Celtics Sign PF Yante Maten

https://nesn.com/2019/09/nba-rumors-celtics-sign-ex-heat-forward-yante-maten-to-exhibit-10-deal/


6'8" PF signed an Exhibit 10 training camp contract, same as Tacko. More on him tomorrow.


Competition for Tacko.


bob



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https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/09/boston-celtics-rumors-yante-maten-signs-exhibit-10-deal-as-tacko-fall-faces-training-camp-competition.html



Yante Maten signs Exhibit 10 deal, as Tacko Fall faces training camp competition



Updated Sep 17, 2019; Posted Sep 17, 2019




Miami Heat's Yante Maten (0) lays up the ball against China's Zhou Qi (15) during an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 5, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)




By Tom Westerholm | twesterh@masslive.com




The Boston Celtics have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Yante Maten, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.


Adam Himmelsbach

@AdamHimmelsbach
According to a league source, the Celtics are signing forward Yante Maten to an Exhibit 10 deal.
Maten was a Heat two-way player last season and averaged 23.5 points and 9.6 rebounds for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

184
3:43 PM - Sep 17, 2019


Maten played 13 total minutes for Miami last season. He hit 32.7 percent of his 3-pointers during his time in Sioux Falls.

In Maten’s senior season at Georgia, he posted 19.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. While he wasn’t an elite 3-point shooter, he hit 34 percent of his triples on 2.6 attempts per game. At 6-foot-8, he doesn’t have elite NBA size, but he has a 7-foot-1 wingspan and tested very well at the 2018 NBA combine in speed, agility and strength drills.


Maten’s Exhibit 10 deal will allow him to make some money, then sign with the Maine Red Claws -- Boston’s exclusive G-League team for the first time this season -- for $50,000 if he’s waived before the start of the regular season.

Maten joins three other prospects who will all compete for Boston’s final roster spot: Tacko Fall, Javonte Green and Kaiser Gates. The Celtics also have Max Strus and Tremont Waters on two-way contracts. One of Waters and Strus could be converted to guaranteed deals if the Celtics want to bring them on to the full-time roster, opening up a two-way slot for one of the other players.

The best bet for the final spot -- whether two-way or guaranteed -- is Fall, whose unique measurements might give him a leg up on the others. If the Celtics want to take a flier on a player who likely won’t get many minutes, Fall makes as much sense as anyone both from a marketing perspective (somehow on a team with Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum, Fall might be the most popular Celtic) and as a center who could grow into a unique player.


But the other three are intriguing as well. Green in particular was fantastic at Summer League -- he’s a high-level defender with great instincts and otherworldly athleticism. Maten is a little undersized, but he’s strong and agile enough to look the part of a small-ball four or five. Gates shot 37.5 percent from three in the G-League last season, while putting up 12.2 points per game. Fall may have the most potential of the bunch, but he could struggle with the speed of the NBA game, particularly within switching defensive schemes.

The biggest question regarding Boston’s final roster spot might simply be “What are the Celtics looking for?” If they want a high-potential flier, Fall is the obvious pick. If they want someone who might be able to give quality minutes this season, signing one of the other prospects -- or elevating one of Waters and Strus -- might make more sense.


bob


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