In Part 1 of our Celtics roster preview, we spotlighted Boston’s three rookies: first-round pick Baylor Scheierman, second-rounder Anton Watson and undrafted tryout player Tristan Enaruna.
In Part 2, we’re zeroing in on the rest of the Celtics’ end-of-the-bench players and roster hopefuls, with closer looks at their starting five and core rotation coming later this week.
By any measure, Walker is an established NBA vet. Drafted just outside the lottery in 2018, he’s played in 322 career games with 88 starts across stints with the Spurs, Lakers and Nets. Yet the Exhibit 10 contract he signed with the Celtics is no more than a training camp tryout – a veteran-minimum deal featuring no guaranteed money.
If Walker wants to land the Celtics’ final 15-man roster spot – which remains vacant with free agent forward Oshae Brissett unsigned – he’ll need to earn it once camp tips off next Tuesday.
As an experienced player with something to prove, the 25-year-old will be one of the most intriguing players to watch this preseason. He’s a solid long-range shooter, making 34.7% of his 3-pointers as a Brooklyn reserve last season while averaging a career-high 20.1 points per 36 minutes, which would have been the fourth-best mark on the Celtics behind Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis.
Walker also has played especially well against the Celtics in the past. He’s a 50% career 3-point shooter against Boston (54% last season), and his field-goal percentage, true shooting percentage and offensive rating across their 12 meetings are his best against any opponent.
The Celtics clearly liked what they saw from Springer at the Las Vegas Summer League – because they didn’t need to see much of him. After the 21-year-old scored 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting (3 of 6 from three) and added six assists and two steals in Boston’s Summer League opener, the coaching staff sat him for the rest of the tournament.
Known more for his defense than his scoring ability, the 6-foot-4 guard didn’t see much playing time after coming over from Philadelphia in a February trade, averaging 7.6 minutes per game across 17 late-season appearances. Springer’s strong showing in Vegas was a positive step toward potentially earning a more substantial role in his first full season with Boston.
It’s worth noting that Springer is set to earn a higher salary this season ($4 million) than every Boston backup outside of Al Horford and Payton Pritchard, making him potential trade bait if he can’t catch on.
Springer impressed in Summer League. Walsh did not.
Boston’s 2023 draft pick was ice-cold from everywhere during the annual young player showcase, shooting 29.1% from the floor (on 11.0 attempts per game) and a woeful 13.3% from 3-point range (6.0) across five games. He also made just 52.9% of his free throws.
It was a thoroughly discouraging week for Walsh, who appeared in just nine games during a rookie season mostly spent in the G League. He’s the youngest player on the Celtics’ roster, so there’s still time for him to develop. But he’ll need to show real improvement this preseason to avoid another Maine campaign.
The two players who watched Boston’s playoff run in street clothes both re-signed on two-way contracts.
Davison, the Celtics’ second-round pick in 2022, is the smallest player on the team (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) and one of the youngest (22 in October). He’s a great athlete but hasn’t made a real case for playing time in a packed Boston backcourt, appearing in just 20 NBA games across his two seasons.
Peterson started his career with Miami, then joined Boston on a two-way deal last December. Like Davison, he saw most of his action in the G League, and he showed potential there, hitting 36.7% of his threes and ranking second on the team in rebounding. His 6-foot-9 frame makes him an intriguing developmental option on the wing, but it might take a combination of injuries and early Scheierman struggles for Peterson to get much run with the big club.
Harper played for the Celtics’ Summer League team after spending most of the last two seasons with the Raptors’ G League affiliate. The 6-foot-6 forward saw limited playing time in Las Vegas (second-fewest minutes per game of any Boston player) and will attend camp on an Exhibit 10 contract.
Another Exhibit 10 player who signed just this week, Skapintsev is a 7-foot-1 center from Ukraine. He played two seasons with the Knicks’ G League team and two total minutes for New York last season. If nothing else, he brings size to a Celtics frontcourt that will be without the 7-foot-2 Porzingis for at least the first month of the regular season.