The Celtics moved quickly to fill an open roster spot Thursday after trading big man Chris Boucher then later wing Josh Minott. A league source confirmed to MassLive that the Celtics are signing two-way center Amari Williams to a two-year contract. NBA reporter Marc Stein was first to report the deal.
Williams was taken 46th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft and has emerged in Boston’s big man rotation. He was a depth option ahead of veterans like Boucher and Xavier Tillman. He has appeared in 13 games this season for Boston, including two starts. The 24-year-old has also been a standout in the G League for the Maine Celtics.
Williams has been a pleasant surprise over the past few weeks. He’ll shore up the Celtics’ front court depth for the rest of the season, sliding behind Nikola Vucevic, Neemias Queta and Luka Garza. The Celtics have now signed another homegrown player in Williams.
Considering the Celtics had a two-man center rotation for most of the season, Williams stepped up at multiple points. He had a career-best game in the win over the Trail Blazers back on Jan. 26. There were some struggles when the Celtics leaned on him, but that’s no surprise out of a rookie.
The Celtics also now have an open two-way slot after promoting Williams to the active roster. The other two-way guys are Ron Harper Jr., who’s fresh off a career night in the win over the Rockets, and Max Shulga, the 57th overall pick in the 2025 draft.