There were reasons to be hyped about Devin Carter joining the Boston Celtics, even if he wouldn't have the biggest role on the team. He's a former lottery pick sure, but he actually wanted to be waived so that Boston, who immediately expressed interest in him once he hit waivers, would pick him up as a free agent.
Well, in just his preseason debut, Carter proved why, at the very least, he was worth signing to a training camp deal. 17 points, five-for-nine shooting, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a plus-minus of plus-22 during a time in which he's fighting for his spot on the Celtics was about as perfect as it got for both him and Boston.
Remember: Carter's spot on the team isn't secure yet, but as far as first impressions go, that was about as good as he could have played. Even better is that if he only continues to build off this, he becomes the perfect project for the Celtics, and not just because of how he fits into Mazzulla Ball.
Carter could work his way from two-way to playoff rotation
Boston has an open roster spot at the moment, but they have to be careful because they are penny-pinching while trying to stay below the luxury tax. For that reason, signing Carter to a full-time roster spot would be a problem because it would put them over.
That's where him being on a two-way deal *to start* is the perfect way to go about this. Carter can still play in quite a few games until Boston knows they can convert him to standard deal without going over the luxury tax.
Yes, this is pretty much what happened with Ron Harper Jr. last season. The only difference being is that Boston is deliberately playing it this way so that they can have their cake and eat it: get a promising player on the cheap who could fit like a glove while also not having to cross any lines in the NBA's luxury tax to do it.
That in essence is what makes him a perfect project. The fact that the Celtics could legitimately have another diamond in the rough who could give them a major return on investment (for what they signed him to) all while never having to pay much for what he brings. At least, for this year.
The funny thing is, did Boston even have to sign Carter in the first place? No, they were fine where they were. It's not like adding him changes a dire situation by any means, but adding him could give them a surprising extra flavor in which both sides benefit in the end.
At the moment, Carter's competing just to get a spot on the team, but things could look very different come April. If last night was a sign of things to come, Carter could be competing for legitimate rotation minutes.
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