Boston Celtics Fill Final Roster Spot with G-League Stud
By John Canady
The Boston Celtics currently sit in the second seed in the Eastern Conference. With four games to go, the Cs are starting to prepare for a playoff run, which included finalizing their roster ahead of the postseason.
President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and owner Wyc Grousbeck both made it clear that the Celtics intended to fill their final roster spot ahead of the playoffs. Boston kept the spot open for the majority of the season after trading Noah Vonleh to the Spurs back in January.
The Boston Celtics filled their final roster spot with a G-League stud
The Boston Celtics elected to fill the final roster spot with standout G-leaguer, Justin Champagnie. The six-foot-six forward has had an impressive season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Miami Heat’s G-League affiliate.
The Boston Celtics are planning to sign NBA G League Sioux Falls forward Justin Champagnie, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Champagnie spent parts of last two seasons with the Raptors, and has averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds for Sioux Falls.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 3, 2023
Champagnie went undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft after being considered as a possible late first-round pick for most of the process. The Pitt alum averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 53 games at the college level. After going undrafted, Champagnie signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors and has since been bouncing around in the G-League.
This season with the Skyforce, the 21-year-old is averaging 18.2 points per game, 8 rebounds per game, and 1 assist per game while shooting 52% from the floor and 30.6% from 3-point range. The versatile player even showed off his scoring ability in a massive performance a month ago against the Salt Lake City Stars. Champagnie finished the night with 43 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists. A sign of talent the NBA couldn’t ignore.
A month later, the Celtics make the call to bring Champagnie on to fill the final roster spot ahead of a critical 2023 postseason — a playoff run that could determine much regarding how the franchise conducts itself in the foreseeable future. Champagnie doesn’t figure to get minutes, but strange things could happen, and have been happening the last few years, so time will tell what his role will be.