The Boston Celtics started off the month of August with a bang (or waive). On Tuesday afternoon, the C’s waived forward Justin Champagnie, according to multiple reports. Champagnie’s contract would’ve become partially guaranteed had Boston not waived him Tuesday, meaning that they would’ve had to cough up a crisp $50,000.
The Boston Celtics have waived G/F Justin Champagnie, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Champagnie was signed to a multiyear deal out of the NBA G League late last season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 1, 2023
With the 22-year-old no longer on the roster, they now have two open roster spots — one of which must be filled by opening night.
The Celtics are currently about $4.2 million under the dreaded second-apron, after waiving Champagnie. They’ll have some — albeit a small amount — of wiggle room to operate in the open market now, without violating the “super tax.”
Boston Celtics could bring in Trendon Watford to fill out the roster
As they look to fill at least one more roster spot, Boston has a few different options — the first of which would be a longer-term project.
Former Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford is a player who could help fill a key role for the Celtics down the line. Last season, he averaged 7.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in about 19.1 minutes per contest. Watford was efficient in his scoring as well, knocking down 56.0% of his attempts from the floor and 39.1% of his attempts (only one attempt per game) from beyond the arc.
Watford’s three-point percentage took a major jump from his rookie season, where he shot just 23.7% from distance for Portland. The progress he was able to make in such a short period of time should be an encouraging sign for the Celtics, as well as other teams around the association.
With that being said, the 22-year-old was waived by the Blazers on June 30, and no one seems to care. He’s still out there as a free agent and the Cs should take a chance on him.
The former LSU standout has a skillset that somewhat resembles that of aging big man Al Horford — at least on the offensive end. He’s still got some growing to do on the defensive side of the ball, which is probably why he’s still out there for the taking.
A reunion with Javonte Green could be in the cards for the Boston Celtics
Another potential candidate to join — or rejoin — the Boston Celtics is Javonte Green. Green spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, after being traded by the Celtics in 2021.
Since joining the Bulls, the high flyer has taken on a few different roles, evening spending some time playing the power forward spot. That added experience, along with the familiarity he has with a large chunk of Boston’s core, makes him a great fit for one of the final roster spots.
Plus, he seems in already. According to Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney, the 29-year-old “would welcome” a reunion with the Celtics.
“Green, a close friend of Celtics star Jayson Tatum, ‘would welcome,’ a return to the Celtics, a source said.,” Deveney wrote.
Green suited up in 73 total games for the Celtics from 2019-2021. He averaged 3.7 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.6 steals per game while shooting 51.8% from the field and 29.1% from beyond the arc.
Since then, he’s taken a bit of a jump with the Bulls. With a larger role, his scoring has gone up to 6.0 points per game in his Chicago tenure. The real eye-opener has been Green’s improved marksmanship from 3-point range. Last season, he buried 37.1% of his attempts from distance, notching a new career-high.
However, there is good reason for the Celtics to be cautious. Green underwent a procedure to help repair his right knee last year. He did rejoin the Bulls for five games at the end of the season, following the surgery.
Regardless, bringing Green back would be a pretty solid idea for Boston.
Jaylen Nowell would be an interesting target for the Boston Celtics
Minnesota Timberwolves free agent guard Jaylen Nowell is still available, over a month after the free agent period opened. At this point, he’d be a good value pickup for the Boston Celtics.
Maybe it’s just the memory of him notching a career-high 29 points against the Celtics in late 2021 (when Minnesota literally sat EVERYONE), handing Boston its worst loss of the season (until they blew a 24-point lead against the New York Knicks a week later). But, Nowell feels like a player that could add something for the Cs off of the bench.
Last season for the Timberwolves, he averaged 10.8 points per game, while shooting 44.5% from the field. The issue is that he struggled quite a bit from distance, only converting 28.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
At just 24 years old, there’s still plenty of time for Nowell to develop a better 3-point shot. The Celtics do a great job at helping their players become better shooters. For example, Derrick White shot just 34.4% from distance with the San Antonio Spurs. Last year in Boston, he knocked down 38.1% of his threes.
This late into the offseason, the players who remain unsigned almost always have flaws. The question is whether or not the Cs believe that Nowell has the upside to make him worth the roster spot.