Danny Ainge Poaches Celtics Player From G League Affiliate

Danny Ainge is making a late-season addition to the Utah Jazz’s roster by picking a piece off the G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Jazz are signing Maine Celtics standout Luka Samanic to a 10-day contract. The Celtics initially signed the 2019 first-round pick of the San Antonio Spurs this past offseason.

The 6-foot-10, 227-pound forward spent the entire campaign in the G League this season starring for Maine. Samanic has averaged 22 points on 48.4% shooting from the floor to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

With the Jazz falling out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference, Ainge probably wants to see if the 23-year-old Samanic can offer anything at the NBA level. He made 33 appearances, including four starts, with the Spurs during the 2020-21 season.

It could also be a bit of a revenge tour for Samanic during his stint with the Jazz, who are scheduled to face Samanic’s former team in the Spurs on Wednesday before traveling to Boston for a matchup with the Celtics on Friday night.

With Samanic now getting a chance on another NBA team, he obviously won’t be an option anymore to fill the Celtics’ 15th and final roster. According to MassLive’s Brian Robb, the Celtics still plan to fill the spot ahead of the playoffs, which begin April 15.