LAS VEGAS -- Celtics Summer League head coach Ben Sullivan doesn't have the same job Joe Mazzulla, his predecessor, did.
Despite them both leading a group of prospects to Las Vegas, they received vastly different roles upon arrival. Mazzulla compartmentalized individual goals for Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard last August, the Celtics needing both to expand their games to solidify the team's depth. Boston counted on their improvement. These Celtics don't have the same reliance on their Summer League players to emerge for an NBA Finals team already returning its core rotation, then bolstering it with Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari.
"It’s their opportunity,” Sullivan said at practice this week. “It’s their chance to improve, their chance to get better, their chance to have success and find their way in this league, and we’re here to help them in every way possible do that."
It would help if a player does break through. The Celtics are due to pay $45.8-million in luxury tax this season, and more in years to come, an unprecedented investment from this ownership group, but one likely nearing its limit toward the upper echelon of NBA spenders. Teams typically maintain cost control through draft picks, and the Celtics offloaded three consecutive first-round picks under new president Brad Stevens following the Brogdon deal, which became official on Saturday. That doesn't make youth development impossible, given increasingly deep rookie classes. It does force the Celtics to dig deep though, particularly when they're searching for a versatile, big, defensive players for Ime Udoka's system.
That led the Celtics to re-sign Sam Hauser to a three-year, $6 million deal with the first two seasons guaranteed, a commitment Stevens said Hauser earned through his size, feel and shooting ability. JD Davison brought top high school pedigree to the second round, a unique opportunity for a team picking No. 53 overall to land a player with real potential. Boston signed Davison to a two-way deal on Saturday with the chance to compete for a full roster spot. Undrafted big man Trevion Williams ranked higher on some draft boards than Davison, and gives the Celtics an option to restock waning depth behind an aging Al Horford and oft-injured Robert Williams III if the team can retain him. Mfiondu Kabengele, a 24-year-old first round selection from 2019, thrived in the G League in 2022 and could rise into the conversation for a NBA role with Boston.
"It's tough," said Matt Ryan, the Celtics' 2022 two-way guard, after shooting 4-for-8 from three in Boston's opener. "We get together Monday and we've got four days of practicing, before stepping onto the court and playing games that mean a lot in front of a lot of people making decisions. Everybody's got to do it, so we've got to figure out a way to make the best of it and play together and get some wins."
Aside from Ryan, who shot aggressively and efficiently, Saturday's 88-78 Celtics loss to Miami couldn't have gone much worse for the Celtics from a shooting perspective. Jayson Tatum, Ime Udoka and Celtics executives ranging from Stevens to Austin Ainge watched court side as Boston shoot 35.4% from the field and 31.4% from three. Juhann Begarin could've played more aggressively, Sullivan said, while Hauser missed 9-of-10 from his usual sweet spot behind the three-point line. Williams struggled to protect the rim despite all his dazzling passes.
Hauser and Davison managed to produce encouraging results in their own end, even without much time together as a team. Sullivan mostly drilled terminology this week, the defensive feats from two key prospects likely meaning more to Udoka than makes and misses. Sullivan also lauded Davison's sophistication and instincts running the pick-and-roll, finding Williams and Kabengele early on separate lobs. Davison hit other teammates like Begarin in drive-and-kick situations and finished 2-for-5 from three himself, leaving unsatisfied.
"(I showed) a lot of my defense, being a dog on the defensive end, getting my team involved, but also just being that leader on the court as a point guard," Davison told Boston Sports Journal. "I think just moving on, I can get better moving my team, putting them in certain spots, and be that on the defensive end (too)."
Davison's Celtics Summer League debut showed the team can have it both ways. Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Pritchard and Brogdon's presence in front of Davison removes any pressure for him to contribute this season at 19-years-old. If he's ahead of schedule, it'll only help Boston if they suffer any injuries or need to improve another area of the roster by trading a guard, where they're already deep.
It's too soon to tell if that's the case. Even five strong performances from Davison, who exited the loss to Miami late with a cramping calf saying he'll be alright, wouldn't signal the Celtics can bump him up the depth chart until he moves on to higher competition. Yet they have immediate needs at the backup big man and wing spots after sending out Daniel Theis and Nesmith in the Brogdon deal. Even a lower-cost veteran backup like Jakob Poetl or Mason Plumlee, who have proven themselves reliable starters, would escalate Boston's tax payment significantly and likely require sending out further future draft capital (the Celtics already owe San Antonio a 2028 first-round pick swap).
Kabengele and Trevion Williams may not be able to back up Horford and Williams today, particularly with the defensive lapses they both suffered through on Saturday, but could step into developmental pathways toward eventually doing so. The Celtics currently have another open two-way slot next to Davison available while Brodric Thomas and Ryan sit in restricted free agency after filling those slots last season.
Thomas, Begarin and Hauser are in play to earn depth roles on the active roster behind Jaylen Brown, Tatum and Gallinari, who will also help minimize some of the load on the team's stars and Horford as he enters his 36-year-old season. The best performer of the Summer League group could become the most difficult to retain, like if Ryan's hot shooting continues and earns him a competitive offer.
After moving on from layers of cheap young roster players like Romeo Langford, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan and Nesmith, not to mention the Max Strus debacle, the Celtics need to begin the process of investing in and growing an underbelly of youth on the roster in their place. Particularly ahead of Grant Williams' free agency next summer. This Summer League provides a low leverage chance for Ryan, Davison, the bigs and others to prove they belong.
"Come out and compete," Tatum quipped on Saturday when asked for advice he'd give to the summer Celtics. "It's Summer League, be a little relaxed and loose, and when the season starts get out of my way."
Here's what else happened around the league this week...
Atlanta: Officially added Dejounte Murray, Mo Harkless, Justin Holiday, A.J. Griffin, Aaron Holiday and Frank Kaminsky while subtracting Kevin Huerter, Danilo Gallinari and one first-round pick of their own (along with two swaps and a Charlotte first). Team owner Tony Ressler promised significant changes this offseason and they came, shifting the team's focus more toward the defensive end of the floor after another disastrous season on that end, relieving Trae Young of some of his unmatched pick-and-roll burden while maintaining depth. Atlanta also remained far below the tax, maintaining an ability to retain De'Andre Hunter and Onyeka Okongwu when they're up. John Collins' future with the team remains the only outstanding question here after his camp reportedly said they're done in Atlanta.
Boston: The Malcolm Brogdon trade became official, opening up three roster spots and a need for a backup big man after Thomas Bryant, the Celtics' target to replace Daniel Theis, signed with the Lakers. The Athletic reported Summer League forward and 2021 second-round pick Juhann Begarin could fill a depth wing spot, JD Davison signed to one of the two-way spots while the Evan Fournier trade exception that expires on July 18 could be utilized to acquire a low-cost big man. Hassan Whiteside, Dwight Howard and LaMarcus Aldridge are among the best free agent bigs left. Former Celtic Aron Baynes, who injured his spinal cord during the Olympics last summer, is also planning a NBA return.
Brooklyn: Mind-blowing trade demands from Brooklyn (like Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and more from MIN) have reportedly stalled the Kevin Durant market as it becomes more likely the Nets will bring both Durant and Kyrie Irving to training camp and hope they'll stay with the team. Signing T.J. Warren, adding Royce O'Neale and retaining Patty Mills all looked like moves aimed at winning now alongside their core three players, with the third in Ben Simmons unlikely to go anywhere. His presence on the roster prevents an array of fellow designated rookie extension recipients including Devin Booker, Zion Williamson, Bam Adebayo, Michael Porter Jr. and Jayson Tatum, among others, from coming back in any Durant deal. The Raptors remain as perhaps the biggest lingering threat to get it done.
Chicago: Added Goran Dragic before 2020 second-round pick Marko Simonović, who split time between Chicago and the G-League, exploded for 27 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks on 10-for-19 shooting. First-round pick Dalen Terry produced a more uneven debut, tossing six assists and six turnovers alongside six fouls on 3-for-7 shooting. Simonovic received hype entering the summer over his improvement ahead of a contract year for Nikola Vucevic. Andre Drummond joined the front court alongside Tony Bradley, setting up long odds for the 22-year-old to factor in immediately. Dragic adds a similar layer of depth in front of Terry for now on a winning-focused team.
Cleveland: The Cavaliers successfully trapped Collin Sexton in restricted free agency and now appear to have strong odds to retain him on some kind of deal with money drying up in the market. A source told Cleveland.com that Sexton has no market, while the Cavs hold out on their price, nearly $10-million lower annually than the $20-million Sexton hoped to land. Sexton could counter by signing a $7.2-million qualifying offer to play out a final year in Cleveland before entering free agency. Any scenario that sees Sexton return will boost a Cavaliers team that returned injured Ricky Rubio and signed a stop gap option in Raul Neto. Sexton would be a substantial immediate upgrade over both, averaging 24.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 4.4 APG on 47.5% shooting in his last full season in 2020-21. He also shot 37.1% from three.
Detroit: Rookie first-round picks Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren teamed up for an alley-oop in one of their first plays of Summer League, combining for 29 points on 10-for-20 shooting while Ivey added six rebounds and six assists. Isaiah Stewart surprisingly joined the young duo to hit three triples on four tries. Killian Hayes also checked in as a third-year player with seven points and four assists, allowing players who'll inevitably play together often this coming season. Ivey left his second game with an ankle injury on Saturday.
Golden State: Former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman will make his long-awaited return from meniscus surgery on Sunday in Summer League against the Spurs. A plasma injection in April effectively boosted Wiseman enough to finally finish what nearly was a full recovery from his April, 2021 surgery before a setback this March prevented him from playing in his second season. Wiseman averaged 11.5 PPG and 5.8 RPG through an up-and-down rookie season across 39 games on 51.9% shooting. Golden State filled the gap on their championship run by playing Draymond Green and Kevon Looney at the five, the latter returned on a three-year, $25.5-million deal while the Warriors' two other free agents departed. The Celtics and Warriors meet in Summer League in a Finals "rematch" on Tuesday.
Houston: The Rockets reportedly made a last-minute draft night offer to the Magic to move up to No. 1 overall that got rejected, perhaps thankfully due to Houston's desire to pick Paolo Banchero or Jabari Smith Jr. Smith fell to No. 3, but the Rockets grew uncertain enough about Oklahoma City's selection at No. 2 that they wanted to avoid being forced to select Chet Holmgren without enough information on him. Smith made his Rockets Summer League debut against Banchero and Orlando, scoring 10 points with seven rebounds and three assists on 4-for-10 shooting.
Indiana: The Pacers officially opened up max contract cap space with the Malcolm Brogdon deal and are reportedly prepared to pivot into an offer sheet for Deandre Ayton. The move would set up a difficult choice for Ayton, facing perhaps his only chance at such an offer while forgoing the possibility of landing in Brooklyn in a Kevin Durant sign-and-trade. Removing Ayton from that equation would make a Durant trade far more difficult for Phoenix, and maybe unfeasible altogether with the rest of the league struggling to mount massive offers. The Pacers could float Myles Turner in a sign-and-trade or bigger deal while acquiring Ayton, but with space to sign him outright have no incentive to.
Lakers: The Lakers' effort to land Kyrie Irving hit a standstill with LA reportedly hesitant to include multiple draft picks not betting against any other suitor, while the Nets reasonably balked at acquiring Russell Westbrook and his $47-million expiring contract in the deal. San Antonio could emerge as a facilitator in such a deal if it comes to it, with cap space available as well as contracts to send out like Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson, as Eric Pincus noted. It'd be a larger deal more worthwhile for the Lakers to send out draft compensation in. LeBron James and Westbrook appeared at Summer League nearby each other, watching Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider continue to intrigue among an array of young players who may need to contribute immediately for the thin Lakers. Max Christie has struggled, shooting 25% in the California Classic before a 1-for-6 opener in Vegas.
Memphis: Extended John Konchar on a three-year, $19-million deal for the depth forward, who averaged 4.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.5 APG on 51.5% shooting. The move rounded out an offseason of effectively keeping the Grizzlies' core together, only losing Kyle Anderson to Minnesota while retaining Tyus Jones in free agency. Konchar was once where Kenny Lofton, Santi Aldama, Jake LaRavia and David Roddy sit in Summer League, a rare find who turned out to be a rock solid NBA rotation player. Memphis might have the best depth draft scouting in the league to pair with their luck of landing Ja Morant in 2019 as a more obvious choice.
New York: Beyond acquiring Jalen Brunson, who should officially join the Knicks this week, clearing out Kemba Walker, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel this offseason should open minutes for Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride, an encouraging guard duo largely buried by Tom Thibodeau as rookies. Depth big Jericho Sims is also sticking with the team on a three-year, $6-million deal, though he'll face a longer shot at minutes with Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein playing in front of him. Rookie Trevor Keels will play on a two-way contract and the team moved on from veteran big Taj Gibson, waiving the center who's likely bound for Washington.
Oklahoma City: Chet Holmgren amazed NBA fans, except for the horrified Magic faithful, who watched the young big man put on a historic debut in the Utah Summer League with 23 points, seven rebounds and six blocks alongside four three-pointers. His follow-up performance against Memphis saw him have trouble guarding Lofton post-ups, but Holmgren's pull-up jumper, handle in the lane and grab-and-go potential all look like rare attributes at his size and signs of stardom. He even shook off a turned ankle early in his first game, tightening up his shoes and moving on shooting 50% FG and 41.7% from deep in the two Utah showcases.
Orlando: Paolo Banchero calmed Magic fan nerves with a dynamic shooting debut opening Vegas Summer League with a win over Jabari Smith Jr. and Houston behind his array of difficult shots. Banchero scored 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting, adding four rebounds and six assists as he leaned away and received great bounces showing off a game worthy of stepping into a lead scoring role. Caleb Houstan, Orlando's No. 32 overall pick out of Michigan, owned the night though, converting 5-of-9 from three and scoring 20 points in his debut.
Philadelphia: Officially signed James Harden to a two-year, $67-million contract that features a $15-million pay cut beneath what his $47-million player option would've paid him this year. Shams Charania reported the deal as championship-focused, allowing the Sixers to more comfortably add P.J. Tucker on a full mid level exception, De'Anthony Melton in a trade as well as Danuel House. Harden received a second-year player option as part of the deal, giving him a chance to reassess his options next offseason after having little leverage to command a max contract after an uneven year where he effectively forced a trade from Brooklyn, his second departure in one year.
Phoenix: Kevin Durant's preference of landing on the Suns next to Chris Paul and Devin Booker, along with the franchise's ability to make the deal happen without including either player in the deal, built the early momentum following Durant's trade demand. It's cooled immensely since, with Brian Windhorst noting Phoenix hasn't offered the full complement of future first-round picks that's essentially a prerequisite. Brooklyn doesn't seem interested in a complicated Deandre Ayton sign-and-trade as the Suns near losing him in negotiations to Indiana if the Pacers sign him to a max offer sheey. That leaves them with only Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson able to provide any value to the Nets. That's not enough.
Portland: Reportedly agreed to a two-year, $122-million extension with Damian Lillard as a reward to the guard's unwavering loyalty through a tumultuous few seasons. The deal offers a $63.3-million player option in 2026-27, when Lillard turns 36-years-old. He already struggled with diminished production and a nagging abdominal injury that cut his 2022 season short. Now, with less talent around him than in recent memory, the Blazers will ask for more from a player who may not be able to recreate the magic of his prime years. Meanwhile, No. 7 overall pick Shaedon Sharpe exited in the opening minutes of his Summer League debut with a shoulder injury after missing his entire freshman season at Kentucky. He'll undergo an MRI on that left shoulder and miss the rest of Summer League.
Sacramento: No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray didn't take long to show out for the Kings in Summer League after the team surprisingly took him over near-consensus top four prospect Jaden Ivey. Murray averaged 19.7 PPG and 8.0 RPG on 51.1% shooting and 43.8% 3PT. He may not become a transformative piece for Sacramento, but if he becomes a high-level starter next to a De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis pick-and-roll duo the Kings invested heavily in, it could point the Kings in the right direction toward a play-in berth.
San Antonio: Back on the ground floor of their rebuild after trading Dejounte Murray and Derrick White at the trade deadline, now building around recent draft picks Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Josh Primo and 2022 selections Jeremy Sochan, Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham. Gregg Popovich still hasn't announced his future, which becomes all the more interesting given this organizational pivot, and Popovich once saying he could never tank. The team also has useful veterans in Jakob Poetl ($9.4M), Josh Richardson ($12.2M) and Doug McDermott ($13.8M) who could be useful to some contenders. Adrian Wojnarowski also pointed toward the Spurs as a potential Russell Westbrook-Kyrie Irving trade facilitator to add to their growing bounty of future draft picks.
Toronto: Raptors GM Masai Ujiri declined to comment on any ongoing Kevin Durant negotiations as Toronto reportedly emerged among the most interested suitors when the forward made his trade demand last week. Ujiri said the Raptors are happy with their team, which will likely remain the case until the price comes down. Given reports of what the Nets have asked for from other teams, it could cost Toronto Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. with draft capital. Could the Raptors get that down to Pascal Siakam, Anunoby and picks? Then Toronto would arguably have the straightest path to acquiring Durant, hoping to contend and grow around him for the length of a four-year deal. Toronto could also receive Seth Curry or another Nets role player back in a hypothetical deal.
Utah: The Jazz introduced new head coach and former Celtics assistant Will Hardy, sitting alongside former Boston President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge who's already gotten busy trying to reshape, or potentially rebuild, the Utah roster as ESPN's Brian Windhorst now famously alluded to. Windhorst compared the hiring of 34-year-old Hardy to Ainge replacing Doc Rivers with Brad Stevens from Butler in 2013, ahead of an inevitable rebuild.
“There were three things,” Ainge said on hiring Hardy. “First, he doesn’t like five-on-zero practices, and I don’t either. He wants his players to feel the pressure of a game in every practice scenario. Second, he wants practices to involve more transition, which is what we all think needs more attention, on both sides of the ball. And third, he wants to practice more.”
Washington: Bradley Beal became the only NBA player with a full no-trade clause of the length of his record five-year, $251-million deal to stay with the Wizards he agreed to last week. He also received a 15% trade kicker and fifth-year player option in perhaps the most player-friendly contract a player in this league has signed. It's a nod to Beal's loyalty to Washington, but one that'll now be tested now that he's cashed in on his super max for staying with the Wizards long-term as an All-NBA player. He's eligible to be traded on Dec. 15.
"You proved all the doubters wrong. You did everything you possibly could to make it work and you did it. That would mean everything to me," Beal said after signing the deal. "That would mean more than leaving and playing with four All-Stars. And, having conversations with guys who have done that, it's not always great. It's not always fun. It's not always what you think it is."