The Celtics have finalized their Summer League roster, and it’s loaded with young talent. Here’s the full list of 16 players that will appear on the team:
- Hugo Gonzalez (SG/SF)
- Chris Cenac (C/PF)
- Dillon Mitchell (SF)
- Amari Williams (C)
- John Tonje (SG/SF)
- Curtis Jones (SG)
- Tucker DeVries (SF)
- Milos Uzan (PG)
- Alondes Williams (SG/PG)
- Caleb Grill (SG)
- Kyle Mangas (SG)
- Hank Morgan (SG)
- Mo Amini (SF)
- Nick Pringle (PF/C)
- Day Day Thomas (PG)
- Chauncey Wiggins (SF/PF)
7 notable Summer League Celtics players to watch
All 16 rostered players will get at least some run at Summer League, but there are 7 players I’m most eager to watch.
Hugo Gonzalez: Hugo Gonzalez is, to me, the most notable player in the field. The 20-year-old had a good rookie season with the Celtics, and
he’s looked really solid playing with the Spanish national team this month. Gonzalez averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game as a rookie, and was one of the NBA’s plus-minus darlings. Gonzalez never spent a second in the G-League.
Everybody knows that the Celtics did not want to trade Gonzalez this offseason to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. How that decision ages remains to be seen, but every scout I’ve talked to around the NBA has gushed about what they’ve seen from Gonzalez so far. I’m excited to see how he looks at Summer League, especially when compared to last summer.
Chris Cenac: Chris Cenac is the Celtics’ highest-profile rookie; the 19-year-old forward is coming off of his freshman year at Houston and was selected 27th in the draft last month. He’s a highly-recruited 7-foot center who was one of the top interior prospects in his recruiting class, and he’ll take one of the Celtics 15 roster spots this year.
While Brad Stevens indicated he did not necessarily expect Cenac to play much next season, we’ve already seen his last two first-round picks (Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman) become impactful rotation players in their first two seasons. Just how raw is Cenac? And how does he hold up defensively? Summer league should shed some light on where he’s at in his career.
Dillon Mitchell: Dillon Mitchell is the Celtics’ other drafted rookie; the 22-year-old, drafted 40th overall, is coming off of a standout season at St. John’s. Mitchell is a super-athlete who is a good finisher, rebounder, and defender, though his inconsistent shot hurt his draft stock.
My big question is: just how good of a defender is he in this context? And, how can he fit in offensively despite effectively being unable to shoot? Mitchell is likely to end up on a two-way contract with the Celtics this season, so he’s one of the players I’m most interested in
Amari Williams: Williams was the Celtics’ 46th overall pick last season and was on a two-way contract for most of the year. He finished the year on a standard deal (mostly due to the Celtics working to stay under the luxury tax line) but did have some stellar moments with the parent club.
Williams will again be on a two-way contract with the Celtics this season, as the Celtics look to continue developing him into a center of the future. He’s currently behind Neemias Queta, Mitchell Robinson, and Luka Garza in the depth chart, but showed he could be impactful in spots last year.
John Tonje: John Tonje was on a two-way contract with the Celtics last year (acquired in the midseason trade that sent Chris Boucher to the Utah Jazz). While he hasn’t agreed to a two-way contract with Boston next season, he remains in the mix and could return in the same role. Tonje is a bucket-getter who looks to carve out a role in the NBA after an elite season at Wisconsin. He didn’t get much run in Boston, but scored a career-high 13 points in the season finale last year.
Tucker DeVries: Tucker DeVries is on an Exhibit 10 contract, so he’ll be joining the Celtics for training camp (and potentially competing for a two-way contract). DeVries is an undrafted rookie out of West Virginia who is 24 years old and a proven sharpshooter. He’s a polished offensive player with a high basketball IQ that could ultimately (one day) end up being a Sam Hauser replacement.
Milos Uzan: Milos Uzan is also on an Exhibit 10 contract, so, like DeVries, he’ll be joining the Celtics for training camp when Summer League is over. Uzan is a 22-year-old point guard out of Houston, where he was teammates with Cenac. He’s a poised point guard who is known for steady decision-making and veteran leadership.
Another Summer League note: Hank Morgan returns for his second consecutive Summer League with the Celtics. Morgan, who laced up for the Maine Celtics, was the G-League’s only former Division III player last year.
