The Celtics announced they waived JD Davison on Thursday after picking up his team option last month, though turning it into a fully non-guaranteed contract that wasn’t guaranteed until Jan. 10. Boston, instead, moved on over five months ahead of that new deadline. The Boston Globe reported no follow-up move is imminent. Davison always faced an up-hill battle to making the Celtics’ roster after signing his first NBA contract in April, an affirmation of the role he played in the Maine Celtics’ development program across three seasons.
Davison, 22, became Brad Stevens’ first NBA Draft pick as president to appear in the NBA after Boston draft-and-stashed Juhann Begarin in 2021. He struggled to break through to the league until this past season where he returned for a rare third consecutive year on a two-way contract with his first team. Stevens prioritized retaining Davison last summer, and now could be giving him a leg up on pursuing other opportunities while they’re available.
The Celtics selected Davison 53rd overall from Alabama. Once a top high school recruit from historic Letohatchee, he became a staple in Portland, Maine and the greatest player in the history of the Celtics’ development team. Across three seasons, he averaged 19.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game on 47.4% shooting from the field in the G-League regular season. Maine fell one win short of the G-League championship in 2024 and he ran away with the league’s MVP award in 2025, posting 25.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 7.8 APG, shooting 48.1%.
Yet Davison struggled in limited NBA appearances, accumulating 16 of them this year, which still marked a career high. He averaged 2.1 PPG, 0.8 (13) APG, 0.8 (13) TOV and shot 35.3% FG in 5.8 minutes per game. The Celtics will continue with Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons in the back court for now. Boston also drafted Max Shulga, a two-way shooting guard from VCU, with the 57th overall pick, who will most likely take over the point duties in Portland under Phil Pressey. Davison, whose table-setting skills the organization valued in Portland, helped Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Drew Peterson, Neemias Queta and Miles Norris develop into hopeful NBA contributors in their time together north of Boston.
Davison was one of 19 players who appeared in games for the 2024 championship Celtics, and he received a ring.
Davison’s cap hit, roughly $2.3 million, is the amount that most NBA veterans would fill on a one-year contract. So any ensuing addition would keep the Celtics where they were, about $20 million over the luxury tax line and a hair over the second apron. Waiving Davison sheds second apron restrictions for now, but not by enough to make a substantial move they couldn’t have previously. This wasn’t a financial decision.
It could prove, in part, to be a roster space move. The Celtics now have room for two training camp invitations, rather than one, can take on two players for one in a trade or sign a 15th player to a standard contract. That last option appears less likely due to Boston leaving its 15th roster spot open for most of the season for luxury tax and flexibility reasons, though this year could prove different with one of their 14 players set to miss most or all of the season in Jayson Tatum. Without a 15th player, Boston is $2 million under the second apron, $10 million over the first apron and has a luxury tax bill worth approximately $73 million, down from $88.4 million with one.
That’s why it’s more likely than not that the Celtics will at least begin the year with 14 players, despite reported Ben Simmons interest, Charles Bassey’s standout Summer League and an obvious need at center. The back court situation is a question too, as Boston’s reported interest in further reducing salary and getting younger is evident and often centered around another Simons trade.
Davison is eligible for a fourth and final two-way contract this season due to a rule that Tatum helped advocate for his friend and former teammate Harry Giles III. The Nets, Cavs, Mavs, Warriors, Rockets, Pacers, Grizzlies, Heat, Timberwolves, Knicks, Thunder, Magic, Blazers, Kings, Spurs and Jazz have available two-way space. Boston did not after signing Miles Norris last season and drafting Amari Williams alongside Shulga.
Boston’s other non-guarantees include partial ones for Queta ($1.2M) and Jordan Walsh ($200K) that become fully guaranteed if they make the opening night roster. Both are likely to do so.
