The Celtics confronted a Thursday deadline to fill two of their three vacant roster spots.
They did so — no less than quickly.
Boston signed guards Dalano Banton and John Tonje to 10-day contracts forward of its Thursday evening matchup with the Golden State Warriors, restoring the membership to the NBA-mandated minimal of 14 gamers on commonplace offers.
The Celtics had been taking part in with 12 rostered gamers after buying and selling away Anfernee Simons, Josh Minott, Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman forward of the Feb. 5 commerce deadline (and buying Nikola Vucevic and Tonje in return). The ultimate spot on their 15-man roster stays vacant, because it has all season.
Banton is a well-known face. The 26-year-old spent a part of the 2023-24 season with the Celtics, showing in 24 video games with one begin earlier than being dealt to Portland forward of the 2024 commerce deadline.
A deep reserve for the eventual NBA champions (7.1 minutes, 2.3 factors, 1.5 rebounds per sport), Banton took on a a lot bigger function with the Path Blazers, averaging 16.7 factors and almost half-hour per sport after the commerce. Final season, he noticed motion in 67 video games for Portland with seven begins, averaging 8.3 factors, 2.4 assists and a couple of.0 rebounds whereas struggling as a shooter (39.1%; 32.4% from 3-point vary).
The 6-foot-8 Banton has logged 218 profession appearances throughout stints with the Toronto Raptors, Celtics, Blazers and, most not too long ago, the Los Angeles Clippers, who signed him to a 10-day contract on Feb. 8. Earlier than his two-game Clippers tenure, he was taking part in for the San Antonio Spurs’ G League affiliate, for which he averaged 24.1 factors and 6.5 rebounds per sport whereas taking pictures 43.9% from the sphere and 32.3% from three.
Tonje is a second-round rookie out of Wisconsin who was taking part in on a two-way contract. The Celtics acquired him from the Utah Jazz within the Boucher commerce, and he posted stable numbers in his first two appearances for Boston’s G League squad. In a loss to the Motor Metropolis Cruise final week, Tonje began for the Maine Celtics alongside fellow two-way guard Max Shulga and tallied 29 factors on 11-of-23 taking pictures (4-of-11 from three), 4 rebounds, one help and one steal.
As of Thursday, the 24-year-old Tonje had but to make his NBA debut. Extra of a scorer than a facilitator, he averaged 18.1 factors on 43.9% taking pictures and 1.0 assists per sport for Utah’s farm membership earlier than his commerce to Boston.
“Tonje’s an older man popping out of faculty that is aware of methods to play and rating,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens stated in his post-deadline information convention on Feb. 6.
Including Banton and Tonje addressed a acknowledged want for the Celtics, as Stevens stated the crew deliberate to herald one other ball-handler after buying and selling Simons. And signing them to 10-day contracts moderately than rest-of-season offers allowed Boston to stay just below the NBA’s luxury tax line — the first motivation for its selections to ship out non-rotation gamers Boucher, Minott and Tillman.
The Celtics, who’ve shed greater than $350 million from their payroll for the reason that summer time between salaries and luxurious tax penalties, got here out of the commerce deadline lower than $1 million beneath the tax threshold.
With these 10-days set to run out subsequent weekend — after video games in opposition to the Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets — the Celtics will proceed to piece together the bottom of their roster as they navigate the ultimate two months earlier than the postseason.
Any gamers they add, Stevens stated, probably received’t be a part of head coach Joe Mazzulla’s common rotation.
“I’d say that what we will probably be on the lookout for is not going to be any person that we’re going to ask to come back in and be part of the on a regular basis rotation once we’re absolutely wholesome,” Stevens stated on Feb. 6. “However we additionally want folks that may are available in and settle for that and be prepared to assist us transfer this factor down the hill and ahead. Anyone that is available in right here will know that, as a result of that will probably be effectively communicated. Typically that truly eliminates possibly folks with larger reputations or regardless of the case could also be, nevertheless it brings in the fitting particular person on your crew.
“In order that’s what we’ll search for, and I feel we’ll consider in-house, as we all the time do. Once I say in-house, I imply two-ways in Maine and G League and buyouts from the NBA. It’s not about what any person’s accomplished or what their status is, it’s extra about, do they wish to be right here, and do they wish to add to us profitable?”
Wing Ron Harper Jr., who’s seen probably the most NBA taking part in time of the Celtics’ three two-way gamers, didn’t have his contract transformed Thursday, although he may at a later date. Harper logged greater than quarter-hour in three of Boston’s final 4 video games — together with his first profession NBA begin — and might proceed taking part in for the Celtics on his present deal, as gamers on two-ways will be energetic for as much as 50 NBA video games in a given season.
In the identical information convention, Stevens known as Harper “a stud” and “probably the greatest gamers within the G League.”
“He’s a very good participant, and he’s been nice for us for the higher a part of two years, someplace inside our system,” he stated. “With that stated, I feel the largest factor is seeing how this all seems to be.”
