Celtics Sign Intriguing Forward to Summer League Roster

Sam LaFrance | Jul 1, 2024

Boston Celtics summer league forward Tristan Enaruna / MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR / USA TODAY

With the NBA Draft having wrapped up last week, teams are now shifting their attention to building out their Summer League rosters. Former Cleveland State forward Tristan Enaruna will be joining Boston Celtics draftees Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson in Las Vegas this month.

Enaruna inked an exhibit-10 deal with Boston after wrapping his fifth season of college ball. He appeared in 35 games for Cleveland State, averaging 19.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, while shooting 49.8% from the field and 32.2% from beyond the arc.

The 23-year-old is an intriguing prospect, even though he went undrafted.

At 6-foot-8, he has the size to take on multiple roles with the summer Cs. Offensively, he had a great year for the Vikings. He led his squad in scoring by a wide margin and showed a strong ability to get to his spots.

First and foremost, the Dutch wing is a strong finisher. He's more than comfortable using his size to create space for himself in the paint and can convert tough attempts in traffic. Enaruna loves to go to his left and score, despite being right-handed. His go-to moves include a lefty push shot off the glass or a fadeaway after bumping his defender.

As someone who spent a lot of time as the focal point of the offense, Enaruna has experience making quick decisions and finding his teammates off of double teams.

He also has a nose for the ball on the defensive end. Last season he averaged a combined 2.1 stocks (steals and blocks) per game. That along with his size should make him a serviceable defender in the summer league, and perhaps going forward into next season.

The main drawback for Enaruna has been his shooting ability, specifically from long range. Over the course of his five-year collegiate career, he only sank 26.6% of his attempts from deep. Even though last season was his best, he still shot a subpar percentage on a low volume of attempts.

There will be room for the undrafted forward to grow his game, should he stick around for a potential G-League or two-way contract with Boston.