Summer League 2026 is here.
On Thursday, the Summer Celtics will hold a practice in Las Vegas before opening Summer League play against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Here is the schedule of games (all times Eastern):
July 10 vs. Toronto Raptors, 9 PM, ESPN/NBC Sports Boston
July 12 vs. Charlotte Hornets, 5 PM, ESPN 2/NBC Sports Boston
July 13 vs. Atlanta Hawks, 6 PM, Amazon Prime/NBC Sports Boston
July 15 vs. Sacramento Kings, 8 PM, ESPN 2/NBC Sports Boston
Boston will play at least one additional game that has yet to be scheduled.
Here's the roster:
No. 54 Mohammad Amini, G, Nancy Basket (France)
No. 12 Chris Cenac Jr., F/C, Houston (NCAA)
No. 41 Tucker DeVries, F, Indiana (NCAA)
No. 28 Hugo González, G/F, Boston (NBA)
No. 37 Caleb Grill, G, Greensboro (G League)
No. 26 Curtis Jones, G, Denver (NBA)
No. 43 Kyle Mangas, G, Austin (G League)
No. 20 Dillon Mitchell, F, St. John’s (NCAA)
No. 51 Hank Morgan, F, Maine (G League)
No. 40 Nick Pringle, F, Arkansas (NCAA)
No. 38 Day Day Thomas, G, Cincinnati (NCAA)
No. 8 John Tonje, G, Boston (NBA)
No. 29 Milos Uzan, G, Houston (NCAA)
No. 50 Chauncey Wiggins, F, Florida State (NCAA)
No. 46 Alondes Williams, G, Washington (NBA)
No. 77 Amari Williams, C, Boston (NBA)
The team will be coached by Amile Jefferson, a former Duke star who has been an assistant coach with the Celtics since the 2023-24 season. Before that, he served as Duke's director of player development in 2021 and was promoted to assistant coach by head coach Jon Scheyer in 2022.
Here are five players to watch throughout the summer slate.
1.) Hugo Gonzalez
All eyes will be on Hugo Gonzalez.
The 28th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft appeared in 74 games (three starts) as a rookie for the Celtics last season, averaging 3.9 points (47.6 percent FG, 36.2 percent 3PT) and 3.3 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game.
However, his energy, hustle, and defense provided value far beyond the counting stats. The 20-year-old posted a +11.9 net rating, leading all rookies who played at least 100 minutes. That ranked seventh in the NBA among players who appeared in at least 60 games and was the second-highest mark on the Celtics behind only Neemias Queta (+13.2).
In terms of raw plus-minus, his +246 trailed only Kon Knueppel (+322) and Dylan Harper (+303) among rookies. They were the only three rookies to finish north of +100.
Although he fell out of Joe Mazzulla's rotation in the postseason, playing just 19 minutes in Boston's seven-game series against Philadelphia, Gonzalez made the most of his opportunity when his number was called in the series finale. He played nearly 13 minutes, including 10:18 in the second quarter, and helped spark a Celtics surge as they outscored the 76ers 31-23 during the frame.
Through no fault of his own, there will be added pressure on Gonzalez this season, and throughout Summer League.
By now, it is well known the Celtics did not want to include him in a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Celtics organization is extremely high on the youngster from Spain, and for good reason. We saw flashes of the impact he can make last season. Now, with Jaylen Brown gone, his continued development and emergence are even more important for the Celtics.
2.) Chris Cenac Jr.
Cenac became the earliest draft selection Brad Stevens has made as President of Basketball Operations when the Celtics selected him 27th overall in June.
At just 19 years old — and not turning 20 until February — he is the youngest player on Boston’s roster. The 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward/center spent just one season at Houston before declaring for the draft after his freshman year. In 37 games (36 starts), he averaged 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds (2.2 offensive), and shot 48.5% from the field in 24.8 minutes per game.
Cenac led or tied for the team lead in rebounding in 24 games and became Houston’s first freshman to lead the program in rebounding since TaShawn Thomas in 2011-12. He also led the Cougars with six double-doubles, which ranked fourth in Houston freshman single-season history.
Cenac, who will occupy a 15-man roster spot this season, was widely viewed as a top-10 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class coming out of high school. While the Celtics view him as a developmental prospect, Brad Stevens did not rule out the possibility of the young big man making an impact right away.
“I hope we’re good enough that it’s hard for any 18 or 19-year-old to come in here and be really good out of the gate,” Stevens said. “That usually is more about their own personal development and growth. Learning how hard it is. Learning how to be a part of a team. And learning how we work and how we go about it every day. And then if they can add value, that’s great. But there won’t be any expectation of that from my standpoint. We were sitting here last year, and I didn’t think the guy that we drafted [Hugo Gonzalez] would play at all for us. But, you never know. We’ll see how they all come in and work. He’ll certainly have the opportunity like everybody else, but you are behind when you are 19, and you are dealing with now men.”
The upside is there.
Cenac is a great athlete and, like Gonzalez, plays with a high motor. He rebounds at a high level and appears capable of becoming a versatile defender. He also showed flashes of perimeter shooting ability during his lone season at Houston, knocking down 33.3% of his three-point attempts on 2.4 attempts per game.
The Celtics have found value late in the first round in recent years.
They selected Baylor Scheierman with the 30th overall pick in 2024 and Gonzalez with the 28th overall pick in 2025. Both young wings have developed into rotational pieces and remain part of Boston’s long-term plans.
Can Cenac follow a similar path?
3.) Dillon Mitchell
After a four-year college career that included stops at Texas, Cincinnati, and St. John’s, the Celtics selected Mitchell 40th overall in the NBA Draft.
Listed at 6-foot-8, 210 pounds with a 6-foot-10.5 wingspan, Mitchell averaged 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 55.9% from the field across 37 games (25 starts) last season.
The 22-year-old earned All-Big East Third Team, Big East All-Defensive Team, and All-Big East Tournament Team honors while helping lead St. John’s to a 30-7 record and a Big East Tournament championship.
Mitchell is a high-level defender who can guard multiple positions, bringing athleticism and a high motor on that end of the floor. He rebounds at a high level and also provides value as an offensive connector and screener.
His shooting, though, leaves a lot to be desired, especially for a non-big.
Mitchell, who is expected to be on a two-way contract with the Celtics this season, shot just 1-of-15 from three-point range last season and 11-of-57 (19.3%) across his collegiate career. At the free-throw line, he shot 43-of-87 (49.4%) last season and 140-of-287 (48.8%) for his career. His offense comes almost exclusively around the basket.
The tools are there.
Watching the college tape, Mitchell defends at an NBA level and has the athleticism and feel for the game to give him a legitimate opportunity at the next level. But how does that translate against NBA competition? And what does his offensive role look like given his shooting struggles?
4.) Amari Williams
Williams, the 46th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, will be on his second two-way contract with the Celtics this season.
The 24-year-old, who became the first British-born player in Celtics history, originally signed a two-way contract with Boston in August before signing a standard NBA contract with the team in February as the Celtics looked to avoid the luxury tax.
Williams appeared in 22 games (two starts) for the Celtics last season, averaging 1.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per game. In 28 NBA G League games with Maine, he averaged 15.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.8 blocks in 29.5 minutes per game while recording 11 double-doubles.
The 7-footer showed flashes in his limited NBA opportunities last season, and the Celtics clearly see his potential after bringing him back on another two-way contract. Can Williams build on those flashes, continue developing his game, and emerge as a depth piece moving forward?
5.) John Tonje
Tonje, acquired in the trade that sent Chris Boucher and a second-round pick to Utah, spent last season on a two-way contract with the Celtics.
He appeared in just six games for Boston, totaling 42 minutes, with 29:36 of those coming in the regular season finale. In that game, Tonje finished with 13 points (4-of-12 FG, 3-of-8 3PT), four rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Across 44 G League games between Salt Lake City and Maine, Tonje averaged 17.8 points (45.9% FG, 37.0% 3PT), 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
Tonje is not currently under contract with the Celtics for next season, and earning another opportunity will not be easy.
With Amari Williams already occupying one of Boston’s two-way spots and Dillon Mitchell expected to take the other, Tonje will be competing with Exhibit 10 players like Milos Uzan and Tucker DeVries for an opportunity.
Can Tonje make enough of an impression during Summer League to earn another look from Boston?
