- The Celtics announced that Jayson Tatum (right ankle impingement) will be available for Sunday’s game against the Wizards after having being listed as questionable, but said Jaylen Brown (right ankle sprain) has been ruled out (Twitter link). It’s the second game in Boston’s last three that Brown has missed, though his absence on Tuesday was due to a separate ailment.
A total of 20 NBA teams currently have full standard rosters consisting of 15 players on contracts that run through at least the rest of the 2023/24 season.
[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Roster Counts]
That leaves 10 clubs that have one or more roster spots, or whose 14th and/or 15th roster spots are occupied by players on 10-day contracts that will expire before the end of the month.
If recent history is any indication, it’s a safe bet that all 10 teams will, sooner or later, sign a player – or players – to rest-of-season or multiyear contracts in order to fill out their 15-man rosters. There were no open 15-man roster spots available by the final day of the 2022/23 regular season. The same is true of the ’21/22 season.
Even if a team has no intention of using a 15th man down the stretch or in the postseason, using that final roster spot to sign a prospect to a multiyear contract that includes no guaranteed money beyond this season is good business, increasing that club’s roster flexibility heading into the offseason.
Here are the teams likely to fill their open roster spots in the coming weeks:
Teams with 14 players on full-season contracts:
(Note: An asterisk denotes a player on a 10-day contract.)
- Boston Celtics
- Cleveland Cavaliers *
- Detroit Pistons
- Golden State Warriors
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Phoenix Suns *
- Toronto Raptors *
The Raptors currently have a player on a 10-day contract (Jahmi’us Ramsey) occupying their 15th roster spot. The Cavaliers and Suns will soon follow suit, with Marcus Morris and Isaiah Thomas, respectively.
It’s possible that all three teams will ultimately turn to another player for a rest-of-season contract, but Ramsey is the only player to get two 10-day deals from Toronto this season, and Morris and Thomas are the types of veterans that contending teams often add to their roster down the stretch. A Saturday report indicated that Thomas is likely to stick with Phoenix beyond his upcoming 10-day contract.
I’d still view two-way player Neemias Queta as the most likely player to fill the Celtics‘ final roster spot, but that could change if Boston has to deal with some injuries in the backcourt or on the wing and wants to add some depth there. Pelicans sharpshooter Matt Ryan is another player on a two-way deal who’s a candidate to be promoted.
The Pistons and Warriors don’t have any obvious candidates for a promotion on two-way contracts, so both clubs may end up turning to the G League or free agency to add a 15th man.
Teams with 13 players on full-season contracts:
(Note: An asterisk denotes a player on a 10-day contract.)
- Minnesota Timberwolves *
- New York Knicks **
- Philadelphia 76ers *
While the seven teams listed above are good bets to sign one player before the end of the season, these three teams will likely sign two.
T.J. Warren, who immediately stepped into a rotation role after signing his first 10-day contract and is currently on his second 10-day deal, is an obvious candidate to fill one of the Timberwolves‘ two openings. It’s unclear which direction Minnesota go with its other spot.
I had expected Taj Gibson to eventually find his way back to New York, but he has signed for the rest of the season with the Pistons, so the Knicks will go in another direction with their final two roster spots.
DaQuan Jeffries and Mamadi Diakite are currently on 10-day deals and could receive consideration for rest-of-season contracts. For what it’s worth, like fellow Tom Thibodeau favorite Gibson, Ryan Arcidiacono won’t claim one of these openings, since he’s ineligible to re-sign with the Knicks this season.
If the Sixers like what they see from Kai Jones during his 10-day contract, it wouldn’t surprise me to see if they can lock him up to a multiyear deal. If not, they may look elsewhere for frontcourt help, since adding one more center to their roster makes sense with Joel Embiid‘s health still a question mark. The 15th man could be a wing — Philadelphia is ineligible to re-sign Danuel House, but could bring back Danny Green if there’s interest in a reunion.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla recently started adjusting the rotation patterns and responsibilities for his two star wings, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. For most of the season, Jayson Tatum had been getting his first rest about six minutes into the game while Jaylen Brown typically played the entire first quarter. Brown then started the second quarter on the bench while Tatum ran the second team. Those roles often reversed in the second half.
Himmelsbach notes that Tatum played the entire second half in last Saturday’s win over Phoenix. In their rematch on Thursday, Brown rested first, while Tatum was on the court for all of the first quarter. Tatum saw just five minutes in the second quarter as Brown played the entire time.
“It’s both of them were having constant, free-flowing conversation throughout the game,” Mazzulla explained. “Credit to them for just kind of trusting the staff on the decision that was made at the time, but there’s a few things that go into it. Obviously, if one of them is playing really well, you want to keep that. [On Thursday] we changed the pattern so we could keep the matchups that we wanted later in the half, later in the quarter. So it’s just a thing that, at first, is in the best interest of them. And then the next best thing is how can we make sure we’re taking advantage of the matchups having the right lineup?”
There’s more from Boston:
- Xavier Tillman has seen his playing time steadily increase since being acquired in a trade with Memphis last month, Himmelsbach adds. The Celtics brought Tillman along slowly because he was dealing with left knee soreness at the time of the deal, and they wanted to give him time to learn a new system. He appears to have claimed a consistent rotation role, averaging 22.2 minutes in the last two games. “Just being patient, waiting for him to understand the language, understand the dynamics of it,” Mazzulla said. “Obviously, the staff has done a great job getting on the floor with him, walking him through all of the rules and areas. And just him hearing it in the first few shootarounds and film sessions and getting a clear understanding of what expectations are.”
- The Celtics are in no hurry to fill their open roster spot, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Another salary will add to the team’s tax bill, so there are financial benefits to carrying just 14 players for a while longer. The roster is mostly healthy, and the team would prefer to have flexibility with the open spot in case someone does get hurt. Robb observes that the only intrigue regarding the opening is whether the team will wait until the last day of the regular season or sign someone earlier to give them time to get acclimated. He notes that won’t be an issue if the spot ultimately goes to a two-way player such as Neemias Queta.
- Kristaps Porzingis will miss his fifth straight game on Sunday against Washington with a strained right hamstring and Derrick White will sit out with a strained left hand, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Tatum and Brown are listed as questionable with minor injuries, and Terada notes that Boston is likely to be careful with its players entering a stretch of five games in seven days.
Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa has impressed in the midst of several injuries to key players like Julius Randle, starting 18 straight games and averaging 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per night. He returned to the bench as the team got healthier on Tuesday, but remained productive, registering 12 points, eight boards and two blocks against Philadelphia.
As observed by Newsday’s Steve Popper (subscriber link) and as we previously noted, it’s been a pleasant homecoming for Achiuwa, who moved to New York from Nigeria in eighth grade and played some high school ball there.
“It was a very, very cool moment for me,” Achiuwa said. “Inner city kid, growing up in the city, of course, hearing about the Knicks, seeing the games and stuff. Now, being able to represent the city on that platform is really huge. Seeing how the city accepted me and just me being there in that particular moment was very nostalgic in a way. It was a crazy moment for sure.
“This is the best I’ve played in a really really long time.”
While Achiuwa’s play is exciting, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes New York may soon have a difficult decision to make. Achiuwa’s a restricted free agent this offseason and while his current projected $8-10MM valuation is more than reasonable for his production, Mitchell Robinson, due $14.3MM next season, is under contract. Additionally, Isaiah Hartenstein, who has taken over the starting job in the wake of Robinson’s injury, will become an unrestricted free agent.
Assuming the Knicks re-sign OG Anunoby, bringing back both Hartenstein – who could get a contract with an annual value around $13-14MM – and Achiuwa would send New York into the luxury tax, Bondy observes. While those salary projections seem safe for now, Bondy writes, it’s possible each Hartenstein and Achiuwa get more money than expected in a relatively weak frontcourt free agent class.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau defied his own trend of playing one lead guard, two wings, a power forward and a center when he transitioned to a position-less lineup in Anunoby’s return, Bondy writes in a member-only New York Post article. As Bondy observes, Anunoby played alongside Josh Hart in the starting lineup, and that duo has the NBA’s best net rating among two players with at least 241 minutes together (+37.7). “I like that versatility, and we thought that was one of the big reasons why we wanted OG, was what he would bring to the team,” Thibodeau said. “So I think it’s a huge plus for us.“
- Kristaps Porzingis missed his fourth straight game for the Celtics on Thursday, but head coach Joe Mazzulla gave a promising update on the star before the game, according to MassLive’s Brian Robb. “He’s progressing well,” Mazzulla said. “He was on the court today earlier, just working out with the guys. Don’t have an official timeline, but he’s getting better and better.“
- Boston’s starters have gotten plenty of credit for the Celtics‘ success this season, but the bench has played a pivotal, yet understated role this year, according to NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg. The bench unit including Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet have outscored opponents by 219 points on the year, the best in the NBA. In-season addition Xavier Tillman has also been a key contributor as of late.
- In case you missed it, the Sixers are signing Kai Jones to a 10-day contract. Get the details here.
After missing four games with knee inflammation, Bruce Brown hopes to be able to play against his former team when the Raptors visit Denver tonight, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Brown, who played an important role in the Nuggets’ title run last season, has been increasing his workload recently and hopes he’ll receive medical clearance to take the court.
This will be Brown’s second visit to Denver, which is rare for a player in the opposite conference. He picked up his championship ring on January 14 when he was still with the Pacers, three days before being shipped to Toronto in the Pascal Siakam trade.
“I always looking forward to coming back here,” Brown said. “Great fans, great fan base, excited to see my previous teammates. It will be great to see everyone.”
Brown is officially questionable for Monday’s contest, while Immanuel Quickley (left hip flexor strain), Chris Boucher (right knee contusion) and Gary Trent Jr. (groin strain) are all out, according to Grange (Twitter links). RJ Barrett, who missed Saturday’s loss to Portland with an illness, is probable.
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Sixers big man Paul Reed criticized the officiating following Friday’s loss to New Orleans, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter video link). “Just knowing that the referees are going to be the referees, and we’re going to have to beat them too. So we got to already be expecting that,” Reed said. Philadelphia was victorious on Sunday vs. New York, with Reed recording 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. The team was plus-13 in his 28 minutes in the ugly 79-73 win.
- While Reed lamented the officiating, head coach Nick Nurse was more unhappy with the Sixers‘ effort in the first half of Friday’s game, calling their offensive approach “soft,” writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). “We tried to jump-shoot our way to a lead early, and you can’t count on that,” Nurse said. “ … That’s not good enough. You’ve got to play tougher than that. You’ve got to put your nose in there and drive it in the paint and try to get to the foul line and draw some defense and kick it out to somebody who’s open.” Nurse also said he’s still evaluating the make-shift rotation following a number of injuries, most notably to reigning MVP Joel Embiid.
- Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has missed the past four games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol, but he has been cleared to return on Tuesday against the Knicks, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The first-time All-Star is set to hit restricted free agency this summer and will likely command a massive payday.
- The Celtics‘ entire starting lineup is on the injury report for tonight’s game in Portland, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Jaylen Brown (sacroiliac strain), Jrue Holiday (left knee tendinopathy), Jayson Tatum (right ankle impingement) and Derrick White (left hand sprain) are questionable, while Kristaps Porzingis will miss his second straight game with right hamstring tightness.
[Update: Brown, Tatum and White are active, but Holiday will be out, Smith tweets.] - Heading into Saturday’s contest vs. Phoenix, the Celtics had dropped two straight games for only the second time during the 2023/24 season. They responded with a victory they badly wanted, as Jay King of The Athletic writes. “Just not letting it snowball effect, right,” said Tatum, who specifically asked to play the entire second half. “We’re not perfect. We try to be. We really do try. But we make mistakes and things like that. This is a tough league. The other teams are really good, got great players. So it’s all about how you respond. If you want to be a special team, you have to do a really good job of responding. Especially winning on the road is tough, being away from home for 10, 12 days or whatever. So this is a great way to come out here and get a win against a team that’s been playing well lately.”
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
- The NBA formally announced on Wednesday that it will be headed back to Abu Dhabi in the fall of 2024, with the Celtics and Nuggets set to play a pair of preseason games on Friday, October 4 and Sunday, Oct. 6 in the United Arab Emirates’ capital city. It will be third consecutive year that the league has played exhibition games in Abu Dhabi.
As we detailed on Tuesday, 17 players that had been on two-way contracts received promotions to standard deals between last month’s trade deadline and Monday’s two-way signing deadline.
However, even though those 17 players filled standard roster spots around the NBA and no team currently has an open two-way slot, there are still several openings on 15-man rosters across the league.
[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Roster Counts]
Here’s a rundown of the teams that still have at least one standard roster spot available, along with some brief observations on how they might fill those openings:
Teams with two open roster spots
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers
Teams are permitted to dip below 14 players on standard contracts for up to 14 days at a time. Currently, there are three teams taking advantage of that rule: the Timberwolves, Knicks, and Sixers.
There’s no real urgency for any of these clubs to sign a player in the short term — Philadelphia doesn’t have to re-add a 14th man until March 15, while New York’s and Minnesota’s deadlines are March 16 and 17, respectively.
Still, I’m not sure any of the three will wait that long to make a move. The Sixers and Knicks have a crowded injury list and could use some additional depth, while the Timberwolves have already reportedly reached an agreement on a 10-day deal with T.J. Warren — it just hasn’t been officially finalized yet.
[Note: Warren officially signed with the Wolves shortly after the publication of this story.]
Philadelphia could still use another frontcourt body with Joel Embiid on the shelf. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Taj Gibson eventually makes his way back to the Knicks, though he’s under contract with Detroit for the next 10 days. Marcus Morris was linked to Minnesota last month, though it remains unclear whether a union for the two sides remains in play.
Teams with one open roster spot
- Boston Celtics
- Detroit Pistons
- Note: The Pistons’ 14th man (Gibson) is on a 10-day contract.
- Golden State Warriors
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
There’s no timeline for any of these teams to fill their 15th open roster spot. I’d expect the Pistons and Jazz to be a little more proactive about making a move though, since they’re both well below the luxury tax line and could potentially benefit from taking a look at some young players on 10-day deals for developmental purposes down the stretch.
The Celtics, Warriors, and Suns are all well above the tax threshold and aren’t in desperate need for depth pieces at the moment, so they’ll probably be patient when it comes to adding a 15th man.
Neemias Queta (Celtics) and Saben Lee (Suns) are candidates to be promoted from two-way contracts near the end of the season. The Warriors already elevated their most obvious candidate for a promotion (Lester Quinones), so it’s unclear what they may have in mind for their final roster move. Given how deep they are, it’s unlikely anyone the Dubs add would play at all in the postseason.
Teams whose 15th man is on a 10-day contract
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
The Cavaliers will open up a roster spot on Thursday when Sharife Cooper‘s 10-day contract expires. The Wizards (R.J. Hampton) and Pelicans (Izaiah Brockington) will follow suit next Wednesday, with the Raptors (Jahmi’us Ramsey) opening up their 15th roster spot next Thursday.
Each of those four players would be eligible for a second 10-day deal with his respective team. However, all four clubs seem to be rotating players in and out of that slot, so it’s possible that the Cavs, Pelicans, Raptors, and Wizards all finish the season with a different 15th man.
Toronto and Washington won’t make the playoffs and will likely eventually settle on a prospect who can be signed to a team-friendly multiyear contract. The Cavs and Pelicans could ultimately go the same route, though they’ll want to fully scour the buyout market in case there’s a veteran who could help in the postseason.
The left lower back nerve impingement that is currently keeping Ben Simmons on the shelf is the same issue that affected him earlier this season, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv and Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who confirm that the Nets guard/forward didn’t suffer a new impingement.
Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee, referring to his client as day-to-day, said he continues to seek answers on how to get Simmons past this health issue, which has affected the former No. 1 overall pick for multiple seasons.
“We continue to try and find non-surgical options to allow Ben to move forward on a permanent basis and that is where this is my responsibility and I am (the) one to blame,” Lee said. “When I began working with Ben I made a commitment to him that I would do everything I could to find the right answers and specialists for him to work with (in order) to move forward from the issues he has been having. Clearly it hasn’t happened, and that’s my responsibility.
“… Come the offseason, we’re going to implement some processes and outside input that’ll allow him to finally move forward from this ongoing issue and resume his career at the levels he’s established prior to being injured.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- The Knicks aren’t surprised by the strides that Miles McBride has made as a shooter this season, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who notes that the third-year guard is making a strong case for rotation minutes even when everyone is healthy. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post observes, the signing of Shake Milton will give New York another option in an increasingly crowded backcourt. However, Katz suggests that Milton is viewed as a depth piece and that McBride’s performance should keep him ahead of Milton – and Alec Burks – on the team’s depth chart.
- Celtics newcomer Xavier Tillman has made a positive impression on his new teammates, according to Brian Robb of MassLive.com and Jay King of The Athletic. Tillman played just three total minutes in his first seven games as a Celtic (he missed four of those games while recovering from a knee injury), but has scored 13 points across 33 minutes and been a +26 in Boston’s past two games. “X looked good out there, man,” Jaylen Brown said after Friday’s win over Dallas. “It’s like, he fit right in. He came right in and made contributions on defense, got a few rebounds, got some stops. Offense, you could tell he got a good feel for the game. A good screen setter.”
- The Celtics‘ offensive success this season stems in large part from the fact that their top eight players are all reliable three-point shooters on relatively high volume, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger considers whether it’s just a matter of time until the NBA features several more teams that look like the Celtics or whether Boston is an anomaly due to the difficulty of building a roster that has that many shooters and still plays strong defense.
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for games played in February, the league announced (Twitter link).
Doncic, the Western Conference’s winner, continues to put up eye-popping statistics in 2023/24, averaging 33.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 10.3 assists, and 1.8 steals on .517/.398/.787 shooting in 11 games last month (37.2 MPG).
He helped guide Dallas to an 8-3 record in February, though the Mavs have since lost two straight and currently hold a 34-27 record, good for the No. 8 seed in the West.
Tatum, meanwhile, led the way for a Boston team that was 9-1 in February, averaging 27.2 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 6.7 APG and 1.1 SPG on .480/.351/.887 shooting in 36.0 MPG.
Tatum is the first repeat Player of the Month winner this season, having also earned the honor for October/November. After claiming spots on the All-NBA First Team each of the past two seasons, the 26-year-old appears on track for another all-league spot in 2023/24, with the Celtics currently 48-12, the No. 1 seed in the East (and the NBA).
The other nominees in the West were Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and Franz Wagner were nominated in the East, per the NBA (Twitter links).
Lakers forward LeBron James and Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter).
James, the Western Conference’s winner, helped guide L.A. to a 2-1 record last week, averaging 30.3 points, 8.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks with a .569/.500/.600 shooting line in his three appearances (37.6 MPG). The four-time MVP also eclipsed 40,000 career points in Saturday’s loss to the Nuggets, expanding his lead as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Brown, who won for the East, had a strong week as well, averaging 28.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.0 SPG on .623/.471/.846 shooting in 29.3 MPG in convincing victories over Philadelphia, Dallas, and Golden State. The Celtics, who have won 11 straight games, hold (by far) the best record in the NBA at 48-12, six games ahead of the Thunder.
According to the NBA, the other nominees in the West were Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Brandon Ingram, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama, while Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey, Evan Mobley, and Brown’s teammate Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East (Twitter links).