The Celtics traded off important pieces and will be without their best player for the majority of next season, if not all of it. Those paying attention to the C’s knew those trades were coming considering the basketball penalties of the second apron. So, the C’s made big swings as they’re looking at a retooling season.
At the bottom of the roster, or the two-way guys, the C’s also brought in fresh faces. The Celtics have had success developing guys into rotation players, so there’s incentive to pay attention to those looking to make a mark on the league. Sam Hauser, for example, went from undrafted, two-way forward to legit rotation contributor.
The Celtics signed two of their drafted rookies to two-way deals for next season in 46th pick Amari Williams and 57th pick Max Shulga. Plus, as a bonus, they traded for wing RJ Luis from the Jazz as part of the Georges Niang deal. So, those are three new faces in the organization as they start their pro careers.
Interestingly, the C’s won’t have any returning names from last season at the two-way slots. Guard JD Davison has been on a two-way contract the past three seasons. But he’s onto the Rockets as he couldn’t sign another two-way deal with the Celtics due to NBA rules. Miles Norris, signed last March, was also waived following the Luis trade.
All three of the new two-way guys will be rookies after coming over from the college ranks. They’re also all older as they’re either 23 or will turn 23 later this year, so that means extra experience. Here’s a look at the three new two-way players:
RJ Luis Jr.
Luis spent the past two seasons with St. John’s and Rick Pitino, but he started his college career at nearby UMass for one season. Luis didn’t play in Summer League with the Jazz due to injury. He reportedly considered the Celtics as a potential two-way destination. Luis excelled with the Red Storm, being named the Big East Player of the Year last season. Luis brings good size at 6-foot-7, though he’ll need to improve as a shooter (career 31.4% 3-point shooter in college) to have a chance to stick in the league.
Max Shulga
Shulga was another conference player of the year, doing so in the Atlanta 10 with VCU. He was a five-year college player, and as a bonus, was teammates with Neemias Queta at Utah State. Shulga shot well from 3 throughout college at 39.2%. The guard didn’t make a ton of mistakes in Summer League for the Celtics, but he didn’t make much of an impact either. Shulga didn’t shoot the ball well in Vegas as he was given ball-handling responsibilities.
Amari Williams
Williams also played five years in college with four at Drexel and his last season at Kentucky. The big man showed off in Las Vegas what he can do as a passing big man as he’ll make nifty passes. He’s listed at 7-foot and is at an intriguing spot on the roster due to the main club’s bigs situation. The Celtics are thin up-front, so of the three two-way guys, Williams could end up seeing the court.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.