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The Celtics have been very active with roster changes this offseason, and it’s not over yet.
According to Yahoo Sport’s Keith Smith, Boston rescinded Daniel Theis’ qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent Monday. Just two weeks ago, Theis had agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the team. The key change lies in how the Celtics will retain him now.
Given that Theis is an unrestricted free agent, Boston is able to use Early Bird Rights to re-sign him to the deal that was already agreed on. In doing so, the team will free up additional cap space to use for the 15th roster spot.
This spot was opened after the Celtics waived Guerschon Yabusele last Wednesday, after he dislocated his finger during Summer League. As a result, Boston will now have about $1.1 million in cap space to use for the team’s last roster spot.
One possibility for the spot is Tremont Waters. The rookie second-round pick agreed to a two-way contract with Boston last Tuesday. But, if the Celtics use the new cap space to sign Waters on a four-year contract above the minimum, it would allow him to stay in Boston for two additional years, as well as free up a two-way contract for another player.
Despite only being 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, Waters impressed during Summer League play. The shifty point guard displayed his abilities on both ends of the court, between finding his way to the basket through traffic, as well as being a tenacious defender. In the Celtics’ five games, he shot 38 percent from the field, averaging 11.2 points, while also leading the team with 4.8 assists, and picking up two steals per game.
It’s unlikely that Waters will get a lot of playing time behind Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Brad Wanamaker, Carsen Edwards, and a hopefully healthy Romeo Langford. And there’s no guarantee that he’ll be the one to grab the last spot, as the Celtics could bring in an unrestricted free agent on a veteran minimum, among other options.
But, the way the team rescinded Theis’ qualifying offer to free up cap space suggests it’s most likely Waters will secure the 15th roster spot, where he’ll learn a lot from a handful of experienced point guards. If he does, the only question left would be who the Celtics would pick to fill the two-way contract that Waters would free up.
Given the standout performances of Tacko Fall and Javonte Green at this year’s Summer League, both of these players could be potential options for two-way contracts.