Getty Justin Champagnie, Boston Celtics
Recently, the Boston Celtics acquired forward Justin Champagnie to fill their 15th and final roster spot.
On April 7, Champagnie stood in front of the Celtics media for the first time as he answered questions about returning to the NBA and his excitement at being part of a team that has genuine championship aspirations.
During the interview, Champagnie revealed that during his talks with Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens, he learned that Boston had been tracking him since his time in college.
“I came here for a pre-draft workout my rookie year,” Champagnie said. “I spoke to Brad Stevens. He said he was monitoring me since I was in college. So that’s always good to hear.”
Champagnie, 21, has participated in 39 regular season games over his two years in the NBA and is currently averaging 2.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per NBA contest while averaging 48.6% shooting from the field and 35.7% from the perimeter.
Utah Jazz Sign Luka Samanic to Mulit-Year Deal
The Utah Jazz are signing F Luka Samanic through the 2023-2024 season, a deal including guaranteed money and trigger dates, his agents George Roussakis and Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Samanic, 23, was the 19th overall pock to the Spurs in 2019.
Given the Celtics’ strength in depth, it’s unlikely that Champagnie will see much playing time beyond Boston’s upcoming two games to close out the regular season. However, some fans could potentially feel that Luka Samanic could have filled the final roster spot, given his productive start to life with the Utah Jazz.
On March 28, it was reported that Samanic had signed a 10-day contract with Utah and has since participated in five games for them, averaging 7.4 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 44.8% shooting from the field. With such a good start to life under Will Hardy, it should come as no surprise to find out that Danny Ainge has now inked Smanaic to a multi-year deal, as originally reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Considering that Utah is currently rebuilding, they project to be a good landing spot for Samanic; however, fans will now be hoping that Champagnie can make a similar impact when given the opportunity.
Mike Muscala Praises Celtics Depth
When speaking to the media following the Celtics’ April 5 win over the Toronto Raptors, Mike Muscala credited the team’s strength in depth as a significant reason why many are expecting them to challenge for a championship this season.
“I think it’s our biggest strength,” Muscala said. “It’s a really deep team. So, like you said, to be shorthanded and have guys that can rest on back-to-backs, since I’ve been here, it seems like it’s been good for the team.”
Muscala has struggled for a consistent role since joining Boston at the February 9 trade deadline. However, when called upon, the veteran floor space slotted perfectly into Boston’s offensive and defensive schemes while also allowing them to continue running a five-out offense which allows them to stretch the floor and drag opposing big men out of the paint.
In 18 games for the Celtics, Muscala is averaging 4.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game while shooting 42.6% from the field and 37.7% from deep. With just two games remaining of the regular season, Muscala could potentially see some increased playing time as Boston looks to protect their core rotation from picking up any bumps or bruises.