The Boston Celtics have one roster spot left to fill. They have to decide whether to add someone who could be in the rotation
or add someone who will fill in just in case of injury. Jack Simone of CelticsBlog explained why bench scorer Terence Davis
could be an option for the Celtics.
“Rumors of Boston’s potential interest in Davis swirled at the beginning of the offseason, but there hasn’t been much buzz
since. He’s an undersized wing who provides a solid scoring punch and decent three-point shooting,” Simone wrote.
Davis was a rotation player for the Sacramento Kings, who made the playoffs for the first time since 2006, where he
averaged 6.7 points while shooting 42.3% from the field and 36.6% from three in 13.1 minutes a game while playing 64
games total. The previous season, Davis averaged 10.4 points in 17.9 minutes a game.
Simone was also referencing an earlier report from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto on June 30, where Scotto reported that the
Celtics were among the teams that were interested in Davis.
Davis could give the Celtics more guard depth following the departure of Marcus Smart, though minutes may not be
guaranteed for him having to play behind Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Payton Pritchard.
Celtics Could Be Moving on From Blake Griffin: Insider
Blake Griffin was a late-season addition who did well in the role the Celtics gave him during the 2022-23 season. While
nothing has been ruled out regarding a possible Griffin return, MassLive’s Brian Robb revealed that the lack of news with
Griffin may very well indicate that he won’t return to Boston.
“It’s been eerily quiet on the Blake Griffin front since the season ended. Brad Stevens made no mention of him in any of his
press conferences, and that could be a signal the team is moving on,” Robb wrote.
Robb added that the Celtics may very well wait to see what other options they have before they make any decisions with
Griffin.
“For now, the Celtics may want the roster flexibility to consider other additions knowing that Griffin is available as a backup
plan for another true big. The team probably isn’t ready to commit guaranteed money to him though until other alternatives
are ruled out.”
Griffin may very well go through exactly what he did last summer, where he wasn’t signed to any roster until after training
camp starts. Or possibly even later.
Evan Fournier Likely to Be Waived If Not Traded: Report
It appears former Celtics starter Evan Fournier is on the outs with the New York Knicks one way or the other. Steve Popper
of Newsday reported that if the Knicks can’t find a trade destination for him, he’ll find himself on the buyout market.
“(Fournier) understandably is frustrated with wasting time in what he considers the prime of his career. A source indicated
earlier this summer that if no deal is done, Fournier likely will be bought out, but for the Knicks, his contract remains an
asset for now. With some low-cost pieces on their roster, a potential trade for a star might need his salary added in as an
expiring deal.”
He could be another option the Celtics could look into if and when he gets waived. Fournier has familiarity with Jayson
Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Robert Williams III.
Celtics Notes: Brown, Brissett, Banton, Madar, Begarin
The trade kicker on Jaylen Brown‘s new super-max extension with the Celtics is worth either 7% of his remaining salary
or $7MM, whichever is lesser, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Brown’s trade kicker won’t be relevant until at least the 2025/26 season, since a player is ineligible to receive a full trade
bonus if it would push his salary beyond his maximum. He’ll be earning the max (35% of the cap) in ’24/25, but not
necessarily in seasons beyond that, since the cap could increase at a greater rate than his contract does.
Brown will receive 8% annual raises, so if the cap rises by 10% per year, he’d be earning below the max in later years of the
extension. His trade kicker would ensure he earns as much as $7MM in extra money if he’s dealt at that point.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- After signing the richest contract in NBA history, Brown is feeling more pressure to use his wealth to make a “tangible impact” off the court rather than to win a championship on it, as Weiss details within the same Athletic story“The first
- thing that came to mind is like ‘Dang, look what all you can do with it now,’” Brown said. “Like how much you can invest into your community, what you can build with it, what you can change, how many lives you can touch, and what you can do in real-time.”
- As long as the Celtics are at full strength, Brian Robb of MassLive doesn’t expect there to be too many minutes available for newcomers like Oshae Brissett, Dalano Banton, and Jordan Walsh. Of the three, Brissett probably has the best chance to earn a rotation role, according to Robb, who believes Banton will be more of a defensive specialist and developmental project
- Within the same mailbag, Robb writes that the Celtics remain high on draft-and-stash players Yam Madar (the No. 47 overall pick in 2020) and Juhann Begarin (No. 45 in 2021) despite not feeling that either is NBA-ready yet. Robb speculates that those former second-rounders could be logical additions to fill back-end roster spots on the cheap in future seasons as super-max deals for Brown and Jayson Tatum hit the team’s books.
- Longtime voice of the Celtics Mike Gorman will retire after the 2023/24 season, per NBC Sports Boston. The veteran play-by-play man has been calling Celtics games since 1981. “Celtics Nation… you are the best and there is no other group of dedicated fans I would have chosen to take this ride with,” Gorman said as part of a larger statement. “I very much look forward to my final season with all of you — and thank you again for allowing me to be a part of your lives.”
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