R.J. Hunter of the Boston Celtics looks on in the final minutes of their 102-101 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. (Photo : Getty Images/Kevin C. Cox)
The Boston Celtics currently has 20 players going to training camp which means five players will be cut before the start of the season. According to the latest rumors, R.J. Hunter is expected to occupy the final roster spot, edging out James Young, John Holland and Ben Bentil.
The Celtics recently signed Marcus Georges-Hunt to a training camp deal to bring the total number of their players to 20. The team will have to trim the roster number to 15 and only one spot is remaining, per The Boston Globe.
It is noted that Hunter is the favorite to make the team over Young, Holland and Bentil. Hunter and Young have guaranteed deals, Bentil has a partially-guaranteed contract and Holland has a non-guaranteed.
The 22-year-old is confident that he will make the roster because he worked very hard this summer. It also helps that he has played for several assistant coaches this offseason including Jay Larranaga and Brandon Bailey.
"I'm a competitor, so it's just absolutely motivation for me. I think it just adds an extra competitive spirit to training camp, which is a great way to get the year started. So I'd rather have it that way because now I have no reason not to be on my toes on every possession and at every practice. So I'll try to use it to my advantage," Hunter told the Globe in a telephone interview.
On the other hand, Abdel Nader, who is Boston's second-round pick in this year's draft, rejected a deal to play in Europe, per Celtics Blog. Instead, he will be with the Celtics in training camp but he will eventually play for the team's NBA D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.
Starters Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Al Horford and Amir Johnson are surely making the roster. Players such as Jaylen Brown, Demetrious Jackson, Jonas Jerebko, Jordan Mickey, Kelly Olynyk, Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart and Tyler Zeller will also be assured of a spot to bring the total to 13.
Gerald Green was brought in for shooting but if he struggles to make an impact at training camp, expect him to get cut. He has regressed last season with the Miami Heat but the Celtics need shooting and he certainly can provide it.
Nevertheless, there are several factors that could come into play regarding the final roster spot. It should be noted that nothing has been confirmed at the moment and these are all purely speculative. Check out the video below for the Celtics Top 10 plays from last season.
