It’s no coincidence that forward Noah Bonley expanded his chances during the preseason, with sources saying the former first-round pick would be perfect to secure one of the final two open spots. The Harbor Hill native had 14 points and 13 rebounds in Boston’s 112-103 win over the Hornets last Friday.
“This is a great opportunity,” said Vonley, who played in China last season. “I got a call from the front office in early August and they said they had a chance to talk to my agent and see a potential chance to make a roster. I came here with the right mindset and I try to incorporate it every day.”
The Celtics recently waived Bruno Caboclo, Denzel Valentine and Luka Samanic. Valentine and Samanick will join his G League affiliate of the team in Maine as they agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal. They are still free to sign with other teams, but if he spends 60 days in Maine, he gets $50,000.
The team also waived guard Brodrick Thomas, who signed a two-way contract with the Celtics last season, according to sources. He did not have his Exhibit 10 contract because Boston does not retain Thomas’ Ghi league rights.
As such, veteran forwards Justin Jackson, Jake Laiman and Mfiondu Kabengele could be in contention for the final slot. Jackson, the 15th pick in the 2017 draft, has averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in six NBA seasons and signed a 10-day contract with the Celtics last season before he contracted COVID-19. board. The team discussed keeping him for the rest of the year before finally signing Nick Stauskas, league sources said.
A second-round pick in 2016, Layman averaged 4.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game over six seasons with the Trail Blazers and Timberwolves before becoming a free agent at the end of last season. The Norwood native scored his five goals in his 16 minutes against Charlotte last week.
A first-round pick in 2019, Kabengele is one of the stars of Boston’s Summer League team, signing a two-way deal with the team. But he already has a contract, so it’s unlikely the Celtics need to switch to his regular NBA contract right now. Boston is expected to make a final roster decision shortly after Friday’s preseason finale against the Raptors in Montreal.
The Celtics are still in talks with the four-year-old Grant Williams’ camp about a contract extension before Monday’s deadline, but nothing seems imminent. As of Thursday afternoon, the two sides were essentially in a stalemate, league sources said, but that’s pretty common at this stage. He is thought to want a year-long contract, but the Celtics’ offer has not materialized.
Either way, sources stressed that Williams will remain an important part of the Celtics’ future whether he signs a contract extension now or becomes a restricted free agent next summer.
The Celtics have a vacancy on their coaching staff after assistant Joe Mazura was promoted to head coach to replace Ime Udoka, who was suspended for a year for violating team policy.
In recent weeks, team executives have confirmed with several coaches about joining Mazura’s staff, including Celtics’ longtime assistant Clippers assistant Jay Laranaga. However, sources say the Celtics are confident in their current staff and have decided to move forward without making any additions.
Over the past week, the Celtics have been busy building a roster for their G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics. Samanic, Valentine and Roxbury natives and former Providence star AJ Reeves and center Reggie Kisson Rall will join the team after signing Exhibit 10 deals. According to sources, the Celtics will add one more player to his Exhibit 10 contract before the preseason ends.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. follow him on twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
