FRIDAY, 9:24am: The signing is official, the team announced.
THURSDAY, 5:40pm: The Celtics will sign Coty Clarke to a second 10-day contract, a source told Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
Clarke, a 6’7” combo forward out of Arkansas, has played just three minutes in two games with the Celtics thus far and also had a stint with the team’s D-League affiliate in Maine during that span. Clarke was the team’s choice to fill the roster opening when it reached a buyout agreement with David Lee. Lee signed with the Mavericks after clearing waivers.
He has spent most of the season with the Red Claws, appearing in 40 games and averaging 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 25.9 minutes.
“Our front office has been thrilled about him and thrilled about his play in Maine the whole year,” Coach Brad Stevens recently told the Celtics media. “We obviously have a familiarity with him from being here in the fall and so we thought it was a great opportunity to bring a guy on board while we have some practice time to really get a chance to evaluate him within our system, with our team, as the season has progressed.”
This season has represented a return stateside for the former University of Arkansas player who spent last season with Hapoel Kazrin in Israel after going undrafted in 2014. He gives the team additional depth at the forward spot with Jae Crowder expected to sit out at least two more weeks with an ankle injury.
Clarke is getting rewarding for his play in the D League but it’s unlikely that the Celtics view him as a future rotation player.