Just after midnight on the East Coast on Friday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves struck a deal with the Utah Jazz.
The team with Danny and Austin Ainge as front office architects acquired Josh Green and cash. In exchange, they sent former 10th overall draft pick Cody Williams to the franchise that resides in the Twin Cities.
The Timberwolves also received John Konchar, a player linked to the Boston Celtics during their 2023-24 championship run. However, according to Charania, he isn't in Minnesota's plans for the upcoming campaign.
The Timberwolves are expected to keep Cody Williams, the No. 10 pick in 2024, and waive-and-stretch John Konchar, sources said. They found a home for Josh Green on a Jazz team that wanted an additional 3-and-D wing; moving his $14.7 million deal gives Minnesota the salary space… https://t.co/iyikXWZjvX
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 29, 2026
Early in Boston's trek to Banner 18, Michael Scotto reported, "The Celtics, Warriors, and Lakers are among the teams who've kept tabs on Konchar's situation from afar." At the time, he was with the Grizzlies. ESPN's Bobby Marks also suggested the NBA's original monarchy target him to fortify their roster that season.
While he now appears to be on the verge of reaching free agency, the Celtics should pass on bringing him aboard.
Why the Celtics should refrain from signing John Konchar
Boston has one open roster spot left. It's better to maintain flexibility and maximize luxury tax savings. Regarding the latter, this team is $1.7 million below that threshold.
As a seven-year veteran, the six-foot-five wing would count $2.4 million against the cap. Yes, they could make corresponding moves, but no one with a full-time spot is in danger of losing it.
The Celtics aren't going over the luxury tax to fill their final vacancy. They are in an excellent position to reset the repeater tax. That makes it easier to take a significant swing to find Jayson Tatum a new co-star. It also helps keep a contending core intact for longer.
They have the entire league year to get back under the luxury tax. However, respectfully, they aren't threatening the ability to reset it for Konchar.
Celtics' roster is too crowded to sign John Konchar
The former Purdue-Fort Wayne standout's position is the most crowded on the Celtics' depth chart. Any minutes that could go to him are better invested in ascending talents like Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Ron Harper Jr.
Those are two of the three reasons, with questions about buying into the available role being the other, that it also didn't make sense for Boston to sign an established name like DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, or Russell Westbrook before he retired.
Nothing but respect for Konchar. The 30-year-old from Chicago, Illinois, went from being undrafted to lasting in the league for nearly a decade. And he's coming off a campaign in which he produced 4.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 steals in 19.9 minutes per contest. His 56 appearances were split between Memphis and Utah.
It's a testament to a player who can still add value to an NBA franchise. But the reality in Boston is that the Celtics' roster composition and financial outlook firmly stand in the way of this signing.
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