Celtics Make Roster Move Involving Sharpshooting Rookie

The Boston Celtics are looking to get rookie forward Baylor Scheierman more playing time.

That will happen for the 2024 first-round draft pick, but in the G League.

The Celtics on Tuesday announced they assigned Scheierman to their G League affiliate in Maine after he seldomly played for Boston through the team’s first eight games of this season. Scheierman logged 18 minutes on the court, all of which came in garbage time, and he made just 1-of-6 shots, including an 0-for-4 mark from 3-point range.

Scheierman’s lack of playing time was the result of being drafted to a deep and talented team coming off an NBA title. With Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla going with Sam Hauser and second-year forward Jordan Walsh as the backup wings, it left Scheierman on the outside of the regular 10-man rotation.

“There’s nothing harder than being a young player with the Celtics because we’re trying to win championships and develop at the same time, and not many organizations are in both of those spaces,” Mazzulla told reporters last month, per the Boston Herald’s Zack Cox. “So the young guys have to be very, very patient because the roster is top-heavy, and although you may think you’re getting better … when you’re in a situation like the Celtics organization, it can be hard to see the growth in that. So you just kind of have to be patient.”

The move down to the G League shouldn’t be looked at as a demotion for Scheierman. The 6-foot-6 Creighton product known for his marksmanship from long range — he was a career 39% shooter from beyond the arc in college — needs to develop and that won’t come by watching the Celtics, who are off to a 7-1 start, steamroll opponents from the bench.

Hauser is the best example on the Celtics of a player who excelled after beginning his career in the G League. Walsh followed a similar path and much of the same will be expected out of Scheierman.

Scheierman will join fellow rookie Anton Watson, who signed a two-way contract with the Celtics in August, with Maine. The roster also features Drew Peterson, JD Davison, Jay Scrubb and San Diego State standout Jordan Schakel.

Scheierman will get the chance to showcase his skills with Maine when it opens up the G League season Friday against the Long Island Nets.