Report: Celtics already talking contract with 2019 second-round pick Carsen Edwards
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Celtics are reportedly moving quickly to lock up one of their lower draft picks.
According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the C’s are negotiating with second-round pick Carsen Edwards out of Purdue on his rookie contract. Guarantees are an apparent sticking point in the talks.
Edwards, whom the Celtics drafted 33rd overall in the 2019 NBA Draft after acquiring the pick from the 76ers, has been a standout on the team’s Summer League roster. He’s scored 34 points in two games, and the three-point specialist has shot 7-for-18 from downtown.
First-round picks Romeo Langford out of Indiana and Grant Williams out of Tennessee also remain unsigned.
Clearly, the Celtics are placing a lot of value on the sharpshooting that Edwards could bring off the bench as soon as next season. It’s no surprise that the C’s are trying to sign him, because the alternative is casting him into the free-agent pool and thus wasting a pick.
But it’s still notable that they’re wasting little time making sure he’s locked in. The Celtics have until Sept. 5 to make the required tender offers for their second-round picks, which also include LSU guard Tremont Waters.
The early negotiations are a strong indicator that the C’s will lean on the 21-year-old Edwards as a bench scorer right away.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
