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The Boston Celtics have continued to trim their roster ahead of their October 20 season opener against the New York Knicks. And while none of their moves made waves like team president Brad Stevens’ decision to part ways with former No. 2 over pick Jabari Parker, one move came with a surprising twist.
Per a report from The Athletic’s Jared Weiss on Saturday, the Celtics will be waiving Theo Pinson, Luke Kornet, Chris Clemons and Garrison Mathews.
Pinson, Kornet and Clemons are expected to join Ryan Arcidiacono and Juwan Morgan — both of whom were waived by Boston one day earlier — as members of the team’s G League affiliate in Maine. Mathews’ situation is different, however.
The former Washington Wizards guard had an offer on the table to remain with the Cs, per Weiss. In the end, though, he elected to pass on the opportunity.
Mathews Declines Two-Way Deal With Celtics
According to the report in The Athletic, the Celtics wanted to keep Mathews on their roster by way of a two-way contract. Mathews, though, apparently felt as though such an arrangement in Boston wouldn’t be the best move for his basketball career.
The reasoning makes sense, too, given the game he has shown over two years in the Association. Explained Weiss:
Mathews turned down the two-way spot, as he is still holding out hope for a full NBA deal elsewhere, per sources. Mathews returned home to Nashville and will assess other opportunities around the league but does not plan to head overseas.
One factor in Mathews’ decision was that Boston is unlikely to convert a two-way player into a full contract this season because of their tax situation, according to a player source.
Another reported factor in Mathews’ decision was the Celtics’ decision to use their other two-way spot to sign Sam Hauser, who has a lot of crossover with him as a player.
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Mathews Has a Skill That NBA Teams Covet
During the league’s free agency period, Mathews was namechecked by Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale as an ideal get for the back end of Boston’s roster.
“He should be considered more than a stab-in-the-dark flier as a 24-year-old who can really sling it and knows how to use his 6-foot-5 frame on defense,” the league insider wrote. Favale further noted that Mathews “has flashed some (perhaps excessive) aplomb when making straightaway beelines and attempting to finish through contact.”
Although defensive smarts and a willingness to attack the tin are nice attributes for a player of Mathews’ ilk, shooting will always be the first line on his resume. And he has low-key been one of the game’s best marksmen since coming out of Lipscomb two years ago.
In 82 games with the Wiz over the last two seasons, Mathews has taken 83.3% of his shots from behind the arc. In doing so, he’s connected on an impressive 38.9% of his triples. Mathews was particularly strong in the corners last season, where he made 48.4% of his long-range attempts.
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