The Celtics still have a 15-man roster spot up for grabs this fall and they will be bringing in another member of the 2019 Summer League Celtics to compete for it. The team came to terms on Thursday on a partially guaranteed deal with swingman Javonte Green, according to a league source. ESPN was first to report the news.
Green, 25, emerged as a standout for the Celtics last week in Las Vegas, averaging 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals in five summer Summer League contests. Danny Ainge spoke highly about the team's interest in Green on Wednesday.
"I don't know what is ahead in his future but he played really well for us in this summer too and he's proven he can find a good role in the NBA too if that's what he wants," Ainge said.
Green went undrafted out of Radford in 2015 but the Celtics have kept close tabs on him overseas for the past two years while playing in Germany for the same team Daniel Theis and Brad Wanamaker spent some time with before coming to the NBA. A league source indicated to BostonSportsJournal.com that Green turned down more guaranteed money overseas in order to get a chance to make the Celtics roster this fall.
BSJ Analysis
The 6-foot-4 guard stood out from the pack in Las Vegas due to his athleticism and defensive skills. He is a high flyer that can finish well in the paint but also helped slow down scorers on the opposition for a C's summer league team that went 4-1. The question mark with him starts with his perimeter shot. He went 1-of-5 from 3-point range in Las Vegas and he has never really had a reliable stroke dating back to his college days at Radford.
If you look beyond the lack of a jumper, there is still a lot to like here for a fringe NBA player. Green gets to the free-throw line a lot (he averaged nearly seven attempts per game last season in the Eurocup) and he's a high percentage finisher around the rim. Combine that with his defensive prowess and athleticism make him a potential fit for a wing player off the bench in Boston. He's a great cutter as well, which helped produce a lot of backdoor easy dunks and alley-oops in Vegas thanks to some savvy passing from Boston's bigs. He looked a lot like Jabari Bird with more athleticism this summer and that was good enough to earn a roster spot in Boston last year before his domestic violence arrest.
For now, Green will compete with a crowded group for a 15th man roster spot. Tremont Waters and Max Strus are signed to two-way deals but it is possible one of the pair could earn the final spot over Green with a strong camp (the team has the power to sign them an NBA deal at any point). Additionally, the Celtics are hoping to have Tacko Fall in camp as well to potentially earn a roster spot or two-way deal. For now, Green probably has the inside track at the position since the Celtics do have a need for another wing defender behind Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward with the status of Romeo Langford uncertain to contribute right away after sitting out Summer League.
A closer look at Green's highlight reel from summer league:
✈️ JAVONTE GREEN TAKES FLIGHT! ✈️@celtics/@sixers on ESPN. #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/Z6vquTBiUL
— NBA (@NBA) July 6, 2019
Javonte Green (@2Xtremebounce) almost jumped out of the gym last night.
Shout-out to Chinanu Onuaku (@lifeofnanu_32) for some great passing. pic.twitter.com/8ipxKqFBuo
— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) July 10, 2019