30 minutes ago I had no idea who Brad Wanamaker was. At the present moment, now I’m pretty sure that he’s amazing just because the Boston Celtics just signed him. Wanamaker, 28, has been staring in the Euro League with Fenerbahce where he was the MVP of the Turkish finals. After going undrafted from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011, Wanamaker finally gets his chance to prove himself in the NBA with a readily-made contender.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report the news:
EuroLeague guard Brad Wanamaker is finalizing a deal to join the Boston Celtics next season, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 25, 2018
The Celtics also went the European route a year ago in a move that paid off big time. Daniel Theis came over on a minimum salary and played a key role off the bench. Theis was signed out of Germany and averaged 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game. The numbers may seem underwhelming but he shot a very efficient 54 percent from the floor and even showed the ability to hit 3-pointers. The Celtics may have just found themselves another gem from overseas in Wanamaker.
Wanamaker, 6-foot-4, averaged 4.9 points and 4.9 assists this past season. Wanamaker is a Philadelphia native and received interest from the 76ers but decided to sign with the Celtics anyway. Boston signed a depth piece at the very least and reduce the risk of losing Marcus Smart. If Smart gets a huge offer in restricted free agency, maybe the Celtics decide not to bring him back and roll the dice with their new guard. Terry Rozier could also be on the move as well with only one-year remaining on his contract. Boston’s deal with him will become official when the new league year begins in July.
