The battle for the final spot on the Celtics 15-man roster came to a close this weekend after the Celtics announced they would be waiving Yante Maten, Kaiser Gates and swingman Max Strus. The move ahead of Monday's deadline to finalize the 15-man roster appears to set the stage for 26-year-old rookie Javonte Green to make the final roster after a sensational preseason for the 6-foot-4 guard/forward.
After opening his first two games by making his first 11 shots from the field this preseason, Green finished 16-of-20 overall in four games, showing off some explosive athleticism to the rim along with the ability to play through contact at the rim. His 3-point shot remains a question mark (25 percent in preseason, inconsistent overseas numbers) but there are enough other appealing aspects to his game right now to make a worthwhile end-of-the-bench option for Brad Stevens. Between having a nose for the ball on the boards (4.0 rebounds per game in just 14.1 minutes) along with some savvy defensive instincts, Green is some wing depth that Stevens may feel comfortable throwing in the mix if injuries call for it.
Maten and Gates will be headed to the Maine Red Claws in all likelihood now in order to earn a roster bonus ($50,000) as affiliate players after signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Boston this summer. Strus will not join them there though since he's no longer eligible to play with the Red Claws this season after reworking his contract last week. Boston's front office essentially gave him the maximum value of his two-way deal ($415,000) upfront but that money guarantee prohibits him from playing for Boston's G-League affiliate ($50,000 is the max for affiliate players). The Celtics could try to bring back Strus on the main roster or a two-way deal at some point but he will have to play for another team if he decides to stay in the G-League.
While it may have been a tough break for Strus to lose his two-way spot to Tacko Fall, he should make out well financially here, earning additional compensation whether he plays in the G-League or overseas this year in addition to what have been his full salary from Boston. The Celtics did right by Strus here even though they went into a different direction with their roster.
With opening night looming on Wednesday, here's a closer look at the team's depth chart barring a last-minute trade or signing.