Analysis: Celtics sign Xavier Silas with hardship exception

With Kyrie Irving expected to miss the remainder of the regular season, the Celtics applied for and were granted an extra roster spot (via a hardship exception) this week. The team announced Wednesday that they would fill that roster spot by signing G-League guard Xavier Silas to a 10-day contract. He took part in the team's shootaround today in Utah and will be in uniform for tonight's matchup with the Jazz.

Silas, 30, is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard who has bounced around the G-League and other international pro leagues over much of the last decade. Silas played for the Northern Arizona Suns this season, where he averaged 18.4 points (43.8% FG, 38.1% 3-PT, 88.2% FT), 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.21 steals in 43 games. Silas was also a teammate of Brian Scalabrine in the Big 3 Basketball League this past summer.

BSJ Analysis: The signing of Silas comes after a deal for veteran shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick fell apart over the weekend when the Bulls offered more upfront money for the wing with cash leftover from the midlevel exception. The Celtics did not have the ability to offer more than the veteran's minimum for any signing, so they turned to another scorer in Silas.

A few scattered thoughts on the signing in a Q-and-A format:

Will Xavier Silas get a chance to play and what does he bring to the table? 

Yes. Silas has done one thing well throughout his pro career and that's putting the ball in the hoop. He's a high-volume 3-point shooter (eight 3-point attempts per game in the G-League) and that's something the Celtics are short on right now with the injuries to their backcourt. With Marcus Morris (bruised ankle) sidelined, the Celtics have had to rely on the likes of Shane Larkin and Greg Monroe to carry the second unit offensively in recent days. That's not going to go well on some nights, so bringing in Silas as an experienced shot creator should take some pressure off that duo and provide an alternative to Abdel Nader for certain matchups.



Will the Celtics be eligible for a hardship exception for the playoffs?

No. The league grants a hardship exception when a team has four or more players that are expected to miss 10-plus days. However, hardship exceptions do not carry over to the postseason, so the Celtics will need to reshuffle their 15-man roster if they want to carry Silas in the postseason. They will not be granted an extra roster spot, even if Kyrie Irving cannot suit up.

So what's the point of signing Silas then if he can only play in the regular season? 

The Celtics need some bodies out there to play minutes and stay competitive without causing too heavy of an onus on their rotation players. Additionally, there is always an outside shot that the team could consider carrying Silas in place of someone else on their 15-man roster when the postseason starts. The next few weeks can be considered as a bit of an open audition for him on that front. His age and experience show the Celtics were looking for a guy that knows how to do a job within the system. The organization is also familiar with him from his time with the Maine Red Claws in 2012. While it's a long shot that Silas plays well enough to earn a roster spot over the next few weeks over someone like Nader in the postseason, he does have a skillset (outside shooting) that could prove valuable for the right matchup.