Anton Watson Inks Two-Way Deal With Boston Celtics, Could Be Huge Down the Line

The Boston Celtics have inked Anton Watson to a two-way deal with the Maine Celtics and this move could be huge in the future.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Anton Watson (22) goes in for a lay-up against Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) on Friday, March 29, 2024, during the midwest regional semifinals at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Purdue Boilermakers defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 80-68. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Boston Celtics are a basketball factor right now. Clearly the best team in the sport after running away with the Eastern Conference and winning the NBA Finals a year ago, the historic franchise just decided to simply run it back retaining their title squad and again being pegged as title favorites entering the 2024-25 season.

One of the only new faces in Beantown is Gonzaga swingman Anton Watson. The 23-year-old played in 131 career games in college all for the Bulldogs, where he averaged 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and 2.2 stocks per game in his final college season.

This led the Celtics to select Watson with the No. 54 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-8 forward joins Baylor Scheierman to complete Boston's rookie class.

On Friday, the Green and White inked Watson to a two-way deal - a contract and roster structure that projects to have the improved 3-point shooter playing in Maine for the vast majority of next season.

However, this could end up being huge for the historic franchise - similarly, they stashed Jordan Walsh in the G League a year ago after selecting him in the second round where his game made massive strides and he contributed to a G League Finals run.

While Walsh only played in nine NBA games as a rookie, the 2023 second-round pick is now more pro-ready and sharp than he was coming out of Arkansas.

The Celtics of all teams are going to value growing players in their G League system as these two-way contracts eventually turn into cheap standard pacts if all goes well.

This new perfect roster has already gotten pricey, as tough decisions have to be made one thing that can take some of the pressure off the Celtics' decision-makers is nailing these second-round picks and getting NBA contributors on cost-controlled deals allowing Boston to keep their top-end talent.

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