How Max Strus’ contract affects the Boston Celtics’ roster

The Boston Celtics converted Max Strus’ two-way contract into a two-year NBA deal, with a partial guarantee for this season. What does this mean for the C’s roster as we’re inching closer to the regular season?

Max Strus is a 6-6 guard who is an undrafted rookie out of Depaul University. Strus started his college career at Lewis University, before transferring to Depaul for his final two years. While in college, Strus became a scoring machine; ultimately how he got on the Boston Celtics’ radar.

In his senior year, Strus averaged 20 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.9 steal per game. Along the way, Strus became third on Depaul’s all time three-point list with 194 made three-pointers. The guard’s ability to score the ball is what appeals to Boston Celtics’ Head Coach Brad Stevens.

For anyone who has doubted Strus, he proved all of them wrong on Sunday afternoon against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Celtics third preseason game of the year.

Strus scored a game high 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting off the bench for the Celtics on Sunday. In seventeen minutes, the 23-year-old also accumulated four rebounds and two assists. He connected on 4-of-5 of his three-point shot attempts. To see him come off the bench and perform like that after his contract was renegotiated was a pretty special moment to say the least.

This contract conversion for Strus still doesn’t assure him a roster spot on the final 15 for the Boston Celtics. He will be in tight competition with Javonte Green for that final spot on the roster. Since the start of Summer League, Green has made a strong case for him to make the final roster.

Every team is allowed two two-way contracts. By giving Strus a regular contract, it does open up another two-way contract opportunity for the Celtics. It didn’t take long for the C’s to fill the open spot, as the team has officially signed Tacko Fall to a two-way contract.

Tacko Fall will join Tremont Waters as the players who will be playing in both Maine and Boston this season. Fall will now have the opportunity to develop and transition into a true NBA big, with the Celtics able to keep close eyes on him. I think it is important to realize that contract conversions can still happen if the C’s find it necessary.

Needless to say, the Celtics wanted to keep Fall in their organization. Throughout training camp, and now the preseason, it is becoming more evident that Fall does in fact have a career in the NBA. “Tackomania” is going to be crazy in Boston and Maine this year.