BOSTON — The Boston Celtics have waived rookie two-way players Anton Watson, who they drafted in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Watson has spent the entire year in the G League with the Maine Celtics. In 21 appearances (18 starts), Watson has averaged 12.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 42.8% from the field and 30.8% from behind the three-point line.
Watson spent five seasons at Gonzaga and was a staple of their program for all five years. He played well in Maine, but now, the Celtics will likely be looking elsewhere to fill their newly-opened two-way spot.
The question is, who will they go after?
Boston waiving Watson came as a surprise. He had been playing well in Maine, and at just 24 years old and in his rookie season, still had plenty of time to develop.
The most logical reason for why the Celtics may have waived Watson is because they have another guy they want to bring on board with the two-way spot. With Watson gone, Drew Peterson and JD Davison are the Celtics’ only two two-way players under contract.
The Celtics have waived Anton Watson, per PR.
— Jack Simone (@JackSimoneNBA) March 2, 2025
The Celtics also still have a 15th roster spot available to them, though they have been reluctant to fill it for financial reasons. They have one of the most expensive rosters in NBA history, and adding any players to the roster would cost them millions in taxes.
There are a few players up in Maine who could be potential candidates to fill the Celtics’ third two-way spot now.
DJ Rodman has played incredibly well since joining the team a couple of months ago. He’s an amazing rebounder and has shown signs of an improved three-point shot, too. In 17 appearances (13 starts), Rodman has averaged 7.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 44.9% from the field and 44.9% from three.
Jay Scrubb and Hason Ward have also looked good in the G League, Scrubb as a sparkplug scorer and Ward as an elite athlete and shot-blocker who specializes in help defense and rim-running.
On top of that, the Celtics may also look around the rest of the G League to see if there are any players out there they could sign, especially since NBA deadlines have led to a bunch of players getting cut (much like Watson).
Keep an eye out for a Celtics roster move in the coming days/weeks, as it feels as though one if inevitable after this surprising turn of events.