Feb 4, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jordan Walsh (27) reacts during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics announced their 2024 Summer League for their four-game slate in Las Vegas beginning next week. It’ll feature multiple prominent bench players from Boston’s regular season run last season, Jordan Walsh’s return after his strong Vegas showing in 2023 and the team’s two draft picks Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson. The team will practice this week under head coach D.J. MacLeay before traveling to Las Vegas on Thursday for rookie orientation and the team’s opening game on Saturday against the Heat.
Here is the full roster with notes.
Walsh spent most of last year in the G-League (48 G) after the Celtics selected him No. 38 overall in the 2023 draft. Boston signed him to a standard four-year contract with partial guarantees and a fourth-year team option, and initially looked at him as a likely two-year development project in Maine. Walsh averaged 14.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game with 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks while shooting 42.8% from the field. His 36.1% efficiency on 5.7 threes per game was the most encouraging development while fouling 3.0 times per game is his biggest point of improvement. Brad Stevens emphasized last month that roster players like Walsh who didn’t play often after March need to ramp-up for regular season involvement by playing, so while many second-year pros don’t participate extensively in their second Summer League, Walsh might due to his limited rookie playing time. Will he dominate like many sophomores do? Or will he play a role as he focused on with Maine?
“Jordan came out after being a role player after one year in college, jumped and spent a lot of time in Maine this year,” Austin Ainge said on Monday. “His body has gotten stronger, his shooting has gotten better. This will be another good opportunity for growth for him.”
Scheierman landed with the Celtics with the No. 30 pick after many projections had him going higher. He said that he expected to get drafted on the first day, but fell to the last pick with Boston, a team he worked out for when he went through the draft process in 2022. It’s hard not to get excited about a wing who brings size, shooting success on a massive volume (38.1% 3PT, 9.0 att.) and some playmaking skills (4.3 APG, 19.9 AST%). Scheierman adapted well to the Big East level, growing stronger and more athletic after the Celtics asked him to work on those two areas two years ago, when he transferred from South Dakota State. How will he fare on defense? Does he look on par with NBA athletes in Las Vegas? How much could he contribute in year one with Walsh earlier in his development and Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk still in free agency? Scheierman could eventually replace Sam Hauser, but his skillset has been described as complementary and different from Hauser’s. He compared himself to Joe Ingles on Monday.
“Just working on defense. Learning the schemes and the wording, it’s a lot different than it was in college,” Scheierman said. “My defense has come a long way, looking back, from when I was as a freshman to now. It’s come a long way and I’m super confident on that end of the court. Then, just the biggest difference, I think, is the spacing on the NBA floor compared to the college floor.”
The Celtics selected Watson 54th overall after he spent five seasons at Gonzaga and dealt with an injury during the pre-draft process, he noted on Monday. Stevens and Celtics summer league coach DJ MacLeay have stressed that Watson shoots threes like he never has before, trying to shake some of the hesitation out of his approach from behind the arc. Boston believes he can further grow his volume and confidence behind the line to help find an offensive role that complements his defensive versatility. For now, his presence on offense drew college defenders away from him, but he grew to 41.2% from behind the college line on 51 three-point attempts during his final college season. How many threes can he get off in summer league and how confident he proves taking them will decide both where he fits in on the final team roster and whether or not he could contribute to the front court dynamic with Kristaps Porziņģis out early in the season. Watson projects closer to a four positionally given his height and defensive switching ability, along with his likely limitations inside the arc.
“Shooting is obviously a big piece,” Watson said. “Kind of like that Al Horford role. He’s a great shooter. I think learning from him is gonna be huge for me. Actually, all the veterans on this team. Shooting is gonna be huge and just my defense, using that to my strength, coming out and guarding every single game. That’s gonna be big for me, but shooting is gonna open up my offensive ability.”
The Celtics made an appeal to Davison to both play a third summer league and return on a third two-way contract, the last allowed for him with Boston. Stevens stressed wanting him back, unprompted, while discussing the draft last month and the Celtics re-signed him after declining to extend a qualifying offer, which would’ve made him a restricted free agent. Davison took significant strides last season with Maine, averaging 20.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 8.6 APG on 45.3% shooting, but declined to 26.6% from three while doubling his attempts. That and his size, with limited positional versatility, prevented him from earning many NBA looks through his first two seasons. His defense improved slightly and his youth points toward room for growth, but with four active roster guards in front of him, he still faces an uphill battle to advancing beyond the G-League here despite his occasionally dazzling passing. Davison was Stevens’ first draft pick, 53rd overall, in 2022. Boston maintains flexibility over its three two-way slots despite signing Davison and Drew Peterson to two of them for now.
“JD came out very young in the draft and the last two years in Maine, he’s really improved,” Ainge said. “We’ve loved his trajectory and think he still has room to grow. He’s younger than the guys we just drafted and a lot of other guys that were drafted, and think he still has some growth. We’re very optimistic.”
An undrafted forward the Celtics signed to a two-way contract last year after he began his pro career with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G-League affiliate. The Heat liked Peterson, but didn’t have two-way space for him on their roster. Boston hoped Peterson could begin developing into the shooting wing mold like Hauser did, seeing mixed results across 34 regular season games with Maine. He averaged 16.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 5.6 APG and 1.1 SPG while shooting 45.9% from the field and 36.7% form three on 6.1 attempts. Seeing him improve his three-point shooting, cut down on turnovers (2.7 TOV) and clearly separating himself from the rest of the roster will help him fully solidify himself as part of Boston’s 2024 development plans. His age could limit his ceiling slightly, but the Celtics have emphasized being able to mold talented players who didn’t work elsewhere to their system.
“There’s a mindset of improvement,” MacLeay said. “Three weeks ago yesterday, we were in the Garden winning a championship. Now, we’re here in a situation where we have an opportunity to grow toward the next one. Thinking back on the past of Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, those guys started their growth points here … they each have individual things that they’re working on from a basketball perspective, but it’s the mindset of growth. How can you get better each and every day?”
Already a major success story for the team’s scouting and development, adding him through some stroke of luck when the Kings decided to waive him to sign Javale McGee and a bit of foresight, seeing past his foot injury last summer and immediately inserting him into preseason and early regular season opportunities. Queta helped the Celtics sustain through rest and injuries at the center position, averaging 16.6 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per 36 minutes in the NBA while shooting 64.4%. After the Celtics added Xavier Tillman Sr., he joined Maine for their playoff run, posting 13.2 PPG, 13.6 RPG and 2.0 BPG across five games. Finishing closer to 70%, trying to step outside of the paint for some jump shots, protecting the rim without fouling (5.4 fouls per 36 last season) and dominating enough to take an early seat are all worth watching for from him as he enters summer league overqualified and signed to a guaranteed $2.2 million deal for next year just above the league minimum using non-Bird rights. Queta will be an intriguing part of the team’s attempt to play without Porziņģis next year.
Didn’t play often after arriving from Philadelphia to step into the team’s development guard role in place of Dalano Banton. He enters 2024-25, his contract year, needing to show some flashes offensively to complement his excellent defense. As a first-round pick, he’ll make $4.0 million guaranteed. Like Walsh, he could stand to benefit from playing often in Las Vegas despite his active roster status. Springer becomes important in case of injury in the back court, but will likely spend some time in Maine when Boston plays at full health. He averaged 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per 36 minutes in 17 appearances with the Celtics, shooting 43.3% from the field and 18.2% from three, similar to his production with Philadelphia that led the Sixers to move on in favor of luxury tax savings. It’s becoming make-or-break time for him with Boston and could use a strong summer showing to enter the season in rhythm. He’ll likely have a similar message to Watson. Shoot. Shoot!
A bigger wing from the Netherlands who split his college career between Kansas, Iowa State and Cleveland State. The Celtics signed him quickly after the draft concluded and are high on his production last season, when he averaged 19.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 2.7 APG with 1.2 SPG and 0.9 BPG, shooting 49.8% from the field and 32.2% from three. He was a four-star prospect exiting high school, considered a strong athlete who gets off the ground quickly and had good shot mechanics who needed to improve his driving and ball-handling. He finished college 26.6% from three, something he’ll need to show some improvement over if he wants to make a run at a two-way spot with the Celtics or elsewhere.
A fun player from New Jersey and Rutgers, whose father Ron Harper played in the NBA and younger brother Dylan Harper is one of the top prospects projected to enter the 2025 NBA Draft. Ron began his nBA career with the Toronto Raptors’ system before dealing with an injury that cost him the 2023-24 season. The Raptors waived him last December. He averaged 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists with 1.0 steal and 1.2 blocks per game in 30 appearances with Raptors 905 in 2022-23. He shot 50.1% from the field and 36.6% from three. He’s undersized for his position, more of a bruising wing than a guard, but Harper is a talented offensive player worth watching.
“He’s a guy we’ve been interested in for a while,” Ainge said. “He’s coming off an injury and that’s, I think, one reason why he’s not on a roster right now and we have an opportunity to get another look at him. He’s looked good in practice. I think he’ll get opportunities and looks with us and with other teams. He’s a big, strong kid, long and he has good feel. He knows how to play.”
A formerly intriguing Grizzlies prospect who always battled injuries and hasn’t played since the 2022 season. Kevin O’Connor ranked him 46th in his 2020 draft guide, considering his health, and noting strong potential between his three-point shot, passing and defense as a smaller five. A knee surgery, torn ligament in his foot, stress fracture in his ankle, hip pointer and sprained ankle derailed his professional career before it began and this summer could mark the last chance for him to reach the NBA. He averaged 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per 36 minutes in 2022 with Memphis, shooting 33.9% from the field and 31.4% from three. Tillie played with Watson during the latter’s freshman season in 2019-20.
Won the G-League championship last year over the Celtics with the Oklahoma City Blue, averaging 22.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 18 regular season appearances, shooting 55.3% from the field and 42.5% from three on 4.1 attempts per game. His shooting carried into the playoffs, improving to 44.0% from three on 5.0 attempts. Ramsey played one season at Texas Tech in 2019-20 before the Kings selected him 43rd overall. KOC considered him his 37th overall prospect in 2020, highlighting his shooting alongside needed playmaking improvement.
Graduated Chaminade with Jayson Tatum in 2016 as a fellow St. Louis native. A big wing who secured a standard contract with the Cavaliers after going undrafted in 2019 out of Iowa. He played with eight NBA organizations between his first four seasons, averaging 15.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 2.5 APG on 62.4% shooting. He’s not a three-point shooter and hit only 54.7% of his free throws during his four G-League seasons. Cook spent the 2023-24 season with Joventut Badalona in Spain and a brief stint with South East Melbourne, Australia, averaging 10.1 PPG on 54.6% shooting between the two.
The son of Celtics champion Eddie House. He played five college seasons between Arizona State and New Mexico, averaging 15.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 3.5 APG on 37.4% shooting (32.8% 3PT), adding 2.3 SPG. Scheierman called him one of the most competitive players in the Celtics’ practices so far. His 28 points helped New Mexico beat San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference championship to reach the NCAA Tournament.
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