BOSTON — “Being an E-10 guy is what you make out of it, honestly,” Ron Harper Jr. told Hardwood Houdini before the Boston Celtics’ final preseason game. As Harper sat down in the locker room 30 minutes before the final game of his second preseason in Boston, his future was unclear. As were the futures of Jalen Bridges, Kendall Brown, and Wendell Moore Jr.—the rest of the Celtics’ training-camp guys.
Everything was still up in the air.
That’s the life of an Exhibit 10 player in the NBA. As the Jaylen Browns, Derrick Whites, and Payton Pritchards of the world prepared for (likely) the most unique campaign of their careers, Harper, Bridges, Brown, and Moore were fighting for their NBA lives. But that’s what it’s all about.
“Competing with everyone and being in the facility with everyone, meeting everyone,” Brown said. “Just being able to play basketball and get an opportunity.”
The Celtics make the life of an E-10 worthwhile
It’s no secret that careers are on the line every preseason. Each year, a group of players sign E-10, E-9, and two-way contracts in hopes of extending their chances of playing in the big leagues.
Every hour, every minute, every second matters. One wrong read, one poor performance, or one day of a bad attitude could be the difference between earning a roster spot and having to go overseas (or worse).
But that stress isn’t conducive to success. Though the gravity of the situation isn’t lost on those who enter it, at its core, earning an E-10 contract is realizing a dream. A dream that every single player has had since they were a kid.
Being part of the Celtics organization makes this dream even more fulfilling.
“Every bit of a blessing,” said Bridges. “Great staff, great organization. It's fun to show up to work every day. I feel like that's something that kind of gets lost at this level with all the seriousness. They make it fun. They make it enjoyable.”
Getting to play for an NBA team is an experience that only about one percent of college players get to have. Extrapolate that number across the entire globe, and the number becomes nearly incalculable.
Yet the competition persists.
“It's been great, especially to go up against the guys that are in my position, fighting for the same contract,” said Bridges. “But at the end of the day, it's a business. I took the job to try to get myself better, make my other teammates better every single day in practice and in camp. So, that's really what I try to focus on every day.”
Harper, Bridges, Brown, and Moore spent October in a heated battle. All four guys wanted a spot on the roster. And once Boston waived RJ Luis Jr., opening up a two-way slot, that battle became even more significant.
But that extra pressure can’t factor into the day-to-day grind.
“You're competing with the guys that you're kind of competing against for a spot, but if you kind of take that mindset into it, I feel like you're doing yourself a disservice,” said Harper. “When I came in as an E-10 guy, this being my second time here, I just came in with the opportunity to just learn as much as I can.”
And though most of Boston’s E-10 group was destined to be shipped up to Maine or released in full, the people they connected with most were each other.
“It's weird, but honestly, the people that I've connected with the most are the guys that I've kind of been battling it out for the contract with,” said Bridges. “Be that as it may, as weird as that sounds”
“Oh yeah, for sure, the friendship and camaraderie definitely help,” said Harper. “Me, [Bridges], KB, and Wendell, we do everything together every day. Literally. We're the first guys in the gym. Sometimes we're the last ones there. But one thing that stays common is that we do it together. And I feel like that's important. Just growing that camaraderie and not looking at each other as competition, but just looking at each other as teammates. Just as basketball players.
“Opportunities, they come around a lot in the NBA, so we're all just trying to help each other look the best out there. And we're not looking to take shine away from another guy. We're just trying to go out there and showcase the things we've been able to learn and the things that we're trying to show NBA teams that we can bring to the table.”
That connection is a driving force.
“It's just like all the small talk in the locker room,” said Bridges. “We've just been grinding all summer together, and we're kind of going through the same things, picking each other's brains. Just bouncing ideas off one another. Not so much off the court, but in the locker room, team spaces, and stuff like that. Those are the guys that I would say I gravitate towards.”
In four preseason games, none of the four training-camp guys exceeded 40 minutes played. Harper played the most (31.7), followed by Bridges (22.6), Moore (17.4), and Brown (15.3).
Playing time was dominated by the Motley Crue of new faces in town—Josh Minott, Luka Garza, Hugo Gonzalez, Chris Boucher, and Anfernee Simons. Or, in the cases of Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman, and Xavier Tillman Sr., the people set to play bigger roles this year. Boston wanted to get a look at all their guys.
But playing in the actual games is only one piece of the puzzle. Behind the scenes, Boston’s staff was giving Harper, Bridges, Moore, and Brown everything they need to find a lifeline in the NBA.
“Sham [God Shammgod Jr.], Da'Sean [Butler], Amile [Jefferson], Phil [Pressey]. All of them,” Brown said. “Getting really close and just working to get better every day.”
Pressey, in particular, led the charge.
“Coach, Phil Pressey. Phil's been great,” said Harper. “He's just been getting us in the gym, working our reads, getting us better, getting us familiar with the system, and just really helping out. And being in a position like us, coming from a former player like Phil, just it means that much more.
“Just knowing that he's been there. He's been in our shoes. He knows what it's like. He's just another guy on our side fighting for us. So, Coach Phil has been great.”
That lifeline Pressey and the rest of the staff provided worked out. Harper eventually landed the final two-way spot in Boston, and he’ll be playing under Pressy, the new G League head coach, up in Maine.
“The other guys that were in training camp on the E-10, I got a great relationship with every single one of those guys. All of them congratulated me yesterday,” Harper said after signing the deal. “Stuff like that is important to building camaraderie.
“Phil does a good job of connecting all of us. So, I'm excited for my experiences up in Maine. I know we're gonna have a good year up there. We're gonna have a good training camp, and we're gonna build something together, and we're gonna build a winning program.”
But he won’t be the only one moving up to Portland. Bridges, Brown, and Moore are all slated to be a part of the Maine roster next season, too.
Uncertainty is constant for an E-10 player. There’s no telling what the next day may hold. For some, the contract doesn’t even come with the perks of preseason.
Boston signed Hayden Gray, Hason Ward, and Aaron Scott to E-10 deals at various points in the summer to incentivize them to join Maine. Even Luis got an E-10 deal after they waived him from his two-way contract.
That’s the reality of the NBA world. It’s harsh, unforgiving, and constantly moving forward. But for the Celtics, it’s an opportunity.
A way to find a new lease on life in the NBA. They want every player who steps into the gym to eat, sleep, and breathe Celtics basketball. And in doing so, they ensure that anyone who signs an E-10 with Boston gets a chance to keep their dream alive.
Because that’s what it’s all about.