“You think we need one more? You think we need one more. Alright, we’ll get one more.”
That’s Danny Ocean from Ocean’s 11 after rounding out his heist crew, but as the Celtics prepare to head out to the NBA’s Summer League on July 7th, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens is quickly assembling his Stevens’ 15 for Vegas, too.
So far, the roster is littered with familiar faces. Sam Hauser, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, Matt Ryan, and Broderic Thomas were on the bench during Boston’s march to The NBA Finals in the spring and they’ll rep the Celtics this summer on The Strip with an eye on having their non-guaranteed contracts, two-way deals, and club options picked up for next season. The team is still undecided whether former #14 pick and two-year pro Aaron Nesmith will showcase in the desert.
Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Last year’s draft-and-stash Juhann Begarin and this year’s #53 pick, JD Davison, are also expected to be with the Summer Celtics. However, there will be one noticeable absence: Yam Madar. According to Josh Halickman, the 47th pick of the 2020 draft has opted to play for the Israeli national team in two games against Poland and Estonia. After leaving Israel to play in Serbia last year, Madar averaged 14 points, 3 rebounds, and over 4 assists per game for KK Partizan.
“It was a big growing experience for him both on and off the court, and it really helped him mature a lot,” assistant GM Austin Ainge told The Boston Globe. “He was kind of a big deal in Israel growing up and it was brave of him to go outside of that and really push himself. I thought it was great for him.”
The Celtics may have lost their Amazing Yam, but added a playmaker to their crew. Per Jonathan Givony, Purdue senior Trevion Williams and the Big Ten’s 6th Man of the Year has joined Boston’s SL squad. He’s regarded as one of the draft’s best passing big men and rebounders. They’ve also added Jordan Bone, a two-year NBA vet who has played with the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic.
Boston starts its schedule of former playoff opponents on July 9th against the Miami Heat followed by back-to-back games against Milwaukee and Golden State.
