The Los Angeles Lakers have waived former Boston Celtics two-way player Anton Watson, according to a team announcement (via Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation). LA also waived RJ Davis, Augustas Marčiulionis, and Nate Williams in the series of roster moves. The moves likely pave the way for all four players to join the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
Boston drafted Watson with the No. 54 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, subsequently inking him to a two-way contract. However, the Celtics waived him around the trade deadline, and he went on to join the New York Knicks.
Now, Watson will look to keep his NBA dreams alive in the Lakers organization.
What is Anton Watson’s game like?
Watson appeared in two preseason games for the Lakers this year, playing just 6.9 minutes per contest. In those minutes, Watson put up three total points to go along with one rebounds, three assists, and one steal while shooting 1-of-1 from the field (a three).
Unfortunately, Watson never appeared in a game for the Celtics, though he did play in ample games for their G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.
He appeared in 37 games for Maine, playing 29.9 minutes per contest. Watson averaged 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 44.1% from the floor and 31.9% from deep on 5.8 three-point attempts.
At just 6-foot-8, Watson is a bit undersized to play the center position, though he’s not fully equipped to play the four with his lack of a consistent three-point shot.
That said, his defensive versatility and driving abilities make him a solid piece to take a chance on, especially at the G League level. Plus, he’s still only 25 years old.
Watson’s time with the Celtics came to an end around the deadline, as they decided to bring Miles Norris on board in his place. Since then, the Celtics have also released Norris.
Now, their two-way slots are taken up by completely new players from the past few years. They have Amari Williams, Max Shulga, and Ron Harper Jr. on two-ways. Williams and Shulga were both drafted by the Celtics this summer.
As for Watson, he’ll have to earn his place in the Lakers’ organization, as his time in the G League will likely be with the end goal of earning a two-way spot. And perhaps that spot could be somewhere other than with LA.