Two Maine Celtics Could Be in the Mix for Contracts in Boston by Season's End

You never know what Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens will do at a given NBA trade deadline. Sometimes, he makes a splash, like landing Derrick White. Other times, he lets the prior offseason's moves do the talking.

It's unclear what he'll do this year, but Jayson Tatum's return from an Achilles injury may be the extent of the splashes coming to the Celtics' lineup. MassLive's Brian Robb sees a quiet deadline potentially setting up Boston to bring up one of two members of their G League Maine Celtics roster on two-way contracts: Ron Harper Jr. or Amari Williams.

"My guess is they sign someone at the very end of the regular season (probably with a week or two left in the season) due to the tax implications. The actual player that gets signed will probably be dependent on need or injuries. If a big is hurt, Amari Williams becomes the top candidate for the promotion, if the team elects to stay in-house. Otherwise, Ron Harper Jr. is a strong candidate given that he has three years of NBA experience. There’s no obvious candidate for promotion (like Queta and Davison) over the last two years so stay tuned," Robb said to a question in his Celtics Mailbag.

Ron Harper Jr. Dominating G League Again

As he's done every season he's spent in the G League, Harper is dominating. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll translate to being an NBA player, since he's been in this scenario for four years now. It does mean, though, that Stevens would be justified giving him a look late in the season.

This is only realistic if the team trades Anfernee Simons. Harper is a solid defender, so he'd be worth a look anyway. He's a much different player than the shoot-first Simons. Harper is making a legitimate leap in play-making in Maine.

Amari Williams Can't Play More Than Spot Minutes Right Now

Williams is further from being ready than Harper, which makes sense considering this is his rookie year. Still, his turnovers and fouls are exceedingly high, and his offense consists of finishing at or around the rim.

He'd be a good lob threat, but Boston has plenty of veteran big men in their current rotation who are more trustworthy in extended minutes.

Williams is probably two years away from being a playable pivot. When the time comes, Williams and his seven-foot-six wingspan will be menacing off the pine.

His time just may not be now. So you likely won't see him by season's end if Boston is fighting for its playoff life.