The Boston Celtics were one of the busiest teams before the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday, making a trio of deals. Those moves opened up five roster spots, putting the Celtics two players below the league minimum for a roster heading into Friday.
In order to reach the league requirements for Friday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets, the Celtics signed a pair of players on Friday afternoon in forward Sam Hauser and center Luke Kornet. Both players are signed through the end of the season, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Both Hauser and Kornet were technically already under contract with the Celtics, signed to two-way deals, and had spent most of this season with the Maine Celtics. Hauser, who was signed in August as an undrafted rookie out of Virginia, is Maine’s leading scorer averaging 21.1 points per game in 18 games. He’s also averaging 6.5 rebounds per game. As part of his two-way deal, he’s appeared in 10 games for Boston this year, averaging 4.1 minutes per appearance.
Kornet was originally acquired by the Celtics at last year’s trade deadline, and finished the season with the team before signing with Maine in the offseason. He’s averaging 15.6 points with 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 14 G-League games this year. During the NBA’s COVID outbreak in the early winter, Kornet signed two 10-day contracts – one with Cleveland and one with Milwaukee. The 7-foot-2 center has appeared in three total NBA games this year, averaging six minutes per appearance.
With these moves, the Celtics have three remaining open roster spots. They’re anticipated to be active in the buyout market in the coming days.
Recapping the Celtics' trio of moves at the 2022 NBA trade deadline
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