Who do we keep off the VSL team?

[liam]

I think as it stands, we have 3 regular roster spots open plus Kornet on a very lightly guaranteed contract.  Others have pointed this out that Kornet isn't really on the roster.  I think they can cut him and only pay $100,000 or something like that.  So if someone beats out Kornet, there will be no hesitation to open that roster spot back up to add the player.  Based on this, I call it 4 roster spots and 1 2-way to be filled.

My feeling (maybe my hope) is that Kornet is just insurance for the insurance big.  For example is we were to sign Whiteside, I believe Kornet would very likely be cut. Definitely agree. If they do not sign a vet big, Kornet probably hangs on.  My prediction (again, maybe hope) is as follows:

12.  Whiteside Please no, I intensely dislike Whiteside's game and attitude.  That said, replace his name with Nerlens or Dwight and your point is still valid.
13.  Vet Wing (not sure who but I hope they can find someone to fit this role that is better than Hauser or Justin Jackson)
14.  Brodric Thomas or Justin Jackson or Matt Ryan (I prefer Thomas) See this is where I struggle, I like all 3.  Seems like Thomas has the inside track having been with the team all last year.  However, you can't ignore Ryan's shooting.
15.  Kabengele or Kornet

2-way  Davison
2-way  Kabengele or some other promising PF/C

The key is to sign the vet big and the vet wing.  To me, the rest doesn't matter nearly as much but I am fine filling up the final spots with "prospects".  For example, it makes no difference to me whether it is Kornet on the roster and Kabengele as a 2-way or Kabengele on the roster and some other prospect on the 2-way.

Good post, TP for the summary.  Now that Kab is signed I made a few edits and comments above.

I think you may have mixed up the strike through on Kornet as he still seems to have the 15th spot.  If it is true that Brodric Thomas was offered a 2-way, that indicates to me that the Celtics prefer him to Matt Ryan.  Justin Jackson may not be eligible for a 2-way.  The only reason that Thomas would decline a 2-way is if he thinks he can get a full roster spot.

12.  Whiteside
13.  Vet Wing (not sure who but I hope they can find someone to fit this role that is better than Hauser or Justin Jackson)
14.  Brodric Thomas or Justin Jackson or Matt Ryan (Brodric Thomas may have been offered a 2-way and declined)
15.  Kornet (for now)

2-way  Davison
2-way  Kabengele

2-ways can be elevated to full roster spots during the season.  So if they wanted Kabengele on the playoff roster, just cut someone (probably Kornet) and elevate Kabengele's contract to regular roster.

It seems like the Celtics are working from 1-11 but then flipping and working from the bottom up to 12.  Kornet could be considered 14 or 15 but it seems they are holding spots 12 and 13 to be sure they don't miss out on any useful vets that may become available.

Actually, I didn't. Even though technically Kornet is still on the roster, I was following your lead that he is very likely to be cut.  I crossed him off, but I think you changed the cross-out back to Kabengele.

Why would Kornet be likely to be cut? They just resigned him.

Cause he sucks and has no upside at 27. He’s good at being tall. Believe his contract is not guaranteed or only a small amount is. Would rather take a flier on Travion Williams.

Travion is so slow he makes Kornet look like Garnett.

This is just patently false

He's Kanter quick...
 

As is Kornet

Not that it's much of a brag but Kornet is way faster than either of those guys and he's 7'2".

He’s really not, though.  If he was as good of an athlete at 7’2” as you are stating, he’d actually play in NBA games vs spending the whole year in Maine. He is in his late 20’s and has no upside at this point. Just a waste of a roster spot.

Saying Kornet is a better athlete than Trevion Williams and Kanter isn't much of a leap. Kanter is totally ground bound with no vertical and Trevion is slow and ground bound.

Travion had a 30inch vertical at the draft combine. League average is 28”. He had several alley oops in the SL which you can’t do playing below the rim. He also rebounded at a good clip, 6.6reb per game in only 14mpg.

Here is Luke’s scoring report coming out of college, which is the same report he’d receive now.

Kornet may fit offensively as a stretch five with a decent feel for the game, but he's quite immobile on the defensive end, struggling to guard pick and roll even in drop situations and leaving much to be desired on the defensive glass. The 7-footer struggles with grit and physicality in traffic, averaging only 6.0 defensive rebounds per 40 minutes, the third worst among centers in the DraftExpress Top 100. Although Kornet was a fairly effective rim protector in the SEC, his average mobility and leaping ability figure to limit him as a defensive anchor in the NBA. Kornet has also been somewhat erratic as a shooter throughout the course of his career - 23% as a freshman, 40.7% as a sophomore, 28% as a junior and 32.7% as a senior. If Kornet isn't making shots, he doesn't bring much to the table, especially with the way the game is trending. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Luke-Kornet-78500/ ©DraftExpress

Draft Profile Travion Williams: "The big man has slow feet, so stepping out onto the perimeter will be a problem unless he finds a way to solve it."

[Celtics2021]

I guess if we were getting seconds for them and we thought we could trade them at the deadline for those same or lesser seconds, it might make  sense, because then we've gotten four months of backup production at effectively no cost, and presumably we'd get new trade exceptions at the deadline.  Aside from that unlikely scenario, it is very confusing.

Right, so those guys aren't worth paying 11.67 million this year with the tax implications but would they be worth it if it costs basically nothing. There just doesnt seem to be any decent free agents left at the moment but someone will get cut in Jan/Feb and will be looking to jump on board as a ring chaser.

The current free agent market isn't great, but I think it's likely much better than what we'll see in buyout season.  It varies from year to year, but the buyout market didn't really materialize last season.  There were a few guys -- Dragic, Carter, Bembry -- but overall there wasn't much to choose from.  Compare that to the current crop of free agents:  Whiteside, Cousins, Zeller, Howard, Aldridge, Bledsoe, Schroder, Carmelo, Harrell (unlikely to take the minimum, but I guess we don't know that for sure), Griffin, Jackson, Paschall, Lamb, Kemba.  Those guys aren't great, but they may be better than what's available for buyouts.

The one potential buyout guy I'm interested in is Derrick Favors.  Maybe San Antonio buys out Josh Richardson at some point.  I'm not seeing a lot of expiring guys on non-contenders right now, but time will tell.  To the extent that there may be others, I'm fine carrying an open roster spot or a non-guaranteed guy like Kornet.

I think there might be a few more buyouts this year than last year.  Here are reserve-level vets who make more than $5 million with no money owed to them next year on likely tanking teams:

Noel (Detroit)
Burks (Detroid)
Walker (Detroit -- supposedly he agreed to a buyout but he hasn't been released as of yet)
Richardson (San Antonio)
Nwaba (Houston)
Favors (Thunder)
Ross (Orlando)
Gay (Utah -- has a smallish player option which he'd have to waive)

None of these guys are likely to fetch anything in a trade, either because they're not good enough to warrant a pick (e.g. Nwaba, Ross) or because they make too much money (e.g. Richardson, Burks).  There will probably be some other names to add, either because they play for a team who will enter tanking mode in February (hi Washington and Portland, enjoy those Beal and Lillard contracts!) or because they will be traded to a tanker to match salary (Utah might wind up with a lot of these players in trades involving Mitchell and Bogdonovich, amongst others).

Last year there were very few potential buyout options of any quality that didn't shake loose (the top two were probably Gary Harris and Dennis Schroder).  I think this year the buyout market will be hotter, because of teams tanking for Wembanyama, and also due to how tight so many teams are to the tax (15 of 30 teams are over the tax or within $2 million of it) which will suppress the market for reserve-level players.

I know the buyout market isn't a great place for talent, but when you're talking about finding third stringers that can step up if there's an injury, it's more appropriate.  Most of the vet free agents you listed aren't going to want to sign onto a place for a full season if they know they'll be out of the rotation, but those same types of players are much more amenable to it if it's for 7 weeks of the regular season before a potential title run.

[Vermont Green]

I think as it stands, we have 3 regular roster spots open plus Kornet on a very lightly guaranteed contract.  Others have pointed this out that Kornet isn't really on the roster.  I think they can cut him and only pay $100,000 or something like that.  So if someone beats out Kornet, there will be no hesitation to open that roster spot back up to add the player.  Based on this, I call it 4 roster spots and 1 2-way to be filled.

My feeling (maybe my hope) is that Kornet is just insurance for the insurance big.  For example is we were to sign Whiteside, I believe Kornet would very likely be cut. Definitely agree. If they do not sign a vet big, Kornet probably hangs on.  My prediction (again, maybe hope) is as follows:

12.  Whiteside Please no, I intensely dislike Whiteside's game and attitude.  That said, replace his name with Nerlens or Dwight and your point is still valid.
13.  Vet Wing (not sure who but I hope they can find someone to fit this role that is better than Hauser or Justin Jackson)
14.  Brodric Thomas or Justin Jackson or Matt Ryan (I prefer Thomas) See this is where I struggle, I like all 3.  Seems like Thomas has the inside track having been with the team all last year.  However, you can't ignore Ryan's shooting.
15.  Kabengele or Kornet

2-way  Davison
2-way  Kabengele or some other promising PF/C

The key is to sign the vet big and the vet wing.  To me, the rest doesn't matter nearly as much but I am fine filling up the final spots with "prospects".  For example, it makes no difference to me whether it is Kornet on the roster and Kabengele as a 2-way or Kabengele on the roster and some other prospect on the 2-way.

Good post, TP for the summary.  Now that Kab is signed I made a few edits and comments above.

I think you may have mixed up the strike through on Kornet as he still seems to have the 15th spot.  If it is true that Brodric Thomas was offered a 2-way, that indicates to me that the Celtics prefer him to Matt Ryan.  Justin Jackson may not be eligible for a 2-way.  The only reason that Thomas would decline a 2-way is if he thinks he can get a full roster spot.

12.  Whiteside
13.  Vet Wing (not sure who but I hope they can find someone to fit this role that is better than Hauser or Justin Jackson)
14.  Brodric Thomas or Justin Jackson or Matt Ryan (Brodric Thomas may have been offered a 2-way and declined)
15.  Kornet (for now)

2-way  Davison
2-way  Kabengele

2-ways can be elevated to full roster spots during the season.  So if they wanted Kabengele on the playoff roster, just cut someone (probably Kornet) and elevate Kabengele's contract to regular roster.

It seems like the Celtics are working from 1-11 but then flipping and working from the bottom up to 12.  Kornet could be considered 14 or 15 but it seems they are holding spots 12 and 13 to be sure they don't miss out on any useful vets that may become available.

Actually, I didn't. Even though technically Kornet is still on the roster, I was following your lead that he is very likely to be cut.  I crossed him off, but I think you changed the cross-out back to Kabengele.

Why would Kornet be likely to be cut? They just resigned him.

Cause he sucks and has no upside at 27. He’s good at being tall. Believe his contract is not guaranteed or only a small amount is. Would rather take a flier on Travion Williams.

Travion is so slow he makes Kornet look like Garnett.

This is just patently false

He's Kanter quick...
 

As is Kornet

Not that it's much of a brag but Kornet is way faster than either of those guys and he's 7'2".

He’s really not, though.  If he was as good of an athlete at 7’2” as you are stating, he’d actually play in NBA games vs spending the whole year in Maine. He is in his late 20’s and has no upside at this point. Just a waste of a roster spot.

Saying Kornet is a better athlete than Trevion Williams and Kanter isn't much of a leap. Kanter is totally ground bound with no vertical and Trevion is slow and ground bound.

Travion had a 30inch vertical at the draft combine. League average is 28”. He had several alley oops in the SL which you can’t do playing below the rim. He also rebounded at a good clip, 6.6reb per game in only 14mpg.

Here is Luke’s scoring report coming out of college, which is the same report he’d receive now.

Kornet may fit offensively as a stretch five with a decent feel for the game, but he's quite immobile on the defensive end, struggling to guard pick and roll even in drop situations and leaving much to be desired on the defensive glass. The 7-footer struggles with grit and physicality in traffic, averaging only 6.0 defensive rebounds per 40 minutes, the third worst among centers in the DraftExpress Top 100. Although Kornet was a fairly effective rim protector in the SEC, his average mobility and leaping ability figure to limit him as a defensive anchor in the NBA. Kornet has also been somewhat erratic as a shooter throughout the course of his career - 23% as a freshman, 40.7% as a sopho  more, 28% as a junior and 32.7% as a senior. If Kornet isn't making shots, he doesn't bring much to the table, especially with the way the game is trending. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Luke-Kornet-78500/ ©DraftExpress

Draft Profile Travion Williams: "The big man has slow feet, so stepping out onto the perimeter will be a problem unless he finds a way to solve it."

Do we really need to debate Kornet vs. Trevion Williams?  Is either one going to make any difference to the success of the team?

[Vermont Green]

I guess if we were getting seconds for them and we thought we could trade them at the deadline for those same or lesser seconds, it might make  sense, because then we've gotten four months of backup production at effectively no cost, and presumably we'd get new trade exceptions at the deadline.  Aside from that unlikely scenario, it is very confusing.

Right, so those guys aren't worth paying 11.67 million this year with the tax implications but would they be worth it if it costs basically nothing. There just doesnt seem to be any decent free agents left at the moment but someone will get cut in Jan/Feb and will be looking to jump on board as a ring chaser.

The current free agent market isn't great, but I think it's likely much better than what we'll see in buyout season.  It varies from year to year, but the buyout market didn't really materialize last season.  There were a few guys -- Dragic, Carter, Bembry -- but overall there wasn't much to choose from.  Compare that to the current crop of free agents:  Whiteside, Cousins, Zeller, Howard, Aldridge, Bledsoe, Schroder, Carmelo, Harrell (unlikely to take the minimum, but I guess we don't know that for sure), Griffin, Jackson, Paschall, Lamb, Kemba.  Those guys aren't great, but they may be better than what's available for buyouts.

The one potential buyout guy I'm interested in is Derrick Favors.  Maybe San Antonio buys out Josh Richardson at some point.  I'm not seeing a lot of expiring guys on non-contenders right now, but time will tell.  To the extent that there may be others, I'm fine carrying an open roster spot or a non-guaranteed guy like Kornet.

I think there might be a few more buyouts this year than last year.  Here are reserve-level vets who make more than $5 million with no money owed to them next year on likely tanking teams:

Noel (Detroit)
Burks (Detroid)
Walker (Detroit -- supposedly he agreed to a buyout but he hasn't been released as of yet)
Richardson (San Antonio)
Nwaba (Houston)
Favors (Thunder)
Ross (Orlando)
Gay (Utah -- has a smallish player option which he'd have to waive)

None of these guys are likely to fetch anything in a trade, either because they're not good enough to warrant a pick (e.g. Nwaba, Ross) or because they make too much money (e.g. Richardson, Burks).  There will probably be some other names to add, either because they play for a team who will enter tanking mode in February (hi Washington and Portland, enjoy those Beal and Lillard contracts!) or because they will be traded to a tanker to match salary (Utah might wind up with a lot of these players in trades involving Mitchell and Bogdonovich, amongst others).

Last year there were very few potential buyout options of any quality that didn't shake loose (the top two were probably Gary Harris and Dennis Schroder).  I think this year the buyout market will be hotter, because of teams tanking for Wembanyama, and also due to how tight so many teams are to the tax (15 of 30 teams are over the tax or within $2 million of it) which will suppress the market for reserve-level players.

I know the buyout market isn't a great place for talent, but when you're talking about finding third stringers that can step up if there's an injury, it's more appropriate.  Most of the vet free agents you listed aren't going to want to sign onto a place for a full season if they know they'll be out of the rotation, but those same types of players are much more amenable to it if it's for 7 weeks of the regular season before a potential title run.

OKC did just buy out JaMychal Green.  I don't know what he is getting from GSW.  They do still have the full TP-MLE ($6.4M) they can offer but I would think he is more of a min contract guy.  Since they bought out Green, it seems reasonable that they would also buy out Favors.  Not sure the Celtics would be first in line to get him though.  There are teams that can still offer some or all of the MLE or Bi-annual.  All we can offer is a vet min.

[Celtics2021]

I guess if we were getting seconds for them and we thought we could trade them at the deadline for those same or lesser seconds, it might make  sense, because then we've gotten four months of backup production at effectively no cost, and presumably we'd get new trade exceptions at the deadline.  Aside from that unlikely scenario, it is very confusing.

Right, so those guys aren't worth paying 11.67 million this year with the tax implications but would they be worth it if it costs basically nothing. There just doesnt seem to be any decent free agents left at the moment but someone will get cut in Jan/Feb and will be looking to jump on board as a ring chaser.

The current free agent market isn't great, but I think it's likely much better than what we'll see in buyout season.  It varies from year to year, but the buyout market didn't really materialize last season.  There were a few guys -- Dragic, Carter, Bembry -- but overall there wasn't much to choose from.  Compare that to the current crop of free agents:  Whiteside, Cousins, Zeller, Howard, Aldridge, Bledsoe, Schroder, Carmelo, Harrell (unlikely to take the minimum, but I guess we don't know that for sure), Griffin, Jackson, Paschall, Lamb, Kemba.  Those guys aren't great, but they may be better than what's available for buyouts.

The one potential buyout guy I'm interested in is Derrick Favors.  Maybe San Antonio buys out Josh Richardson at some point.  I'm not seeing a lot of expiring guys on non-contenders right now, but time will tell.  To the extent that there may be others, I'm fine carrying an open roster spot or a non-guaranteed guy like Kornet.

I think there might be a few more buyouts this year than last year.  Here are reserve-level vets who make more than $5 million with no money owed to them next year on likely tanking teams:

Noel (Detroit)
Burks (Detroid)
Walker (Detroit -- supposedly he agreed to a buyout but he hasn't been released as of yet)
Richardson (San Antonio)
Nwaba (Houston)
Favors (Thunder)
Ross (Orlando)
Gay (Utah -- has a smallish player option which he'd have to waive)

None of these guys are likely to fetch anything in a trade, either because they're not good enough to warrant a pick (e.g. Nwaba, Ross) or because they make too much money (e.g. Richardson, Burks).  There will probably be some other names to add, either because they play for a team who will enter tanking mode in February (hi Washington and Portland, enjoy those Beal and Lillard contracts!) or because they will be traded to a tanker to match salary (Utah might wind up with a lot of these players in trades involving Mitchell and Bogdonovich, amongst others).

Last year there were very few potential buyout options of any quality that didn't shake loose (the top two were probably Gary Harris and Dennis Schroder).  I think this year the buyout market will be hotter, because of teams tanking for Wembanyama, and also due to how tight so many teams are to the tax (15 of 30 teams are over the tax or within $2 million of it) which will suppress the market for reserve-level players.

I know the buyout market isn't a great place for talent, but when you're talking about finding third stringers that can step up if there's an injury, it's more appropriate.  Most of the vet free agents you listed aren't going to want to sign onto a place for a full season if they know they'll be out of the rotation, but those same types of players are much more amenable to it if it's for 7 weeks of the regular season before a potential title run.

OKC did just buy out JaMychal Green.  I don't know what he is getting from GSW.  They do still have the full TP-MLE ($6.4M) they can offer but I would think he is more of a min contract guy.  Since they bought out Green, it seems reasonable that they would also buy out Favors.  Not sure the Celtics would be first in line to get him though.  There are teams that can still offer some or all of the MLE or Bi-annual.  All we can offer is a vet min.

Golden State only has $2 million left of the MLE, as they used the rest on DiVincenzo, so they will be signing Green to the minimum.

As for Favors, and the others on this list, I expect them to be midseason buyouts, not pre-season buyouts, as their teams hold onto them in case they can fetch something at the deadline.  MLEs become much less useful for the last 7 weeks of the season.  They prorate differently than the minimum, but normally guys in buyout season are looking either for playing time or a ring.  Hopefully a strong four months after a finals appearance will make the Celtics a more attractive destination than they’ve been in the past.

[Vermont Green]

I guess if we were getting seconds for them and we thought we could trade them at the deadline for those same or lesser seconds, it might make  sense, because then we've gotten four months of backup production at effectively no cost, and presumably we'd get new trade exceptions at the deadline.  Aside from that unlikely scenario, it is very confusing.

Right, so those guys aren't worth paying 11.67 million this year with the tax implications but would they be worth it if it costs basically nothing. There just doesnt seem to be any decent free agents left at the moment but someone will get cut in Jan/Feb and will be looking to jump on board as a ring chaser.

The current free agent market isn't great, but I think it's likely much better than what we'll see in buyout season.  It varies from year to year, but the buyout market didn't really materialize last season.  There were a few guys -- Dragic, Carter, Bembry -- but overall there wasn't much to choose from.  Compare that to the current crop of free agents:  Whiteside, Cousins, Zeller, Howard, Aldridge, Bledsoe, Schroder, Carmelo, Harrell (unlikely to take the minimum, but I guess we don't know that for sure), Griffin, Jackson, Paschall, Lamb, Kemba.  Those guys aren't great, but they may be better than what's available for buyouts.

The one potential buyout guy I'm interested in is Derrick Favors.  Maybe San Antonio buys out Josh Richardson at some point.  I'm not seeing a lot of expiring guys on non-contenders right now, but time will tell.  To the extent that there may be others, I'm fine carrying an open roster spot or a non-guaranteed guy like Kornet.

I think there might be a few more buyouts this year than last year.  Here are reserve-level vets who make more than $5 million with no money owed to them next year on likely tanking teams:

Noel (Detroit)
Burks (Detroid)
Walker (Detroit -- supposedly he agreed to a buyout but he hasn't been released as of yet)
Richardson (San Antonio)
Nwaba (Houston)
Favors (Thunder)
Ross (Orlando)
Gay (Utah -- has a smallish player option which he'd have to waive)

None of these guys are likely to fetch anything in a trade, either because they're not good enough to warrant a pick (e.g. Nwaba, Ross) or because they make too much money (e.g. Richardson, Burks).  There will probably be some other names to add, either because they play for a team who will enter tanking mode in February (hi Washington and Portland, enjoy those Beal and Lillard contracts!) or because they will be traded to a tanker to match salary (Utah might wind up with a lot of these players in trades involving Mitchell and Bogdonovich, amongst others).

Last year there were very few potential buyout options of any quality that didn't shake loose (the top two were probably Gary Harris and Dennis Schroder).  I think this year the buyout market will be hotter, because of teams tanking for Wembanyama, and also due to how tight so many teams are to the tax (15 of 30 teams are over the tax or within $2 million of it) which will suppress the market for reserve-level players.

I know the buyout market isn't a great place for talent, but when you're talking about finding third stringers that can step up if there's an injury, it's more appropriate.  Most of the vet free agents you listed aren't going to want to sign onto a place for a full season if they know they'll be out of the rotation, but those same types of players are much more amenable to it if it's for 7 weeks of the regular season before a potential title run.

OKC did just buy out JaMychal Green.  I don't know what he is getting from GSW.  They do still have the full TP-MLE ($6.4M) they can offer but I would think he is more of a min contract guy.  Since they bought out Green, it seems reasonable that they would also buy out Favors.  Not sure the Celtics would be first in line to get him though.  There are teams that can still offer some or all of the MLE or Bi-annual.  All we can offer is a vet min.

Golden State only has $2 million left of the MLE, as they used the rest on DiVincenzo, so they will be signing Green to the minimum.

As for Favors, and the others on this list, I expect them to be midseason buyouts, not pre-season buyouts, as their teams hold onto them in case they can fetch something at the deadline.  MLEs become much less useful for the last 7 weeks of the season.  They prorate differently than the minimum, but normally guys in buyout season are looking either for playing time or a ring.  Hopefully a strong four months after a finals appearance will make the Celtics a more attractive destination than they’ve been in the past.

Agree but OKC has to cut some roster spots.  They can't hold on to everyone until the trade deadline.  They must have decided they would not be able to trade Green but you are right, other than reducing the roster, there was no financial reason to cut Green now nor is there one for Favors.

[Goldstar88]

I think as it stands, we have 3 regular roster spots open plus Kornet on a very lightly guaranteed contract.  Others have pointed this out that Kornet isn't really on the roster.  I think they can cut him and only pay $100,000 or something like that.  So if someone beats out Kornet, there will be no hesitation to open that roster spot back up to add the player.  Based on this, I call it 4 roster spots and 1 2-way to be filled.

My feeling (maybe my hope) is that Kornet is just insurance for the insurance big.  For example is we were to sign Whiteside, I believe Kornet would very likely be cut. Definitely agree. If they do not sign a vet big, Kornet probably hangs on.  My prediction (again, maybe hope) is as follows:

12.  Whiteside Please no, I intensely dislike Whiteside's game and attitude.  That said, replace his name with Nerlens or Dwight and your point is still valid.
13.  Vet Wing (not sure who but I hope they can find someone to fit this role that is better than Hauser or Justin Jackson)
14.  Brodric Thomas or Justin Jackson or Matt Ryan (I prefer Thomas) See this is where I struggle, I like all 3.  Seems like Thomas has the inside track having been with the team all last year.  However, you can't ignore Ryan's shooting.
15.  Kabengele or Kornet

2-way  Davison
2-way  Kabengele or some other promising PF/C

The key is to sign the vet big and the vet wing.  To me, the rest doesn't matter nearly as much but I am fine filling up the final spots with "prospects".  For example, it makes no difference to me whether it is Kornet on the roster and Kabengele as a 2-way or Kabengele on the roster and some other prospect on the 2-way.

Good post, TP for the summary.  Now that Kab is signed I made a few edits and comments above.

I think you may have mixed up the strike through on Kornet as he still seems to have the 15th spot.  If it is true that Brodric Thomas was offered a 2-way, that indicates to me that the Celtics prefer him to Matt Ryan.  Justin Jackson may not be eligible for a 2-way.  The only reason that Thomas would decline a 2-way is if he thinks he can get a full roster spot.

12.  Whiteside
13.  Vet Wing (not sure who but I hope they can find someone to fit this role that is better than Hauser or Justin Jackson)
14.  Brodric Thomas or Justin Jackson or Matt Ryan (Brodric Thomas may have been offered a 2-way and declined)
15.  Kornet (for now)

2-way  Davison
2-way  Kabengele

2-ways can be elevated to full roster spots during the season.  So if they wanted Kabengele on the playoff roster, just cut someone (probably Kornet) and elevate Kabengele's contract to regular roster.

It seems like the Celtics are working from 1-11 but then flipping and working from the bottom up to 12.  Kornet could be considered 14 or 15 but it seems they are holding spots 12 and 13 to be sure they don't miss out on any useful vets that may become available.

Actually, I didn't. Even though technically Kornet is still on the roster, I was following your lead that he is very likely to be cut.  I crossed him off, but I think you changed the cross-out back to Kabengele.

Why would Kornet be likely to be cut? They just resigned him.

Cause he sucks and has no upside at 27. He’s good at being tall. Believe his contract is not guaranteed or only a small amount is. Would rather take a flier on Travion Williams.

Travion is so slow he makes Kornet look like Garnett.

This is just patently false

He's Kanter quick...
 

As is Kornet

Not that it's much of a brag but Kornet is way faster than either of those guys and he's 7'2".

He’s really not, though.  If he was as good of an athlete at 7’2” as you are stating, he’d actually play in NBA games vs spending the whole year in Maine. He is in his late 20’s and has no upside at this point. Just a waste of a roster spot.

Saying Kornet is a better athlete than Trevion Williams and Kanter isn't much of a leap. Kanter is totally ground bound with no vertical and Trevion is slow and ground bound.

Travion had a 30inch vertical at the draft combine. League average is 28”. He had several alley oops in the SL which you can’t do playing below the rim. He also rebounded at a good clip, 6.6reb per game in only 14mpg.

Here is Luke’s scoring report coming out of college, which is the same report he’d receive now.

Kornet may fit offensively as a stretch five with a decent feel for the game, but he's quite immobile on the defensive end, struggling to guard pick and roll even in drop situations and leaving much to be desired on the defensive glass. The 7-footer struggles with grit and physicality in traffic, averaging only 6.0 defensive rebounds per 40 minutes, the third worst among centers in the DraftExpress Top 100. Although Kornet was a fairly effective rim protector in the SEC, his average mobility and leaping ability figure to limit him as a defensive anchor in the NBA. Kornet has also been somewhat erratic as a shooter throughout the course of his career - 23% as a freshman, 40.7% as a sophomore, 28% as a junior and 32.7% as a senior. If Kornet isn't making shots, he doesn't bring much to the table, especially with the way the game is trending. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Luke-Kornet-78500/ ©DraftExpress

Draft Profile Travion Williams: "The big man has slow feet, so stepping out onto the perimeter will be a problem unless he finds a way to solve it."

He found a way to solve it, though. He lost weight. I don’t see how you can watch the following clip from the 50 second mark onward and say that Kornet is a superior athlete. I’d like to see Kornet dribble the entire length of the court on a fast break at that speed. Luke doesn’t have the skillset or the athleticism to do so.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O5dZUGXdZfk

[Roy H.]

The Celtics are still looking to add another big man to their 15-man roster for next season. However, it won’t be undrafted Purdue big man Trevion Williams. The 6-foot-9 center who suited up for Boston in Summer League agreed to an exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors on Friday according to Shams Charania of Stadium. Williams will have an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the defending champions who still have a couple slots available after free agency.

[Celtics2021]

The Celtics are still looking to add another big man to their 15-man roster for next season. However, it won’t be undrafted Purdue big man Trevion Williams. The 6-foot-9 center who suited up for Boston in Summer League agreed to an exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors on Friday according to Shams Charania of Stadium. Williams will have an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the defending champions who still have a couple slots available after free agency.

Good luck to him.  Kabengele was the better fit for what we need, so I’m glad we got him on a 2-way.

[Goldstar88]

The Celtics are still looking to add another big man to their 15-man roster for next season. However, it won’t be undrafted Purdue big man Trevion Williams. The 6-foot-9 center who suited up for Boston in Summer League agreed to an exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors on Friday according to Shams Charania of Stadium. Williams will have an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the defending champions who still have a couple slots available after free agency.

Would have been nice to see how he developed in Maine vs keeping Kornet around…

[gouki88]

The Celtics are still looking to add another big man to their 15-man roster for next season. However, it won’t be undrafted Purdue big man Trevion Williams. The 6-foot-9 center who suited up for Boston in Summer League agreed to an exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors on Friday according to Shams Charania of Stadium. Williams will have an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the defending champions who still have a couple slots available after free agency.

Watch them develop him into Looney 2.0

[Celtics2021]

The Celtics are still looking to add another big man to their 15-man roster for next season. However, it won’t be undrafted Purdue big man Trevion Williams. The 6-foot-9 center who suited up for Boston in Summer League agreed to an exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors on Friday according to Shams Charania of Stadium. Williams will have an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the defending champions who still have a couple slots available after free agency.

Watch them develop him into Looney 2.0

They’re completely different players.  Looney was a small forward in college who has bulked up to be an athletic center.  Williams will never have that kind of mobility, and it’s that lack of mobility that is why the Celtics went with Kabengele.

[gouki88]

The Celtics are still looking to add another big man to their 15-man roster for next season. However, it won’t be undrafted Purdue big man Trevion Williams. The 6-foot-9 center who suited up for Boston in Summer League agreed to an exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors on Friday according to Shams Charania of Stadium. Williams will have an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the defending champions who still have a couple slots available after free agency.

Watch them develop him into Looney 2.0

They’re completely different players.  Looney was a small forward in college who has bulked up to be an athletic center.  Williams will never have that kind of mobility, and it’s that lack of mobility that is why the Celtics went with Kabengele.

Sure, but in terms of offensive role I see them playing quite similarly. Good passers and sticky screeners. On D he'll be more like Mo Speights

Kabengele is a much more understandable pick given our style of play. I just want a solid enough vet to provide some insurance at the 5.

[Goldstar88]

The Celtics are still looking to add another big man to their 15-man roster for next season. However, it won’t be undrafted Purdue big man Trevion Williams. The 6-foot-9 center who suited up for Boston in Summer League agreed to an exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors on Friday according to Shams Charania of Stadium. Williams will have an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the defending champions who still have a couple slots available after free agency.

Watch them develop him into Looney 2.0

They’re completely different players.  Looney was a small forward in college who has bulked up to be an athletic center.  Williams will never have that kind of mobility, and it’s that lack of mobility that is why the Celtics went with Kabengele.

I really think people are exaggerating his lack of athleticism. Travion is in much better shape than he was in college and was running the floor well in SL. He had several alley-oops which you can’t do with poor mobility..Travion was also averaging 6.6rebs in 14mins of play during SL. He’s a better athlete than Grant is.

[Celtics2021]

The Celtics are still looking to add another big man to their 15-man roster for next season. However, it won’t be undrafted Purdue big man Trevion Williams. The 6-foot-9 center who suited up for Boston in Summer League agreed to an exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors on Friday according to Shams Charania of Stadium. Williams will have an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the defending champions who still have a couple slots available after free agency.

Watch them develop him into Looney 2.0

They’re completely different players.  Looney was a small forward in college who has bulked up to be an athletic center.  Williams will never have that kind of mobility, and it’s that lack of mobility that is why the Celtics went with Kabengele.

I really think people are exaggerating his lack of athleticism. Travion is in much better shape than he was in college and was running the floor well in SL. He had several alley-oops which you can’t do with poor mobility..Travion was also averaging 6.6rebs in 14mins of play during SL. He’s a better athlete than Grant is.

Umm, simply no.  And we have combine stats to prove it.  6 weeks before summer league Trevion was among the least mobile prospects in the draft, arguably the least mobile.  Dead last in agility  and shuttle run.  3rd last in the sprint.  Bottom 5 in max vert.  He did not suddenly become a mobile dude in 6 weeks.  Finishing an alley-oop because he’s tall doesn’t mean he’s mobile.  He doesn’t sniff a candle to Grant in terms of mobility.