It's that time of year. Training camp is right around the corner, and the Boston Celtics have some spots available to fill. Boston has 14 players on standard contracts, but only two on training-camp deals.
Milos Uzan and Tucker Devries, both of whom played for the Celtics during Las Vegas Summer League, are on training-camp deals with Boston. The Celtics also have two guys on two-way contracts: Amari Williams and Dillon Mitchell.
The league minimum for standard-contract players is 14, and the max is 15. Boston will likely stick with its current 14-player mark for financial reasons. The Celtics have one two-way spot still open.
That said, the Celtics have a lot of flexibility left with their training-camp contracts. During training camp, teams can have a max of 21 players on their roster. Exhibit 10 contracts can also funnel players to the G League.
Hank Morgan is one of those players. According to HoopsHype, the Celtics signed Morgan to a training camp deal and subsequently waived him. Per Spotrac, a player receives a bonus if they sign a training camp deal, then play for that team's G League affiliate after being waived.
That way, the Celtics can fill out not only their training-camp roster but also the Maine Celtics roster. And they still have plenty of room to do it.
One name connected to the Celtics is Devin Carter. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported that the Celtics may be interested in Carter.
Carter spent his first two NBA seasons with the Sacramento Kings after being selected with the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks this summer but was recently waived.
Players with four years or fewer of NBA service are eligible for two-way contracts. So, if the Celtics' interest ends up being true, they could potentially sign Carter to a two-way deal. Or they could start with a training-camp deal to see if it's a good fit,
Carter played his final two years of college ball at Providence College. He spent one year at South Carolina before finishing up his collegiate career with two years as a Friar.
Adding Carter to the mix for training camp, if nothing else, would be an intriguing idea for Boston. There's a reason Carter was a lottery pick just two years ago. And if the Celtics were to scoop him up, it wouldn't be the first time they've turned the Kings' trash into treasure.
In the summer of 2023, the Kings waived a big man they selected with the No. 39 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. They wanted to clear space to sign JaVale McGee. Later that summer, the Celtics signed that same player. That player was Neemias Queta.
Obviously, there's no guarantee that Carter would become another Queta. It's unlikely. But maybe it's not impossible. The Celtics are a great judge of talent, and if they truly are interested in Carter, they must see something in him.
Before training camp begins, keep an eye out for the Celtics to fill out some training-camp spots. They can use training camp as a competition for the final two-way spot, just like they did last season (Ron Harper Jr. won it).
© Gary A. Vasquez
Kawhi Leonard
1. NBA waiting on Clippers/Raptors
Earlier this summer, reports said the LA Clippers and Toronto Raptors agreed to a trade that would send Kawhi Leonard back to Canada. But it was put on pause.
Both sides were waiting for the NBA to conclude its investigation into the Leonard-Aspiration situation. Now, the investigation is over, and the Clippers were stripped of five future first-round picks.
The Clippers and Raptors are free to complete the Leonard trade, but they haven't yet. According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the NBA is still waiting for the two teams to submit the deal to the league office.
Perhaps the two sides are renegotiating things. But considering Leonard did not get suspended as a result of the investigation, the hold-up is a bit odd.
2. Why Mike Conley chose the Celtics
Boston signing Mike Conley has seemingly flown under the radar in the wake of all its other major moves this summer. Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, etc. But don't discount the veteran point guard.
Conley will be great for Boston's locker room. He has won four NBA Sportsmanship awards and two Teammate of the Year awards. And according to The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, Conley wanted to sign with the Celtics for a very specific reason.
During an appearance on Bobby Manning's show, Celtics Daily, Krawczynski said that Conley wanted to play for one of the NBA's flagship organizations before he retired:
"I was told Mike really wanted to at least spend one year playing for a flagship franchise. This is nothing against the Grizzlies or the Jazz or the Timberwolves, but none of those teams are in royalty with the NBA. The Boston Celtics are historic. They have a history and a gravitas about them that Conley wanted to experience what it was like playing for that kind of a franchise with that kind of a fan base with that kind of a lore about them."
3. U.S. Justice Department to investigate Kawhi Leonard
According to The New York Times, the U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation into the Clippers' dealings with Leonard. The NBA has already ruled on the situation, but now, the government is getting involved:
"Among the matters likely under scrutiny are a series of secret endorsement deals that Mr. Leonard signed, and whether Steve Ballmer, the team’s owner, and other executives helped facilitate them as a way of compensating him at a level that exceeded the N.B.A.’s salary cap."
This isn't the first time the government has gotten involved in NBA matters. At the very beginning of last season, Chauncey Billups, among others, was arrested in relation to illegal gambling and mob-backed poker games.
© Rick Osentoski
Jalen Duren
4. Jalen Duren might take qualifying offer
The Jalen Duren saga is getting old. It's been old. He's been a restricted free agent all summer, and he and the Detroit Pistons have yet to come to an agreement on the contract.
However, there's a deadline. Duren and the Pistons need to figure something out before the season begins. And there may be a solution on the horizon. But not an ideal one.
According to Stein, Duren is getting close to signing the qualifying offer. That would mean he would become an unrestricted free agent next summer:
"One source briefed on the process says Duren is increasingly prepared to play out the coming season on his $9.6 million qualifying offer — with the intent to become an unrestricted free agent next summer — if no deal with Detroit materializes by the end of September."
5. Jalen Duren declined a Pistons offer
According to Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, the Pistons' last offer to Duren was five years, $190 million. Duren declined. He wants at least $200 million:
"Per league sources, Detroit’s last offer was a five-year deal in the $190 million range. Duren, who is eligible to receive a five-year, $287 million contract, is seeking at least $200 million. As is the case with any player’s contract negotiation, the use of player or team options in the deal significantly impacts the final number."
Since he made the All-NBA Third Team last year, the max Duren is eligible to receive is that five-year, $287 million contract. But he reportedly just wants $200 million.