It’s official: Amari Williams is a Boston Celtic. Selected with the 46th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the former Kentucky standout had to let some roster dominoes fall in Boston first before the team had space to finalize his addition. That changed Friday when the 7-0, 262-pound center put pen to paper with […]
It’s official: Amari Williams is a Boston Celtic.
Selected with the 46th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the former Kentucky standout had to let some roster dominoes fall in Boston first before the team had space to finalize his addition. That changed Friday when the 7-0, 262-pound center put pen to paper with the 18-time world-champion Celtics.
It’s a two-way deal for Williams, meaning he will be active for up to 50 games with Boston as a rookie. Teams may have up to three players signed to two-way deals, limited to those with three or fewer years of NBA service. Those contracts are worth half the value of a rookie minimum salary ($636,435 in 2025-26) with up to half of base compensation ($318,218) guaranteed if not waived by the first day of the regular season.
Williams joins RJ Luis Jr. and Max Shulga on two-way deals for the Celtics.
“He is unbelievable,” Mark Pope told Forbes in an exclusive interview about Williams in Boston. “… It’s an incredible luxury. … Amari can do that work of getting the ball down the floor, and then they can be the first one to come back to it in a scoring position. I think it affords coaches an incredible luxury, with how to rethink the game. … I think he’s got the potential to be an elite-level defensive player switching one through five.”
“He’s been one of the best passing big men in college for a long time,” Celtics vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren said of Williams. “He’s an elite rebounder. He’s a great guy. He had a wonderful career at Drexel, and then stepped it up another level at Kentucky. When you meet him, you’ll see he’s got just an enormous, enormous wingspan. And as you’ll see on the court, if you haven’t seen already, he’s got incredible vision.
“Those are just key abilities. In the modern NBA, your big guys have to be able to do all sorts of things.”
Williams finished his Kentucky career averaging 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in 22.8 minutes per game. He led the team in rebounds (306) and field goal percentage (.561) and tied for the most assists with 115 while also becoming the second player in SEC history with 375 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists, 40 blocks, and 20 steals in a year.
After stops in Nottingham, Philadelphia and Lexington, he’s now bringing that talent with him to Boston.
Dinner is on No. 77 this weekend.
Category: Basketball
