The preseason schedule is officially over for the Celtics as they can now turn their attention to their season opener next Wednesday against the Knicks. The C’s have taken training camp and preseason seriously all in preparation for what should be a title-contending season.
But first, the Celtics have to get their roster in order — that means cuts are coming. The C’s had some interesting young players be part of the process over the last few weeks, but they’ll need to be let go in the next few days. That’s the reality of being in the NBA as it’s a business, which C’s coach Joe Mazzulla spoke about after the win over the Hornets on Thursday.
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“It’s always difficult when you spend two, three weeks with anybody and get to know them and you watch them work hard and you do everything you can and then they’re not with you anymore,” Mazzulla said. “So that process is difficult. But at the end of the day, decisions have to be made. You just have to move on.”
As of right now, the Celtics have 10 players under guaranteed deals going into the season. The Celtics are allowed to carry up to 15 players. Other players like Dalano Banton, Lamar Stevens, Svi Mykhailiuk, Luke Kornet, DJ Steward and Wenyen Gabriel are either on partially-guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals. The Celtics will need to make decisions on those guys going forward.
One wrinkle for the roster will be how the Celtics utilize their three two-way slots. Jay Scrubb is out with a torn ACL, so they’re going to fill that spot eventually. Neemias Queta is also another guy who could eventually play his way to a standard contract. But the Celtics don’t have to upgrade him from his two-way contract immediately, so they could wait on the big man while still keeping him active some game nights as an insurance option. JD Davison is the last player on a two-way deal as the 21-year-old will likely see another season of development.
Regardless, it’s a tough time for players around the league as they’re let go by teams. They could either catch on through open two-way slots, the G-League or wait around for their opportunities. The Celtics themselves could also see a cut player who they like and sign them to a two-way slot or elsewhere. But even with cuts now, the bottom of the roster will see plenty of movement throughout the season.
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