Currently, 15 of the 17 players—including those on two-way contracts—who assisted the Celtics in winning Banner 18 will be present at the game on opening night to witness it hoisted to the rafters of TD Garden.
Though Boston has filled its three two-way spots, the reigning champions still have a roster space available.
“We’re simply going to keep an eye on our team’s well-being and assess everyone’s performance. If any problems emerge between now and September that require serious attention, we may utilize it,” the team’s president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, stated to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe while in Paris for the Olympics.
But as of right now, I doubt it. We’re still trying to sign a few Exhibit 10s, and it looks like playing in Maine will be their most likely route. However, we’ll see.”
The Celtics should not only protect their roster flexibility, but they should also keep in mind that Boston is currently paying $196.6 million on player wages and is $7.6 million above the second-round salary cap. This goes double for the team and everyone speculating about whether or not they might address their open roster position.
Oshae Brissett is the most likely contender to take the job, in this author’s opinion, if they sign someone before opening night against the Knicks on October 22.
Brissett recently said, “The door is not closed fully,” on his vlog, BrissyTV. Not only did he win an NBA championship, but he also referred to his time in Boston as “the best season of my career” because he “grew so much as a player” and “practiced every single day with Hall of Famers.”
But because he wants more playing time than the Celtics can provide, the former Syracuse player might follow in the footsteps of Svi Mykhailiuk, who inked a $15 million, four-year contract with the Jazz, and take his skills elsewhere.
Starting the season with the same roster preserves their current flexibility and spares them from having to pay more in payroll and luxury tax penalties. It also gives Anton Watson a chance to get playing time, particularly while Kristaps Porzingis heals from surgery in the offseason after he suffered a torn retinaculum and a dislocated posterior tibialis tendon during the Celtics’ 105-98 victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Watson was signed to a two-way contract by Boston earlier this month after the team selected him 54th overall in the NBA draft this year.
The six-foot-eight forward proved to be as versatile on defense as his scouting report suggested during Summer League. This entails preventing attempts to beat Kel’el Ware off the dribble and making life difficult for the seven-foot center, whom the Heat selected with the fifteenth choice in this year’s draft.
ANT🚫N pic.twitter.com/yWRx79oA3G
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 14, 2024
“The physical strength and defensive versatility to absorb drives and stay between his man and the rim without fouling,” this author was informed by D.J. MacLeay, the Celtics Summer League head coach, while the team was in Sin City. “It is a unique skillset, and he has the potential to be a really unique defender for us.”
Watson’s effectiveness as a facilitator, his influence as a crafty cutter off the ball, and his close-range finishing ability were also demonstrated.
As Summer League went on, it was also heartening to see him play more offensively and aggressively. He told this author that this was one of his goals after passing up chances to play freely during his Las Vegas debut.
Even while keeping Watson’s NBA career intact or bringing Brissett back seem like the better and more likely options, Robert Covington is a fascinating free agent to take into consideration if the defending champs complete their last roster spot.
The 33-year-old attacker, who was selected to the All-Defensive First Team for the 2017–18 season, is six feet seven in height and may take Brissett’s spot as a taller wing in the “Stay Ready Group” of the extended rotation.
The 11-year veteran has spent time between multiple teams in four of the last six seasons since his participation in the transaction that brought Jimmy Butler from the Timberwolves to the 76ers in 2018–19.
He began the previous season with the Clippers and was traded back to Philadelphia as part of the deal that sent James Harden to Los Angeles. Covington averaged 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 16.1 minutes of action over his 26 games against the Sixers.
He is not just in a position where he should be content with a restricted role, but he has a career three-point percentage of 36.2 percent. He averaged 1.8 conversions per attempt at a 35.4 percent clip while playing for the 76ers. As a Clipper in 2022–2023 he made 39.7 percent of his 2.8 three-pointers from beyond the arc.
Thus, even though Covington lacks Brissett’s slashing and high-flying ability, he can still make an impact on both ends of the court, offering defensive versatility and a burst of three-point shooting. Furthermore, Covington is someone who is probably not going to grumble about his role or detract from the team dynamic and positive work environment that the Celtics strive to uphold.
