Recent Boston Celtics signee ‘unlikely’ to see regular minutes

The Boston Celtics signed big man Nathan Knight to a two-way deal on October 22 per ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski; with the C’s pursuit of more size landing Knight in a crowded, but unproven frontcourt.

In response to the news, Boston.com’s Trevor Hass stated that he doesn’t see Knight receiving regular minutes; a take I can’t see aging poorly.

“While it’s unlikely Knight will end up seeing regular playing time, he has a chance to compete for periodic backup big minutes with Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta, among others,” Hass wrote.

As Hass relayed, Knight can spend up to 50 games with the Boston Celtics before needing his contract converted; meaning he’ll likely be spending most of his time with the Maine Celtics.

“The Celtics announced that they’ve waived guard Jay Scrubb, who tore his ACL, as a corresponding move,” Hass prefaced before saying, “As a two-way player, Knight may be active for up to 50 NBA games.”

Regular minutes or not, the Boston Celtics needed a player like Nathan Knight

The addition of Knight provides the Boston Celtics with an extra big body, which they needed. Knight may be a safe backup for any potential injuries to the rotational bigs. Given Kristaps Porzingis’s injury history and Al Horford’s age, it’s nice to have that feeling of stability in the frontcourt.

Knight’s career-high came against the Celtics, coincidentally, when he scored 20 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists on December 27, 2021.  Boston is likely hoping they can help unlock his game and have him in a position where he can contribute; getting him ready to step in if the C’s frontcourt rotation isn’t bearing fruit.

As the Celtics get ready to start this NBA season they can now rest easy knowing they have more depth at the pivot position; previously a big area of concern.