Guerschon Yabusele’s time in Boston is over, as the Celtics reportedly waived the French forward Wednesday.
So now the Celtics have an open roster spot with training camp beginning in just over two months, but what options do they have?
Tacko Fall is far and above the crowd-pleasing pick to fill Boston’s final spot, but it doesn’t look likely at this point. “There are no signs of that happening just yet,” a source told The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach.
The 7-foot-6 center is on an Exhibit 10 contract, meaning he will participate in Summer League and training camp with the Celtics. If he joins the Maine Red Claws, Fall will receive a $50 thousand bonus, according to Himmelsbach.
Boston now has both two-way slots locked up after reportedly agreeing to a two-way contract with second-round pick Tremont Waters on Wednesday. DePaul product Max Strus is the Celtics’ other two-way player. But now that Yabusele is gone, the Celtics do have some flexibility here. Himmelsbach outlined the hypothetical scenario of Waters’ deal being converted into an NBA contract, which would open up a two-way slot for Fall to fill.
Entering training camp with 16 players under contract is an option as well, per Himmelsbach. This would allow the team to see as many players as possible.
Per source, the Celtics might even ultimately add 2 more players and enter training camp with 16 guaranteed contracts, as they've done in the past. It's pretty clear that with so many young guys and unknown quantities, they want to get a look at as many players as possible.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) July 10, 2019
Boston’s frontcourt is thin to say the least, so it likely will look at affordable forwards who can help them fill in some gaps.
Could the Celtics take a look at old friend Jonas Jerebko? Maybe. If they wanted to go for a true center, someone like Tyson Chandler likely would be looking for a minimum deal and could help Boston’s lack of defensive prowess inside.
The Celtics only can offer minimum contracts at the moment, but still, now that Yabusele has been waived, Danny Ainge and Boston’s front office has plenty more wiggle room.
