Don Deal: A player valued over $500 million is welcomed by the Boston celtics
This week, the Boston Celtics signed their first-round NBA draft selections. The 14th- and 22nd-round selections, Romeo Langford and Grant Williams, are now officially Celtics. Indiana University’s Langford, a shooting guard/small forward, is guaranteed to make almost $7.1 million (M) in his first two years of play. The Celtics will receive a player option worth $3.8 million in 2022–2023 and $5.6 million in 2023–2024. In 2019–2020, Langford will earn $3.5 million, which is roughly 120% of the rookie pay scale. When Langford becomes a restricted free agent in 2023–2024, the Celtics will have a $7.8 million qualifying offer. The cap hit from that qualifying offer would be $16.9 million.
Listed as a small forward on the Celtics roster, Williams is a power forward from the University of Tennessee who will earn almost $5 million guaranteed in his first two years of play. The Celtics will receive a player option worth $2.6 million in 2022–2023 and $4.3 million in 2023–2024. Williams’ $2.4 million salary in 2019–2020 will be roughly 120% of the rookie wage scale, similar to Langford. When Williams becomes a restricted free agent in 2023–2024, the Celtics have a qualifying offer of $6.2M. A cap hit of $12.9 million would result from that qualifying offer.
Against Brandon Clarke (15) of the Memphis Grizzlies, Grant Williams (40) of the Boston Celtics drives the ball up the court during the 2019 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Grizzlies lost to the Celtics 113-87. (Image from Getty Images)
OTHER REMARKABLE DEAL
After selecting his $3.1 million option last season, Guerschon Yabusele was waived by the Boston Celtics this week. On the court, rumors circulated that Yabusele’s development was not keeping up with what the team wanted. Yabusele became obsolete this month when Boston signed Enes Kanter, Daniel Theis, Tacko Fall, and Vincent Poirier in addition to securing Semi Ojeyele’s contract. Sadly, Yabusele’s $3.1 million is dead money and will not be applied toward the Celtics salary cap for 2019–2020.
In addition, rookie point guard Carsen Edwards was signed by the Boston Celtics to a $4.5 million, three-year contract. The 33rd pick in the 2019 NBA draft was Edwards. Edwards, who was almost a first-round selection himself, excelled in the NBA Summer League and won over many fans. Once upon a time, Celtics supporters were terrified of the point guard position. Edwards joins Brad Wannamaker and Kemba Walker as the third point guards signed this month and the fourth overall for the Celtics.
Kemba Walker gives the young core of the Boston Celtics scoring group additional star power and a seasoned point guard presence.
ASSEMBLYING THE PIECES
A month or so ago, Celtics supporters were unsure of the team’s future. Things appeared dire after Al Horford and Kyrie Irving turned down their lucrative player options. Things started to improve when the Celtics signed Walker to a max contract, for whatever that’s worth given Hayward’s situation. After Horford left, the addition of Kanter gave the team a much-needed veteran inside presence. Tacko Fall’s signing gives us the huge boost of potential that we were deprived of during the draft. Being on an Exhibit-10 contract for a 7’7″ center seems appropriate, if not ironically insensitive.
In a matter of months, the Boston Celtics went from being a potential dynasty to a rebuilding project. Thoughts of Kyrie Irving challenging Anthony Davis to a game instead became legitimate queries. Could the Celtics even persuade Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to stick around? Walker, Hayward, Tatum, Theis, and Kanter are the likely starting lineup that Boston will use going forward, with Marcus Smart and Brown coming off the bench. Though it’s youthful depth, the Celtics have depth at every position now. Brad Stevens and the new Celtics coaching staff are the best people to handle young players—the team’s average age is 24.2 years old. The Celtics were seven minutes away from winning the NBA Finals the last time Stevens had to lead a young team to victory. Given the current state of affairs, Boston might return there in the upcoming campaign.
