Celtics waive 26-year-old big man but likely have a plan in place for him

According to Keith Smith of Spotrac, the Boston Celtics have released big man Dmytro Skapintsev. The 7-foot-1 big man was on an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics for training camp, though he only got limited minutes during Boston’s five-game preseason slate. While he didn’t stick in Boston, it seems likely that the Celtics will keep Skapintsev around in Maine.

When the Celtics signed Skapintsev, they acquired him in a G League trade with the Westchester Knicks. They shipped out Brandon Slater and Joe Wieskamp in exchange for Skapintsev. Considering they were willing to send out pieces to get the 26-year-old, they probably have a plan for him.

Unfortunately, Skapintsev wasn’t very effective in his preseason minutes.

Celtics likely to keep Dmytro Skapintsev in Maine

In three appearances, Skapintsev played a total of 28.2 minutes. He put up eight points, three rebounds, two steals, and three blocks while shooting 3-of-5 from the field.

However, in his one game with extended minutes (Boston’s home contest against the Toronto Raptors), Skapintsev looked a bit out of place.

The speed of the NBA game looked far too fast for the 7-foot-1 center. He was slow to get to his spot, struggled on defense, and didn’t have great touch around the rim. That said, the G League should be a perfect spot for him.

Last year, Skapintsev appeared in 25 games for the Knicks’ G League team, playing 26.6 minutes per contest. He averaged 12.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks while shooting 53.7% from the floor and 30.0% from beyond the three-point line.

Kylor Kelley was the lead big man in Maine last season (when Neemias Queta was out of town), but he left this summer and joined the Los Angeles Lakers. Skapintsev could be Boston’s replacement option for their G League squad, which won the Eastern Conference last season.

For the past few years, the Celtics have done a phenomenal job of building up their G League system with players who could play for them down the line. Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet both spent significant time in Maine and now, they are crucial parts of the Celtics’ rotation.

Jordan Walsh spent a ton of time in Portland last year, too, and he showed significant progress during the preseason. He could be a potential rotation piece for Boston within the next couple of years.

Skapintsev might not have stuck in Boston, but that was always unlikely. Maine is a perfect home for him.