6:10pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.
11:46am: After signing second-round pick Demetrius Jackson, the Celtics have also finalized a deal with another second-rounder, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, who reports (via Twitter) that Ben Bentil received a three-year deal with a partial guarantee in year one. Himmelsbach first reported over the weekend that Boston and the young power forward had agreed to terms on a contract.
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There had been some uncertainty about whether or not Bentil would join the Celtics right away, since the team selected six players in the draft. However, first-round picks Guerschon Yabusele and Ante Zizic will be stashed overseas, and Boston hasn’t yet committed to adding Abdel Nader to its roster. That left the door open for Bentil, Jackson, and third overall pick Jaylen Brown to join the C’s as rookies.
Of course, just because Bentil received a contract from the Celtics, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s guaranteed a roster spot for the regular season. Including Tyler Zeller and Gerald Green, Boston has 14 guaranteed salaries on its books for the 2016/17 season. Jackson figures to receive a more sizable guarantee than Bentil, and the team also has John Holland on a non-guaranteed deal, so it may be an uphill battle for Bentil to crack the regular-season roster unless the Celtics make a trade or cut a player with a guaranteed contract.
Bentil, who left school after his sophomore year, averaged 21.1 PPG and 7.7 RPG during his last season at Providence. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com ranked him as this year’s 45th-best prospect, and the Celtics made him the 51st pick in last month’s draft.
So will he get sent to the D-League?
Interesting situation. He could make the Celtics’ 15-man roster, then be assigned to Boston’s D-League affiliate while the team keeps his rights. But if he doesn’t earn a spot on the regular-season roster and the Celtics end up cutting him, they’d lose his rights — still possible he ends up in Maine in that scenario, but another NBA team could sign him away.
Hmm. Ok thanks! I can’t envision a scenario where they would cut him and not just assign him to Maine outright, but I’m not too familiar with how the NBA to D-League system works.
Oh oh I see now. Never mind!
Kind of risky signing this many second rounders knowing they’ll have to cut some guys though. Can they not assign guys to D-League prior to setting the 15 man roster?
Yeah, teams can assign up to four players they cut in training camp to their D-League affiliate, which is why I think Bentil will probably end up there one way or another. But if another NBA team wants to add him to their actual 15-man roster, they’d be able to sign him away if the Celtics don’t keep him on THEIR 15-man roster.
Ah I see. Thanks!
Best pf in celtics roster