With Brad Wanamaker departing Boston to sign with the Warriors, the Celtics added a former All-Star point guard to the mix on Saturday night, agreeing to terms with Jeff Teague on a one-year deal worth roughly about $3 million. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe was first to report the news. The 32-year-old point guard split time last season between the Hawks and Timberwolves after being traded from Minnesota.
Teague averaged 10.9 points and 5.2 assists per game in primarily a bench role for both teams. Teague is a pass-first point guard who is past his prime but is still a pretty dynamic facilitator on the offensive end when it comes to setting up teammates. He routinely has a top-15 assist rate in the league throughout his career and appears now to be set on playing meaningful games again on a cheap deal in Boston after playing for bad teams in Minnesota and Atlanta during the last two years.
Teague should provide some extra insurance behind Kemba Walker as the team manages his knee situation in the coming weeks heading into the 2020-21 season. He will compete for minutes with Payton Pritchard and Tremont Waters (likely back on two-way contract with Boston) as a result of this deal but understandable has the inside track over both youngsters.
The Celtics also elected to not waive Semi Ojeleye on Saturday night, which means his contract has become fully guaranteed for the upcoming season. That doesn’t necessarily mean he will be on the opening night 15-man roster but the need for more wings was clear after Hayward departed so Ojeleye stays put at cheap money ($1.85 million). The odds remain in favor of him sticking around, especially with Romeo Langford sidelined for the start of next season.
In the meantime, the Celtics continue to pursue sign-and-trade paths with Hornets in order to land a trade exception for Gordon Hayward’s $30 million outgoing salary. Boston will need to include an asset in order for the Hornets to agree to help facilitate such a move.