There are no longer any Boston Celtics draft picks that remain unsigned, as 2025 No. 46 pick Amari Williams is officially on a two-way contract, per the NBA transaction log.
Listed at 6-foot-10, Williams is an innately skilled big man. He’s a bit older than the average rookie, as he spent four seasons at Drexel before transferring to Kentucky for his fifth and final season. Nevertheless, after he averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game in 2024-25, he was able to quiet concerns about the level of competition he faced at Drexel, a mid-major program.
Celtics Finally Make Amari Williams Contract Decision
Williams isn’t the Celtics’ only second-round pick on a two-way contract. 2025 No. 57 pick Max Shulga is in the same boat. Whether the Celtics wanted or intended to sign Williams to a two-way contract after he was drafted though, their hands were tied at some point.
When the 2025-26 free agency window opened, they agreed to a two-year deal with 26-year-old center Luka Garza. Shortly after, they added Garza’s former Minnesota Timberwolves team Josh Minott to a two-year contract. However, they signed 2025 No. 28 pick Hugo Gonzalez to a standard rookie contract that same day. Last week, they signed dynamic veteran Chris Boucher to a one-year deal.
With those four newcomers, they had 15 players on standard contracts. To be frank, not all of them are on fully-guaranteed deals. Nevertheless, there were prohibitive costs to waiving them. In fact, the only player who’s likely to be waived prior to the 2025-26 season opener is Hayden Gray, an undrafted rookie on an Exhibit 10 contract.
What He Brings To The Celtics
As a two-way player, Williams will be limited to playing 50 games with the Celtics. The rest of that time will be spent with their G League affiliate.
This isn’t the worst situation for a young player. For starters, it could help them make a smoother transition from the collegiate level to the NBA level. In addition, a call-up isn’t the ultimate reward for playing well during G League assignments. There’s also a remote possibility that Williams will have his two-way contract upgraded to a standard contract.
With that in mind, the Celtics have a few respectable centers in Garza, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Neemias Queta.
9 PTS, 3 REB and 2 BLK for Amari Williams in his #NBA2KSummerLeague debut with Boston! ☘️ pic.twitter.com/8xkn0sSMFR
— NBA UK (@NBAUK) July 12, 2025
However, Williams has the most upside.
He projects to be a better shot-blocker than Garza or Tillman. He’s already a better playmaker than all of them. His rebounding is on par with theirs. On a higher volume, his 3-point shooting will be too. Then there’s his ability to create for himself off the dribble, which really separates him from the crowd.
© Will McLelland-Imagn Images
