Despite NBA training camp for all teams opening last week, four teams still carry fewer than the league minimum 14 players on standard contracts. The Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Portland Trail Blazers are the teams that still need to add at least one player.
NBA Rumors: How the C’s, Dubs, Heat, and Trail Blazers Fill Their Last Roster Spots
Unless there are mitigating circumstances (such as a trade that leaves a team shorthanded right before opening night), NBA rules prohibit clubs from carrying fewer than 14 players to open the regular season. During the season, teams aren’t permitted to have fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for more than two weeks or more than 28 total days.
Boston Celtics
Boston has 19 players in training camp. The Celtics have 13 players on standard contracts with 10 fully guaranteed deals. The C’s also have three players on a two-way deal, although Jay Scrubb suffered a torn ACL on Saturday, thus likely ending his 2023-24 season. If the Celtics waive Scrubb, they can sign another player to a two-way deal.
Luke Kornet is one of three players with non-fully guaranteed deals on the Celtics’ 15-man roster. However, Kornet is a virtual lock to make the club and will likely be part of the C’s rotation as the team’s second-string center.
Dalano Banton and Svi Mykhailiuk are the other two players with partially guaranteed deals. Meanwhile, Lamar Stevens, Wenyen Gabriel, and DJ Steward are on training camp pacts. Steward is the only player possibly having Exhibit 10 language as part of his contract.
Banton’s spot is also likely to secure as he can play both backcourt spots and defend a little. Plus, Boston’s president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, previously told the Boston Globe that the team made an effort this offseason to devote some of its back-end roster spots to young players, specifically pointing to free-agent addition Banton as an example.
“We haven’t had a first-round draft pick in three years, so can you find a young guy that you can invest in and really work with. And he’s excited to be here. Those guys are important. We’re trying to win it, but we’re also trying to make sure we are using our other roster spots to make sure we’re investing in younger players.”
The Candidates For the Celtics 14th spot
After coming off the bench in Boston’s first preseason contest, Banton started the game against the New York Knicks on Monday. The 24-year-old guard tallied 20 points on 8 of 19 shooting in 30 minutes against the Knicks.
Despite showing the ability to score, Banton has yet to play particularly well this preseason. Efficiency, ball-handling, and defense have all been a problem. Banton averages 12.5 points and 2.5 rebounds while producing a shooting slash line of .400/.250/1.000.
Stevens signed with the Celtics at the end of September. He chose the C’s because he could make the club. Stevens, known for his defense, has played pretty well over the first two games and is likely a lock to make the team. Ball handling has been a weakness for Stevens.
The 26-year-old compiles 8.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field, though just 20% from beyond the arc.
Thus leaving Mykhailiuk and Gabriel to fight for the Celtics’ 14th spot. Neither played against Philadelphia, but both got some run versus the Knicks. Myhailiuk played exceptionally well in that game, putting up 15 points on 5 of 9 shooting from the field and 3 of 5 from the 3-point line. He added three rebounds and an assist in 26 minutes.
Meanwhile, Gabriel saw 10 minutes of action against the Knicks, finishing with one point, four rebounds, and one assist. He was 0 of 3 from the field and was whistled for four fouls.
Golden State Warriors
Golden State has 21 players in training camp. Thirteen of those players are on fully guaranteed contracts. The Warriors have three players on two-way deals and five on exhibit 9 or 10 contracts.
The Warriors are expected to carry just 14 players on their opening-day roster. That winner of the last spot projects to be either Rodney McGruder or Rudy Gay, per C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle.
McGruder entered concussion protocol on Friday and missed Golden State’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. The 32-year-old vet is versatile and brings toughness. He is also a career 36% shooter from the 3-point line.
Gay is coming off the worst season of his career. The 37-year-old still rebounds the ball well and is a physical defender. Gay also can provide a little 3-point shooting, though he shot just 25.4% from deep last season.
Gay only played in seven minutes of the Warriors 125-108 victory over the Lakers. However, he produced four points on 2-4 shooting and four rebounds. Gay also recorded a +4 plus/minus rating, though he was whistled for three fouls.
Donovan Williams, Kendric Davis, and Javan Johnson are also in training camp on Exhibit 10 contracts. All three played well against the Lakers in limited minutes.
Miami Heat
Miami has 21 players in camp. The Heat have 13 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. Orlando Robinson doesn’t own a fully guaranteed deal but is virtually assured of making the opening-day roster.
Cheick Diallo, Justin Champagnie, Cole Swider, Drew Peterson, and Alondes Williams are all battling for the Heat’s final one or two roster spots. All five are on exhibit 1o contracts.
Swider, Champaignie, Williams, and Diallo all have NBA experience. However, Bam Adebayo singled out Swider as the player who has made the biggest impression, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
“Cole is really, really showing he can really shoot the ball,” Adebayo said. “He can play on different types of teams. He can play with the young fellas, he also can play with Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love and be under control and learn how to flow in the offense.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra agreed with Adebayo’s assessment of Swider being a camp standout. But Spoelstra added that R.J. Hampton and Dru Smith, both of whom are on two-way deals, also have stood out among those competing for a spot on the Heat’s roster. Jamal Cain is the other player on a two-way contract.
Miami is near the NBA’s second tax apron. So, the Heat will likely carry only 14 players to open the season.
Miami opens up its five-game preseason schedule on Tuesday night. The battle for the final roster spot will become more apparent as the exhibition season progresses. However, Swider appears to hold a slight edge over the other competitors due to his ability to be a knockdown shooter.
Portland Trail Blazers
Like Miami, Portland had to piece together their training camp roster late due to Damian Lillard’s blockbuster trade. The Trail Blazers have 19 players in training camp, with 13 on standard contracts. Moses Brown is the only player without a fully guaranteed deal. Brown is expected to make the club.
Kevin Knox, Justin Minaya, Antoine Davis, Duop Reath, and Malachi Smith are on training camp deals. Reath is the only one of the five players who doesn’t have Exhibit 10 language. Meanwhile, Knox and Minaya are the only players of the five who have NBA experience.
Knox is the favorite to earn a roster spot. That is if Portland doesn’t make a trade, like dealing Malcolm Brogdon, before the start of the season.
A former lottery, Knox saw his most significant action last year since his second season in the league. Knox averaged 6.5 points and 2.8 rebounds while compiling a shooting slash line of .458/.349/.767 in 2022-23. He produced two double-doubles in 65 appearances between Detroit and Portland.
Knox is a streaky shooter who can put bunches of points on the board when he gets hot. He is still a high-flyer but settles for the three too much. Knox is also a decent defensive rebounder. However, his defense does need to improve.
Reath is another player to keep an eye on. The 27-year-old center has played overseas since going undrafted out of LSU in 2018, spending time in Serbia, Australia, and China. He played well for the Trail Blazers’ Summer League squad and Australia in World Cup play.
Portland is well below the NBA tax line. Therefore, the Blazers should carry 15 players. Portland, which begins its preseason schedule on Tuesday against New Zealand, also has three players on two-way contracts.
The Blazers waived Smith on Monday and signed George Conditt IV to a Exhibit 10 pact. Smith will likely begin the season with the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G-League squad,
