What Brad Stevens has in mind for Celtics’ final roster spot originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics’ 2024-25 roster will look almost identical to the group that brought Banner 18 to TD Garden. C’s president of basketball operations Brad Stevens re-signed almost all of his free agents, exercised Sam Hauser’s team option, and inked stars Jayson Tatum and Derrick White to lucrative contract extensions.
Baylor Scheierman, Boston’s first-round pick in the NBA Draft, is the only newcomer to this point and gives the C’s 14 players under contract. That leaves one empty roster spot with 2024 champs Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk still unsigned.
Stevens addressed his approach with the final roster spot, and specifically Brissett’s free agency, on Wednesday.
“We have to be mindful with the last roster spot of what our needs might be,” he told reporters at the Celtics’ Summer League game in Las Vegas. “Oshae had a terrific year with us, not only when he got the opportunity on the court as a teammate and as a person. Obviously, in his shoes, there might be a desire to play more. I always want to be respectful of that.
“We loved having Oshae, and as far as how we fill out the rest of the roster, we kept 14 most of the year last year, and then we added two at the end of the year. We’ll see how the next few months play themselves with regard to people’s availability. Obviously, Kristaps [Porzingis] is going to have a long rehab process ahead of him, and we have to determine what the best need is for our team in that 15th spot. Both Oshae and Svi, to me, are good NBA players that, whether here or elsewhere, are good fits for any team. They’re just terrific people.”
Brissett opted out of his contract before NBA free agency opened in June. The 26-year-old forward was productive in a reserve role during the Celtics’ title run, but he may look to join a team that can offer more playing time. He saw his minutes per game drop from 16.7 with the Indiana Pacers in 2022-23 to 11.5 with Boston in 2023-24.
Last season, the Celtics kept the 15th roster spot open until April, when they converted big man Neemias Queta’s two-way contract to a standard deal. Barring any injuries, Stevens and Co. could take a similar approach with the roster spot during the 2024-24 campaign.
The Celtics re-signed JD Davison and Drew Peterson to two-way deals earlier this summer. Second-round draft pick Anton Watson is expected to fill the third and final two-way spot.
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