CelticsBlog - All Posts

05 July 2025

• Celtics’ latest Summer League addition was just named MVP in China

  Former Louisiana Tech star Kenny Lofton Jr will be playing in Las Vegas with the Celtics next week.

  The Celtics are taking a flyer on Kenneth Lofton Jr, the former Louisiana Tech star who has previously spent time with the Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, and Utah Jazz.

  Lofton spent last season overseas, playing for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He was named the International MVP, beating out other former NBA players like Jared Sullinger and Eric Bledsoe after averaging 25.2 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game.

  After going undrafted in 2022, Lofton has appeared in 45 NBA games, And, though he’s been out of college for three years, Lofton is still just 22 years old. He’s shown he can score at the NBA level, exploding for 42 points in his rookie season with the Grizzlies.

  In the G League, he’s averaged 22.8 points on 56% shooting alongside 9.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists. The 6’6 forward is undersized, however, and has struggled defensively.

  Celtics Summer League Roster

  In addition to Lofton Jr, the following players will be on the Celtics’ Summer League roster. Several more players will be revealed in the coming days.

  1. Baylor Scheierman (drafted 30th in 2024, entering sophomore season)
  2. Jordan Walsh (drafted 38th in 2023, entering third season)
  3. Miles Norris (two-way player, signed last year)
  4. Amari Williams (Kentucky center, drafted 46th in 2025)
  5. Max Shulga (VCU guard, drafted 57th in 2025)
  6. Hayden Gray (UC San Diego guard, undrafted rookie)
  7. Aaron Scott (St. John guard Aaron Scott, undrafted rookie)
  8. Ben Gregg (Gonzaga forward Ben Gregg, undrafted rookie)
  9. Zach Hicks (Penn State forward, undrafted rookie)
  10. Jalen Bridges (Baylor forward, played for the Phoenix Suns on a two-way contract last year)

  Additionally, Hugo Gonzalez, who was drafted with the 28th overall pick in last week’s draft, said he hopes to play in Summer League. Drew Peterson, who was on a two-way contract with the Celtics for the last two seasons, is unlikely to play.

  Celtics Summer League Schedule

  The Celtics will tip off Summer League in Las Vegas on July 11th.

  • July 11: Celtics vs. Grizzlies, 4 p.m. ET
  • July 13: Celtics vs. Knicks, 5:30 p.m. ET
  • July 14: Celtics vs. Heat, 8 p.m. ET
  • July 17: Celtics vs. Lakers, 9 p.m. ET
  • Game 5 TBD: Celtics vs. TBD

• CelticsBlog film session: Josh Minott vs. the Celtics

  Josh Minott barely played in Minnesota, but his tools and flashes suggest more than the box score. Let’s reviewed his last game against Boston together and see what he could bring to the Celtics next season.

  On the second day of free agency, theCeltics agreed to a two-year, $5 million deal with former Timberwolves forward Josh Minott. The young player who was drafted with the 45th pick in 2022 after one year of college at Memphis, only played 46 games for Minnesota last season, averaging 2.6 points and one rebound. And yet, there are good reasons to be excited about him.

  The most impressive upside of his profile is his defensive abilities. Back at Memphis in the NCAA, he posted a 3.1 STL% and a 5.4 BLK% — numbers that are clear indicators of elite defensive potential. His measurements were impressive for a wing. At the Draft Combine, he was measured standing 6-foot-8.75 in shoes with a 6-foot-11.75 wingspan, which explains why he looked so imposing on defense in his college days. But what about his impact in the NBA?

  Per CleaningTheGlass.com, he has played fewer than 250 minutes of non-garbage time so far in his three-year career. The young Jamaican wasn’t able to break into the rotation, stuck behind Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Julius Randle, and Donte DiVincenzo. Therefore, we cannot use his NBA stats to analyze him and find insightful information… but we can watch the tape!

  He didn’t play a lot of meaningful minutes, but some of them came in January against the Boston Celtics. We’ll look back at his performance against the team we know the most to understand what Josh Minott can bring to the table.

  When he entered the game in the first quarter, he was guarding Jayson Tatum. Tatum was the inbounder on the baseline action and got the ball again after a back screen. Minott was able to navigate the screen and block Tatum’s lay-up attempt with his long arms. Impressive.

  On the next play, in transition, Minott got the ball beyond the line, faked the pass, drove, and euro-stepped around Luke Kornet. But he couldn’t create enough space to score, so he tried to pass the ball to Julius Randle with one hand. The idea was good, but Tatum was there to steal the ball. Yet, the fake and the drive before the turnover look encouraging to me.

  Because he is not considered a shooting threat, the Celtics put Luke Kornet on him so the big man could stay in the paint to protect the rim. Yet, Minott showed some nice basketball IQ with a smart backdoor cut on the defense when Kornet was helping, offering a solution to the ball-handler and forcing two free throws.

  After Tatum, he also defended Derrick White, as he is quite quick for his size. The Celtics ran their classic empty-side pick-and-roll with a pass at the top and then a second pass to the roll man. Minott got caught behind Al Horford after the switch and tried to intercept the ball when Jrue Holiday passed it, but that’s what the Celtics wanted, and they now had an open shot at the rim.

  He was subbed out a few moments later and only came back late in the third quarter. After punishing Kornet for ignoring him with a cut, he then punished him with a corner three as the big man was helping on the drive. He is not a shooter, but he made more than 75% of his free throws in the NCAA, leading me to think there is some shooting touch.

  Offensively, he has some burst to take off, too. In this transition, he gets the ball with a little bit of space because Holiday is a bit late in his rotation. He goes left and pushes the ball far to use the empty paint and gain momentum for a beautiful dunk against White.

  Then, a few minutes later, he won yet another duel against D-White. He defended him on the pick-and-roll and, at first, struggled to go around the screen. He went under to compensate for the delay in his defense, but White initiated a drive. Minott was able to stay connected with his hips, and when White took off for the lay-up, Josh blocked him against the glass without fouling, thanks to his positioning and reach.

  On his last defensive play, he stayed connected on every switch and ended up on Holiday, who wasn’t able to deal with Minott’s level of aggression and length. The young player was able to strip the ball from the hands of the champion and showed why wingspan and hand-eye coordination matter in the NBA.

  Josh Minott last game against the Celtics was quite impressive on the defensive end pic.twitter.com/T2xZB5LhMF

  — Azad (@azmatlanba) July 2, 2025

  Against the Celtics, we didn’t see much off-ball defense, but he could be interesting as a low man or on the weak side to generate turnovers from skip passes — like here against the Houston Rockets.

  If the Celtics’ coaching staff is able to optimize his passing, cutting, and basketball IQ on offense—despite the non-shooting threat—then his defensive upside could unfold, and this could turn into a very interesting contract for the Celtics. He is young and will make mistakes, but the hardware and the software are obvious on the defensive end.

• Celtics considered potential suitor to sign Damian Lillard

  The NBA’s newest free agent is looking to join a contending team as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon, and Boston is reportedly in the mix.

  In a shocking development, the Milwaukee Bucks waived their star point guard, Damian Lillard. Lillard suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and is expected to be sidelined for most if not all of the 25-26 season.

  With the departure of their starting center, Brook Lopez, the Bucks looked to make a splash, and agreed to a 4-year, $107 million deal with Myles Turner, formerly of the Indiana Pacers. In order to create the space to sign Turner, Milwaukee decided to waive Lillard, and stretch the remaining $113 million on his contract over the next five years.

  With all of that money guaranteed, Dame was reportedly “elated” with the outcome. Eric Nehm, Sam Amick, and Joe Vardon of The Athletic are reporting that he has already received several calls from contending teams looking to bring him in. One of those teams just so happens to be our Boston Celtics, among other teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers. They are all said to be looking to ink a deal with Lillard “sooner rather than later.”

  Dame has time to assess his options given that he will be rehabbing his injury for what’s expected to be the full upcoming season. He could choose to join a team now to work through that rehabilitation process with them, or even wait until the following summer when teams would be able to sign him without having to worry about using a roster spot on a player who won’t even see the floor.

  In terms of salary, money is no longer a concern, being that he will be receiving the full amount of his previous contract regardless. By signing for anything above the minimum this year or next he does not increase his total salary – the new salary will simply offset how much of the owed amount is paid by Milwaukee.

  Keith Smith of Spotrac suggested that Boston could sign Lillard for the minimum this year with a sort of under-the-table promise to him that they’d bring him back the following year using an exception. This would allow Dame and Jayson Tatum the opportunity to work through their rehabilitation process together, and quickly bring the Celtics back into contention when they’re both expected to return in the 26-27 season.

  The downside to that is Boston would have two roster spots taken up by players who will not see the floor during the upcoming 25-26 season. It wouldn’t be the worst thing if they truly are looking to effectively tank the season, but it does put extra strain on the active players and coaches.

  Damian Lillard’s situation will be one to closely watch over the coming days and weeks. While he may not be the same player on the other side of this injury, a star of his caliber is certainly worth taking a chance on, especially at this discounted opportunity which we rarely see. He’s someone who can immediately elevate any team if he’s anywhere close to his usual self.

• Celtics rookies' first day in Boston featured Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and much more

  Hugo Gonzalez, Amari Williams, and Max Shulga met with Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens in the morning before heading over to the YMCA, where they were officially introduced as Celtics.

  On Wednesday night, Hugo Gonzalez celebrated his Real Madrid team’s Spanish league championship. Then, at 6am, he got the much-anticipated call: the Celtics were selecting him 28th in the NBA Draft.

  “It was a long night,” Gonzalez said on Tuesday. “But it really paid off.”

  The days only got more hectic from there for the 19-year-old, who flew to Boston on Monday.

  Alongside the Celtics’ two other 2025 NBA draft picks — VCU sharpshooter Max Shulga and Kentucky center Amari Williams — Gonzalez was officially introduced as a Celtic on Tuesday morning.

  First, the trio visited the practice facility, where they met with Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla. Gonzalez also officially signed his contract with the Celtics, a 4-year, $14.3 million deal.

  Shulga and Williams, who are both likely to sign two-way contracts, also got to meet their new head coach.

  “He’s a very straightforward guy,” Shulga said of Mazzulla. “Says things how they are. Doesn’t really sugarcoat anything.”

  Shulga has more insight into the process of developing on the Celtics than the average rookie; in his freshman season at Utah State, he was teammates with Neemias Queta, who is entering his third season on the Celtics.

  Queta and Shulga went out to dinner when Shulga worked out with the Celtics a few weeks ago, and now, the Ukrainian guard is picking Queta’s brain on the process. Queta has advised him to “be a sponge” and try to learn as much as possible from his teammates and the coaching staff.

  “He said it’s gonna be hard,” Shulga said. “As a rookie, especially, it’s gonna be a transition period.”

  After breakfast, the rookies headed to the Huntington YMCA, where the Celtics unveiled a renovated basketball court — and their new draft class. They addressed the more than 75 kids in attendance and shared their initial reflections on what it was like to hear their names called.

  “Being drafted by the Celtics is a dream come true,” Gonzalez said.

  Hugo Gonzalez:
  
  “Getting drafted by the Celtics is a dream come true.” pic.twitter.com/QroVTT9cF0

  — Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) July 1, 2025

  Donning Celtics T-shirts, Gonzalez, Hulga, and Williams participated in drills and competitions for nearly an hour. It was the type of event that the Celtics regularly hold, in which young players spend quality time with kids and local community centers across the Boston area.

  While some teams introduce their rookies in a more formal environment, the Celtics have turned to community events to do so as of late.

  “I think it’s always important knowing you’re playing for the city, not just for yourself and your teammates, but everyone in the community,” Williams said. “It’s essential to be connected and show your appreciation.”

  The rookies also got to meet Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

  The Celtics shared photos of Gonzalez, Shulga, and Williams meeting the franchise cornerstones, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

  Last week, Stevens said that both stars have been regularly rehabbing at the Auerbach Center, Tatum from his Achilles rupture repair, and Brown from his partially torn meniscus.

  Very cool to see that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — who are both rehabbing at the Auerbach Center — both met the rookies today
  
  (Photos via Celtics Instagram) pic.twitter.com/PTGGXXAOHV

  — Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) July 1, 2025

  “It’s usually the time of the year when I don’t see those guys a lot,” Stevens said. “They usually go and kind of rest, and get away, but they’ve both prioritized getting better and rehabbing, and after a long season, I appreciate that about them.”

  Neemias Queta, who could be due for a larger frontcourt role with Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis both already departing this offseason, was also at the practice facility.

  Shulga and Williams will both be playing in Summer League, which begins on July 10th in Las Vegas. The status of Gonzalez, who is just a few days removed from the conclusion of his season with Madrid, has not yet been confirmed, though he expressed optimism he’d join the team in Las Vegas.

  “I hope yes,” Gonzalez said. “I’m pretty excited about it.”

  Asked Hugo Gonzalez if he plans on playing in Summer League:
  
  “I hope yes. I’m pretty excited about it.” pic.twitter.com/bQMdYbqEPs

  — Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) July 1, 2025

• Celtics sign forward Josh Minott

  Boston has signed another former Timberwolf to a 2-year deal.

  The Boston Celtics have signed former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Josh Minott to a 2-year, $5 million contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

  Free agent forward Josh Minott has agreed to a two-year, $5 million deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN. Celtics executives finalized the new deal with Minott's agent, Aaron Turner of Verus. pic.twitter.com/GYALerDzKM

  — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

  Just a day after signing Luka Garza to 2-year $5.5 million deal, Boston secures another now-former Timberwolf. Last season in 46 games played, Minott averaged 2.6 points and 1 rebound per game on 49% from the floor and 33% from three point range in just 6.0 minutes per game.

  With Luke Kornet, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis out the door, Boston needs more players in the front court and Minott, at just 22-years-old, represents a young player that Brad Stevens & Co. are taking a flier on.

  Minott, whose nickname is ‘The Lawn Mower' according to Basketball Reference, was the 46th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft after playing for Penny Hardaway at Memphis. Minnesota declined Minott’s $2.19 team option to make him a free agent on Sunday.

  This deal puts the Celtics back over the dreaded second apron so look for them to make another move soon.

• The Celtics are going to be okay

  Losing key pieces from a championship team hurts, but the Celtics still have a chance to contend long term.

  Losing Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Luke Kornet with Al Horford’s departure likely coming next hurts. It hurts a lot.

  Those players helped us win a championship and are legends in Boston forever. They’ll return to tribute videos the make us emotional and we’ll give them a standing ovation.

  It stinks and is no fun — none of this offseason has been fun.

  Losing Jayson Tatum for most of, if not all, of the 2025-26 season kills any chance to compete makes this even more difficult.

  Next season won’t be as fun as the last four have - although three of the endings haven’t been fun. The Celtics aren't going to go into the season as a contender.

  That doesn’t mean it is time to panic. A Big 3 of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White with support pieces of Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard is a good place to start.

  That is a five-man unit that has a ton of shooting and guys who can create for themselves and others. Sure, Hauser and Pritchard might get picked on a bit on defense but their shooting on the other end makes up for it.

  Do the Celtics need a long term center? Yes they do. However, solid centers are not very expensive on the free agent market and Boston has a chance to have their full Mid-Level exception next summer. If they do have it, hopefully they don’t sign Tristan Thompson again.

  However, acting like the C’s are starting from scratch is something I find to be very bizarre. They aren’t. They are starting from a pretty good position I would argue.

  Joe Mazzulla is an elite head coach and Brad Stevens is an elite lead executive. I have all the faith in the world that those two guys are going to make the right decision to build this roster out around their three best players.

  This season also gives the Celtics to see what they have in the wings they have drafted in the past three drafts with Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez.

  I really enjoyed some of the things Scheierman did in his first season as a Celtic and a lot of people like Gonzalez as a prospect.

  The Celtics also have Anfernee Simons’ $27 million expiring contract on their books that they can trade, let him walk as a free agent or extend him if they so choose. Though an extension would be very surprising and likely a bad move so they shouldn’t do that.

  A lot of this depends on Jayson Tatum coming back and being a great player but I have every confidence in the world that Tatum will do just that. He has never given Celtic fans any reason to doubt him in any way.

  Building around Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White has already led to one Celtic championship and Hauser and Pritchard were big pieces of that. Having those five guys on your roster is a very good place to start this retooling that the Celtics are going to under go over the next year.

• A moment of appreciation for Luke Kornet, the ultimate teammate

  People started to realize just how great he is at the end of his time with the Celtics.

  Perhaps it was naive of me, but I genuinely thought the Celtics would get creative and find a way to keep Luke Kornet.

  Jrue Holiday? Too bad, but it had to be done. Kristaps Porzingis? Also a bummer, but it felt inevitable. But not Luke. No way.

  When Kornet first came to Boston, Celtics fans generally thought of him as a serviceable backup big who could eat up minutes and played the game the right way. All those things are still true, but as it turned out, he had a lot more to offer than anyone around these parts realized (except for maybe Brad Stevens).

  Free agent center Luke Kornet has agreed to a four-year, $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell ESPN. Key frontcourt addition for the Spurs, who negotiated a contract tonight with Kornet's agent Max Wiepking of Gersh Sports. pic.twitter.com/cLnXxWJ2cv

  — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025

  Kornet upped his minutes, scoring and rebounding every year in Boston. With more opportunity came more production, and this year, something started to really click as he took it to the next level.

  He worked extremely well with Jayson Tatum in the pick and roll, had better hands and touch around the rim than he gets credit for and became a menace defensively. Part of it was simply that he got his shot, but I also genuinely believe he got better.

  We don’t always talk about role-player prime as much as we should, but the reality is that Kornet maximized his prime with the Celtics the past few years.

  He’s as lovable and unassuming as a scrub who never plays, yet as skilled and polished as a high-level starter. Whatever you need him to do, he’ll do it extremely well. It’s rare to find someone who can excel in truly any role.

  Whether he doesn’t play at all or logs 30 minutes, he’s still going to positively shape the culture of a team. You always knew you could trust him out there.

  Kornet lightens the mood with sarcasm, goofiness and enthusiasm, but he’s also extremely competitive, has a great motor and brings out the best in those around him. Every team needs a guy like that, but few have one with such a unique gift.

  My favorite Kornet clip is this one, where he campaigns to win the Tommy Award.

  Luke Kornet is campaigning to win the 2025 Tommy Award
  
  This might be the single best piece of Celtics content you will see this year pic.twitter.com/wGAxSgBym5

  — Cameron Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) April 12, 2025

  My favorite Kornet game is this one, where he blocked seven shots and honestly looked like Wilt Chamberlain.

  KORNET WAS KEY
  
  Watch all SEVEN of his blocks... to go along with 10 points (5-5 fgm) and 9 rebounds in the @celtics W https://t.co/66dzWG3Uj2 pic.twitter.com/40ryJ9WWAG

  — NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2025

  While it’s certainly a tough loss for the Celtics, you can’t help but be happy for Kornet, who deserves this contract. Plus, he goes to a great franchise, gets to team up with and mentor Victor Wembanyama and has chance to help a promising young team take the next step.

  If there were a Celtics role player hall of fame, I’d put Kornet in it. Not just for the way he played, but also for the way he carried himself and lifted up those around him.

  They don’t make many like him. He’ll be missed.

• Celtics sign free agent center Luka Garza

  Former college star signed two-year vet minimum with Boston.

  Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Celtics have signed former Iowa standout and Minnesota Timberwolves center Luka Garza to a 2-year, $5.5 million veteran minimum contract. In 39 games with Minnesota last season Garza averaged 3.5 PPG and 1.4 REB on 49.5% shooting from the field and 27.8% from three.

  Free agent center Luka Garza has agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million fully guaranteed deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN. The Celtics negotiated the new deal with Garza's representatives Mark Bartelstein and Kieran Piller of @PrioritySports tonight. pic.twitter.com/d5x5HzGYIL

  — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

  According to The Athletic's Jay King, the Celtics have been a fan of Garza for a while according to Jon Krawczynski of the Athletic. He said Boston has made inquires for Garza in the past with Minnesota and finally were able to acquire him.

  This signing came minutes after Luke Kornet signed a 4-year/$41 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs and with Al Horford still a free agent, Garza has a chance to play real minutes for the first time in his NBA career. Garza was a standout college player at Iowa where he was a two time National Player of the Year and two time Kareem Abdul-Jabar Award Winner, given to the best center in college basketball.

  He also found great success in the G League early on in his career as he was named to the All-NBA G League Third Team and NBA G League All-Rookie Team in 2022. He was also named to the NBA G League Next Up Game for back to back seasons where he won MVP of the game in 2023 and played in 2024.