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With preseason wrapped up, the Boston Celtics had some decisions to make with opening night merely days away. They had three players left vying for a roster spot – Noah Vonleh, Justin Jackson, Jake Layman – and leaving one roster spot open when the season begins was a possibility.
While others reported the fates of Vonleh and Layman, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reported that Jackson had made the opening night roster.
According to a league source, veteran wing Justin Jackson will fill the Celtics’ final regular roster spot.
Jackson had briefly been with the team last year on a hardship contract after the Celtics were dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.
The Boston Celtics are planning to sign forward Justin Jackson of G League’s Texas Legends via hardship exemption, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Boston has handful of players in health and safety protocols.
Himmelsbach reported on October 13 that the Celtics had considered keeping him for longer but went in another direction.
“A league source said the team had discussions then about keeping him for the rest of the year before ultimately signing Nik Stauskas.”
What helped Jackson’s case to make the team was his breakout performance against the Charlotte Hornets, in which he scored 16 points and notched four rebounds on October 7.
Jackson won an NCAA championship with the University of North Carolina in 2017 before entering the NBA Draft the exact same year. Jackon bounced around between the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, and Oklahoma City Thunder before winning a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
With Jackson making the final cut, the Celtics have
Noah Vonleh Makes Final Roster
Before news about Layman and Jackson came out, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Noah Vonleh had made the Celtics’ opening night roster.
Forward/center Noah Vonleh has made the Boston Celtics opening night roster, sources tell ESPN. Vonleh capped his preseason with a 14 point, 13-rebound game vs. Charlotte. A former lottery pick, he played last season in China.
This is not all too surprising since Himmelsbach reported on October 13 that Vonleh was in a position to secure one of the remaining roster spots.
“Forward Noah Vonleh’s extended opportunities during the preseason are no accident, and the source said the former first-round pick is best positioned to secure one of the final two open spots. Vonleh, a Haverhill native, started Boston’s 112-103 win over the Hornets last Friday and had 14 points and 13 rebounds.”
Vonleh was originally selected ninth overall by the Hornets in 2014, three picks after the Celtics had selected Marcus Smart. By making the Celtics’ roster, Vonleh will be on his first NBA team since he briefly played for the Brooklyn Nets during the 2020-21 season. CelticsBlog’s Keith Smith explained Vonleh’s contract situation after making the team.
Here’s how Noah Vonleh’s contract works:
Now that he’s made the regular season roster, Vonleh’s contract converts from an Ex. 9 deal to a standard non-guaranteed contract.
That means his salary starts counting against the cap/tax on a per day basis beginning on Tuesday.
Vonleh will be the first Massachusetts native to be on the Celtics roster since Dana Barros played for the team in 2004.
Layman Waived by the Celtics
Between when Wojnarowski reported that Vonleh had made the roster and when Himmelsbach reported that Jackson had done the same, Smith reported that the Celtics had waived Layman.
The Boston Celtics have waived Jake Layman, a league source tells @celticsblog and @spotrac.
Since there were three of Vonleh, Jackson, and Layman with only two roster spots available, one of them had to go, and the Celtics ultimately decided Layman was the odd man out.
Layman, who is also a Massachusetts native, has played six years in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Layman came into training camp having been on an NBA roster every year he’s been in the NBA, while Vonleh had played for the Shanghai Sharks, and Jackson had bounced around from team to team.
For the time being, Vonleh and Jackson are on the Celtics roster, but there’s no telling if it will remain that way. Brad Stevens made a lot of moves during his first season as President of Basketball Operations. He never passed on the opportunity to make the Celtics better when it was there for him. If it’s there for him again, who knows who will remain on the team going forward?
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Celtics Make Final Call on NBA, NCAA Champion: Report