Former Boston Celtics draft pick Tremont Waters is returning to European basketball after signing with French powerhouse LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, coached by NBA legend Tony Parker.
Now 28, Waters heads back to France several years after spending the 2022-23 season with Metropolitans 92, where he notably shared the court with Victor Wembanyama.
The 5-foot-10 guard originally entered the NBA as the No. 51 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, beginning his professional career with the Celtics.
Waters spent two seasons within Boston’s system before the two sides parted ways in 2021, beginning a career that has since taken him across the NBA, G League, and several international competitions.
Boston Celtics Draft Pick Built Reputation in G League
Waters most recently played for Puerto Rican side Gigantes de Carolina, completing his third stint with the organization after previously representing the team in 2022-23 and 2024.
Across 35 games last season, the veteran guard averaged 16.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals before returning to the club this offseason.
Waters also represents Puerto Rico internationally and produced an impressive showing at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, averaging 20.2 points and 9.0 assists per game.
He later featured at the 2024 Olympic Games, where he averaged 10.3 points per contest.
Before turning professional, Waters emerged as a standout at LSU between 2017 and 2019, eventually catching the attention of Boston late in the second round of the draft.
He went on to make 37 NBA appearances for the Celtics across two seasons, although much of his development came in the G League with Maine as part of a two-way contract.
Waters immediately made his mark at that level.
As a rookie in 2019-20, he averaged 18.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and nearly 2.0 steals while shooting 42.9% from the field and 35.4% from three-point range.
Those performances earned Waters NBA G League Rookie of the Year honors before Boston brought him back for a second season in 2020-21.
Tremont Waters Returns to France With Tony Parker’s ASVEL
Despite an encouraging start to his professional career, Waters and the Celtics went their separate ways following his sophomore campaign.
Several NBA organizations subsequently gave the talented guard opportunities, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Toronto and Washington signed Waters to 10-day contracts in December 2021 and January 2022, respectively, while his opportunities with the Bucks and Lakers came through their G League affiliates.
Waters made just one brief NBA appearance for Washington but received a larger role across two games with Toronto, averaging 21.0 minutes alongside 4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 steals despite struggling with his shot.
He also spent a significant portion of the 2021-22 campaign with the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate.
Across 28 appearances, Waters averaged 16.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 2.0 steals.
Between his spells within the Celtics, Bucks, and Lakers organizations, Waters accumulated 79 career G League appearances before increasingly turning his attention toward opportunities overseas.
Since 2022, his career has taken him to Puerto Rico with Gigantes de Carolina, France with Metropolitans 92, and China with the Shanghai Sharks.
Waters’ move to ASVEL gives the former Celtics prospect another opportunity at a high level of European basketball, with Parker’s team competing domestically in France’s LNB Élite as well as the EuroLeague.
Former Celtics Draft Pick Lands Major Opportunity Under NBA Legend