After the Boston Celtics acquired veteran Nikola Vucevic in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, the front office solidified its front court by signing two-way center Amari Williams to a standard NBA contract worth $2.7 million. With some lingering concerns over the depth of the frontcourt, the Celtics solidified their center position with the addition of Vucevic and Williams to complement Neemias Queta.
Williams agreed to a two-year contract with the Celtics, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
“Amari Williams has agreed to a two-year, $2.7 million deal with the Boston Celtics, his agent George S. Langberg of GSL Sports Group tells The Stein Line,” Stein reported.
Williams was selected by the Orlando Magic with the 46th overall pick in last year's NBA Draft and was then traded to the Celtics, where he agreed to a two-way deal, splitting his time between the Celtics and the G League's Maine Celtics. He made his first NBA career start in a 114-111 loss to the Chicago Bulls, playing over veteran centers Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman.
In his second start, Williams finished with six rebounds, two points, two assists, and one block in a 117-106 win against the Atlanta Hawks. He finished with a season-high nine points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in 26 minutes in last Monday's 102-94 win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Celtics sign Amari Williams to a two-year deal
As Celtics nation reacted to the Nikola Vucevic trade for Anfernee Simons, Brad Stevens and the front office weren't done retooling their roster ahead of Thursday's deadline, inking Amari Williams to a two-year deal. The Celtics' moves at the deadline prove the team is all-in on this year, even though many anticipated the 2025-26 season to be a leap year without Jayson Tatum. Boston has emerged as one of the better teams in the NBA.
The Celtics have addressed their team's most glaring weaknesses, including rebounding and size, in trading for Vucevic, and established the pecking order at the center position by signing Williams to a standard contract. The latter enables Williams to play beyond the regular season and into the playoffs.
Coming off an impressive 114-93 win against the Rockets without All-Star Jaylen Brown, the Celtics improved to 33-18, which is tied with the Knicks for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
