The roster trimming has begun for the Boston Celtics.
Head coach Brad Stevens informed Erik Murphy, Tim Frazier, Christian Watford and Rodney McGruder that they would be waived, Stevens told reporters at practice Tuesday. Stevens sat down with the four players Tuesday morning to tell them the news, adding that Frazier would remain with the team through Wednesday’s preseason finale against the Brooklyn Nets.
“We’re going to keep Tim through (Wednesday) night, and he knows that, because of potential minutes,” Stevens said before practice, per ESPN Boston. “But all four of those guys will be waived and they’ve been great. I wish I didn’t have to waive them, they’ve been great teammates, they’ve put in extra work, they’ve come back in small groups and worked.
“But a couple of them had made mention that they’ve gotten better, and that makes me feel good. They were all real professionals about it. I will root for them for sure.”
With the four players set to be waived, the Celtics roster is down to 16, which is one more than the regular-season limit of 15 players. The team must make one more move, and although it is expected Boston will waive Will Bynum, it appears the team is holding out hope it can trade him away to avoid eating his $2.9 million contract.
The Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy, citing a source, reports the possibility of a Bynum trade is “slim,” and it is more likely he’ll be waived by the end of the week.
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