailey (Exhibit 10), Killian Hayes (Exhibit 10), KJ Jones (Exhibit 10)

The Nets have several Exhibit 10 agreements to finalize and a pair of two-way slots to fill. It’s possible the club will leave those two-way spots open during the preseason and allow their camp invitees to compete for them (of the presumed Exhibit 10 signees, only Hayes is ineligible for a two-way). They may also keep their eye out for intriguing targets cut by other teams ahead of opening night.

Johnson ($250K) and Wilson ($75K) each have modest partial guarantees for now, but those guarantees will increase to $700K and $325K, respectively, if they make the opening night roster. While Wilson is the safer bet of the two to survive the preseason cuts, it’s possible both players will open the season with the club.

New York Knicks

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Precious Achiuwa, OG Anunoby, Keita Bates-Diop, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Pacome Dadiet, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Tyler Kolek, Miles McBride, Cameron Payne, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- Marcus Morris, Landry Shamet
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Chuma Okeke
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Ariel Hukporti, Kevin McCullar, Jacob Toppin
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Alex O’Connell (Exhibit 10)

The Knicks are well above the luxury tax line and may not feel compelled to carry a full 15-man standard roster into the regular season, but Morris and Shamet are quality NBA veterans who deserve a look. I’d be a little surprised if both are waived at the end of the preseason.

While more minor moves could happen before camp tips off, the Knicks would be at their 21-man preseason roster limit if they simply finalize their reported deal with O’Connell.

Philadelphia 76ers

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Adem Bona, Andre Drummond, Joel Embiid, Paul George, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, KJ Martin, Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Kelly Oubre, Guerschon Yabusele
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Ricky Council
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 2
- Max Fiedler, Judah Mintz
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Jeff Dowtin, Justin Edwards, David Jones

There shouldn’t be any surprises in Philadelphia ahead of training camp, though the team still has some breathing room below the second tax apron to add a 15th man to its projected standard roster, if it so chooses.

If the Sixers intend to carry a 14-man roster into the season, filling out the preseason roster will likely just be a matter of signing two more camp invitees to Exhibit 10 contracts to get to 21 players.

Toronto Raptors

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Ochai Agbaji, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Chris Boucher, Bruce Brown, Gradey Dick, Davion Mitchell, Jonathan Mogbo, Kelly Olynyk, Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead, Garrett Temple, Ja’Kobe Walter
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Bruno Fernando
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 2
- Jamison Battle, Jared Rhoden
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Branden Carlson, D.J. Carton, Ulrich Chomche
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Quincy Guerrier (Exhibit 10)

As is the case with the Knicks and O’Connell, the Raptors could finalize their training camp roster by simply signing Guerrier to his reported Exhibit 10 contract, though that doesn’t necessarily have to happen before camp begins. If the goal is simply to secure Guerrier’s G League rights, he could be signed-and-waived at any time before opening night.

Shuttling Exhibit 10 players on and off the roster could allow the Raptors to bring in another veteran free agent to compete with Fernando for the final spot on the standard 15-man roster, though there have been no reports so far suggesting that’s the plan.

And-Ones: Expansion, EuroLeague, G League Trades, Hawes

September 18th, 2024 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

What would it look like if the NBA awarded expansion teams to a pair of new cities? In an entertaining story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks broke down the rules governing expansion drafts, then submitted lists of protected players for each team to Tim Bontemps and Kevin Pelton, who conducted a mock expansion draft on behalf of the two hypothetical new franchises.

As Marks details, the rules for expansion drafts aren’t specifically laid out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, but in the past, each existing NBA team has been permitted to protect up to eight players in the spring, including pending restricted free agents and/or players holding options. In those instances, expansion teams weren’t allowed to select more than one player from any of the NBA’s existing clubs.

Marks also lays out how expansion teams would be incorporated into the annual rookie draft (they’re typically not given the opportunity to land the No. 1 overall pick during their first couple seasons) and how the salary cap would work for them (their cap would be two-thirds of the league-wide cap in year one, 80% in year two, and the full cap in year three).

While expansion is likely still at least two or three years away, ESPN’s exercise is an informative one that helps illustrate with practical examples how new teams would fill out their rosters.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (subscription required) takes a look at 10 notable players in the EuroLeague who are on expiring contracts and will reach free agency in 2025. Mathias Lessort, Kevin Punter, and Chima Moneke are among the headliners on Urbonas’ list who figure to be monitored by NBA teams in 2024/25.
The Westchester Knicks – New York’s G League affiliate – completed a pair of trades on Tuesday. Westchester sent Dmytro Skapintsev‘s returning rights to the Maine Celtics in exchange for the rights to Brandon Slater and Joe Wieskamp; in a separate deal, the Knicks’ NBAGL team acquired Brandon Williams‘ returning rights and a 2025 G League international draft pick from the Osceola Magic in exchange for the rights to Charlie Brown Jr. (Twitter links). The NBA’s Celtics signed Skapintsev to an Exhibit 10 contract on Tuesday.
Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype spoke to former NBA big man Spencer Hawes about the ups and downs of his playing career, which saw him appear in 684 regular season games for six teams from 2007-17. A 7’1″ center who made 35.0% of his career-three pointers, Hawes was asked if he felt like he arrived in the league a few years too early. “I kind of joke about my buddies. I missed the max (contract) by a couple of years,” Hawes said. “Well, I think the game just wasn’t in such a good place and my game as well. I came in kind of as a more traditional old-school post-up player and I realized that pretty quickly that wasn’t working. So, I kind of had to figure out a different way to try and get on the floor and help the team win.”

Celtics Sign Dmytro Skapintsev To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 18th, 2024 at 6:50am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 18: Skapintsev has officially signed with the Celtics, according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

SEPTEMBER 17: The Celtics and free agent big man Dmytro Skapintsev have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Skapintsev, 26, played in his home country of Ukraine from 2015-22 before heading stateside two years ago to join the Westchester Knicks in the G League. He has spent the majority of the past two seasons with New York’s G League affiliate, averaging 10.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 23.9 minutes per game across 38 Showcase Cup and regular season outings in 2023/24.

Skapintsev earned a brief NBA call-up last December when he signed a two-way contract with the Knicks and appeared in two games for the club. However, he logged just two total minutes in those contests and was waived 10 days later, at which point he reported back to Westchester.

According to Scotto, Skapintsev will look to compete for a roster spot with the Celtics this fall. The 7’1″ center is unlikely to end up on the standard 15-man roster, but Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted to two-way deals before the regular season begins, so perhaps he’ll get an opportunity to unseat a current Boston two-way player (Drew Peterson, JD Davison, or Anton Watson) if he impresses in camp.

Exhibit 10 contracts can also line up a player to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by his NBA team and then spends at least 60 days with the club’s G League affiliate. The Maine Celtics would have to acquire Skapintsev’s returning rights for that to be an option for him.

Nassir Little Auditioning For Celtics, Warriors, Heat

September 16th, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Several teams have worked out or plan to work out free agent forward Nassir Little, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

That group includes the defending champion Celtics, Warriors and Heat. The Athletic reported earlier in the day that Little is also among a trio of forwards who is working out for the Kings.

Little would seemingly have a greater chance of hooking on with the Kings and Warriors than the other two squads. As our roster counts display, Sacramento has 14 players signed to the official roster (not counting two-way deals) but only 12 have fully guaranteed contracts. Golden State has 15 players on the official roster but just 12 have fully guaranteed deals.

Boston and Miami have 14 players apiece on fully guaranteed deals, plus others on training camp or non-guaranteed contracts. Both also have major luxury tax considerations — the Celtics are operating well above the second tax apron, while the Heat would surpass that second apron threshold by carrying a 15th man.

Little, 24, has been a free agent since Phoenix waived him late last month. The combo forward appeared in 45 games for the Suns last season, making two starts and posting 3.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per night. He spent his first four NBA seasons in Portland before coming to Phoenix in a three-team trade last September.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Celtics, Horford, Nets

September 15th, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Raptors appear to be embracing a youth movement this season, with young players like Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett leading the charge.

In a mailbag, Eric Koreen of The Athletic says he doesn’t project that Toronto will achieve more than a potential play-in berth, but he does believe the club has enough depth that it could compete for a seventh or eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Koreen notes that Barnes needs to grow as a scorer, Quickley as a distributor, and Barrett as a defender.

Within the same mailbag, Koreen also projects the team’s starters, speculates on possible breakout surprises on the current roster, and more.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The reigning champion Celtics look like the favorites to repeat in 2024/25, but it’s going to cost them. Keith Smith of Spotrac unpacks the club’s future salary cap situation, noting that Boston agreed to almost $514MM in new long-term contracts during the 2023/24 league year before extending Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Sam Hauser this offseason. By 2025/26, Boston is already committed to pay almost $445MM in combined salaries and luxury tax penalties for 11 players, Smith writes.
Celtics sixth man big Al Horford was recently honored with the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez, and Mella in the degree of Knight from Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, reports Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. “I knew I was going to come meet the president, but I didn’t know I was gonna get the highest award for the country,” Horford said. “So, very special for me, very special for my family. I feel very proud right now, very overwhelmed with a lot of emotion. Very, very special day for me today.” Across a decorated 17-year career, the 6’9″ center has made five All-Star teams, one All-NBA team and one All-Defensive team. He’s now an NBA champion as well.
The rebuilding Nets will boast a roster featuring several young players looking to carve out a niche in the league. In a new piece, Net Income of Nets Daily examines which five Brooklyn players have the most to prove heading into 2024/25, a list highlighted by former top lottery picks Ben Simmons and Killian Hayes.

Family Rift Over Payroll Reportedly Led To Decision To Sell Celtics

September 14th, 2024 at 8:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

A family disagreement over the Celtics‘ rising payroll was behind Wyc Grousbeck’s decision to put the majority stake in the team up for sale, sources tell Josh Kosman and Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Ninety-year-old Irving Grousbeck controls about 20% of the franchise and is unwilling to absorb the projected financial losses that will be necessary to keep the team in title contention, according to Kosman. After winning the championship in June, Boston handed out several new contracts that will bring the total cost of the roster for the 2025/26 season to about $500MM in salary and tax payments.

“That’s what happens when dad puts in most of the money,” a source told Kosman.

Kosman cites another source close to the sale process who says the team is projected to lose about $80MM this season. That amount will be much higher in the following season when repeater tax penalties become harsher.

The Celtics handed out a record-setting contract to Jaylen Brown last summer, and then topped that with a five-year, $314MM super-max extension for Jayson Tatum in July. Jrue Holiday also received an extension and several players were re-signed, pushing the total 2025/26 team salary north of $225MM and setting up a projected $280MM luxury tax payment.

“Wyc says we’ll spend whatever it takes, but dad wasn’t into losing money,” another source told Kosman, who hears that the team barely broke even last season while winning its 18th NBA title.

The Grousbeck family claimed it was unloading its share of the team for “estate planning purposes” when the surprise announcement was made in early July. Wyc Grousbeck reiterated that stance in a statement to Kosman.

“The Grousbeck family is selling the team for estate and family planning considerations. To say the sale is in any way related to losses is completely incorrect,” he stated. “There has not been a capital call from ownership, or any additional investment of any kind, in the 22 years since Boston Basketball Partners bought the team and we don’t anticipate there being one.”

The NBA is hoping to have the Celtics valued at a record-setting $6 billion for the sale, but there are complications in reaching that figure. Sources tell Kosman that the team’s projected losses and the fact that it doesn’t own TD Garden to provide revenue from other events could make prospective buyers reluctant to bid that high.

The Grousbecks are hoping to sell a 51% stake either later this year or early in 2025 and then continue to run the team until the full sale is completed in 2028.

There has been little movement toward a sale in the two-and-a-half months since the Grousbecks announced that the team was available, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Banks helping with the transaction are still reviewing the team’s assets and liabilities to provide an accurate report for interested buyers, which Himmelsbach says is typical in this type of transaction.

Celtics Sign, Waive Jordan Schakel

September 13th, 2024 at 8:31pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 13: The Celtics have waived Schakel, according to NBA’s official transaction log. Schakel’s Exhibit 10 deal includes a $77.5K bonus, which he’ll earn by spending at least 60 days with Maine.

SEPTEMBER 11: The Celtics have signed free agent swingman Jordan Schakel to an Exhibit 10 contract, sources tell Bobby Manning of CelticsBlog.

The move gives Boston a full 21-man offseason roster, with 14 players on standard contracts, three on two-way deals, and four on Exhibit 10 pacts.

A former San Diego State standout, Schakel has spent most of the past three seasons playing in the G League since going undrafted in 2021. He also had brief stints in the NBA with the Wizards in 2021/22 and ’22/23, appearing in six games for Washington during that time, and spent part of this summer playing in Puerto Rico for Leones de Ponce.

Before a knee injury prematurely ended his season, Schakel played for the Maine Celtics in ’23/24, averaging 13.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 28.1 minutes per game across 24 outings, with a shooting line of .417/.402/.826.

Although the Celtics’ roster is full for the time being, they’ll likely continue to make tweaks before training camp begins next month. Manning notes that the team is expected to sign Jay Scrubb to an Exhibit 10 contract once he fully recovers from ACL surgery.

Players on Exhibit 10 deals who are waived before the season begins are eligible to earn bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with their team’s G League affiliate. That’s likely the plan for Schakel, who figures to return to Maine this fall.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Mavs, Camp Questions, Maine Staff

September 13th, 2024 at 3:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on “The Tonight Show” to promote his children’s book, Celtics star Jayson Tatum made a few predictions about the upcoming season, as Max Molski of NBC Sports Boston relays. Notably, Tatum picked himself to win MVP, and said he thinks the Celtics will return to the NBA Finals again in 2025.

“It’s gonna be a rematch. We’re gonna play Dallas again,” Tatum said.

Boston claimed its 18th championship by defeating the Mavericks in the 2024 Finals. Jaylen Brown was voted Finals MVP.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

With an early training camp set to open in under two weeks, Jared Weiss of The Athletic lists five questions facing the defending champions entering 2024/25, including how Tatum and Brown will respond to some minor controversies with Team USA this summer. Weiss also wonders which young players will crack the rotation this season, with Jaden Springer and Baylor Scheierman looking like the top contenders entering camp.
Former Wizards player development coach Landon Tatum has joined Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, as an assistant coach, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Tatum had been with Washington since 2016, Scotto notes.
Tatum’s hiring was confirmed in a press release from the Maine Celtics announcing the team’s coaching staff for ’24/25. Tyler Lashbrook, who was a player development assistant on Joe Mazzulla‘s staff last season, has been named Maine’s head coach. “Tyler is a great coach who excels in relationship management and communication,” said Mazzulla. “Last season he led our late game situational prep and took the lead on developing some of our younger players. I am excited for Tyler to have this opportunity to grow as a coach and leader, and to impact the Maine team and community.” Assistant Steve Tchiengang has been promoted to Maine’s associate head coach, while Taaj Ridley is also back for a second season. Tatum and Brendan Baker are the team’s new assistants, per the release.

Atlantic Notes: Walker, Celtics, Raptors, Brunson, Bridges

September 11th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New Celtics Exhibit 10 signee Lonnie Walker IV, who has probably done enough to warrant a roster spot on a rebuilding team this year, is instead looking to prove that he’s worthy of a roster spot with the defending champions in 2024/25, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

Walker is a solid shooter who has enough offensive talent to play in the NBA, but he’ll likely have to show improved defensive awareness to stick in Boston, according to Weiss, who speculates that the veteran wing could serve as a possible roster option in the event second-year swingman Jordan Walsh and rookie guard Baylor Scheierman need further seasoning.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

All of the Celtics’ top nine players from their run to the 2024 title are returning for an encore next season. With those champs’ places in the Boston hierarchy more or less set in stone, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston speculates as to which player will emerge as the club’s 10th man.
Appearing on ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday, ex-Raptors forward DeMar DeRozan said he believes his former team still would have won a championship in 2019 if he and Jakob Poeltl had remained on the roster instead of being traded to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green (Twitter video link). “I felt, off the year we had before, we just needed one more piece to kind of push us over the top, and that piece came to be LeBron (James) going to the West,” DeRozan said. “I didn’t get an opportunity to see what would’ve happened, but I have the utmost confidence within myself. I have no doubt in my mind the same outcome would’ve happened.”
Knicks All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson showed true leadership in agreeing to a below-market contract extension, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Popper also opines that the team took a major swing in trading for All-Defensive small forward Mikal Bridges this summer, in the hopes that he can help them match the Celtics and the East’s other top clubs. Finally, Popper considers the fate of Julius Randle, a critical piece who has yet to be locked up beyond 2025, leaving his long-term future in doubt.

Silver: League Still Isn’t Ready To Tackle Expansion

September 10th, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The league isn’t quite ready to explore expansion talks, NBA commissioner Adam Silver revealed during a Tuesday press conference. Silver addressed the media after the league’s Board of Governors meeting.

“There was not a lot of discussion in this meeting about expansion, but only largely not for lack of interest, it was that we had said to them that we’re not quite ready,” Silver said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “It was something that we told our board we plan to address this season, and we’re not quite ready yet. But I think there’s certainly interest in the process, and I think that we’re not there yet in terms of having made any specific decisions about markets or even frankly to expand.”

Expansion has been put off while the league negotiated a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and reached new broadcast deals. With those items in the rear view mirror, the league could eventually discuss expansion in the coming months. The first step in that process, according to Bontemps, would be forming a committee of several owners to explore the topic and determine what the next steps would be.

Here’s more from Silver’s press conference and the BOG meeting:

The commissioner would prefer that legalized sports betting had a “federal framework,” rather than being a state competition with varying rules. “I was in favor of a federal framework for sports betting. I still am,” he said. “I still think that the hodgepodge of state by state, it makes it more difficult for the league to administer it. I think it creates competition, understandably, among states to get — just think New York, New Jersey or a situation like that where you’re both competing for the same customer, so you can compete on tax rates and other things and a regulatory framework.”
The league is essentially in wait-and-see mode regarding the potential sales of two franchises, the Timberwolves and the Celtics, according to The Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds. Minnesota’s dispute between current majority owner Glen Taylor and potential majority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez is headed to arbitration. “That’s a process that exists independent of the league that was set out in the sales agreement,” Silver said. Boston’s ownership group, led by Wyc Grousbeck, intends to sell the majority of its shares later this year or early next year, then close on a sale of the balance of remaining shares in 2028. “I think that Wyc Grousbeck and his ownership group are in the process of working through what the steps will be,” Silver said.
Raptors Governor and Chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Larry Tanenbaum has been re-elected as the Board’s chairman, NBA Communications tweets. Tanenbaum has served in that role since 2017.
The league could have a national streaming RSN platform as soon as the 2025/26 season, according to the Sports Business Journal’s Tom Friend. Numerous teams were affected Diamond Sports bankruptcy proceedings. Diamond is the parent company of Bally Sports. “I think coming out of this, when we look at the interest of streaming services to carry local games and all the additional functionality that will come to that, there will be a transition and transition for our viewers, as well, in terms of how they discover those games and how they watch them, that I think the end result will be a much better consumer experience,” Silver said.

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