Boston Celtics Make A Slew of Roster Decisions Ahead of Player Deadlines

Six different players have had their status clarified ahead of the June 29 deadline

Mar 14, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) runs up the court during the first half of a game against the Washington Wizards at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

While the NBA world is waiting for any solid news on Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics are taking care of some other necessary business today. 

The team has picked up their options on Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, and Dalano Banton. The Celtics declined the option on Amari Williams and are bringing him back on a two-way deal. They have also declined the option on Shulga, but it’s unclear as of right now if he’ll remain on a two-way. As I wrote back in early May, it makes sense to decline those and get them back on two-way deals since they were only signed to standard deals as part of the tax-avoidance plan, so they essentially pick up where they left off before all the cap gymnastics.

Banton is a bit of a surprise, but he’ll be on a non-guaranteed deal, so they're hanging on to him as a just-in-case as the rest of their business is done. 

It’s important to note that while there was some discussion around the league that Queta could get his option declined as part of a new contract, the Celtics are in no financial position to do that right now. As much as Queta might deserve a longer-term deal after the year he had last season, the Celtics are still very much trying to stay under the tax line, and giving Queta an extension this summer would hinder those efforts. Also, Queta has still only had one good season, so picking up the option without an extension can serve as a “prove it” season for Queta. 

Ron Harper Jr. was also among the group of team options heading into the offseason, but the Celtics locked him up with a three-year, $9 million this weekend. The Celtics technically declined his team option, but the first year of this new deal was at the same number, the team just added two guaranteed years to the end of the deal. That deal keeps Harper Jr. under Celtics control until he’s 29 at a very cheap price, which could be significant if he continues to improve the way he did last season. 

The moves give Boston 13 rostered players, counting the 27th pick Chris Cenac Jr. It does not count 40th overall pick Dillon Mitchell, who is likely to get a two-way deal. They, along with Williams, and possibly Hugo Gonzalez, are expected to play for the Celtics summer league team. Gonzalez is reportedly playing for Spain in FIBA World Cup qualifiers on July 2 and 5. Summer league begins July 9.