Rookie Anton Watson Signs Two-Way Deal With Celtics
The Boston Celtics announced on Aug. 2 that Anton Watson had been signed to a Two-Way contract, locking in the 54th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft as a Boston and Maine Celtic for the 2024-25 season.
The Coeur d’Alene, Idaho native entered the draft following a productive collegiate career at Gonzaga University. Watson starred at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane as a high schooler, winning Mr. Basketball in the state of Washington as a senior before spending the next five years as a member of the Bulldogs during one of the most successful stretches of play in program history.
Take a look at the Gonzaga men’s basketball all-time leaderboards, and Watson’s name will be littered across the page. The phrase “decorated career” only scratches the surface—he capped off his career with an All-WCC selection, made the all-WCC Tournament team twice, and ranks among some Bulldog legends in multiple categories. Watson ranks second all-time in Zags history behind John Stockton with 215 steals, third in games played at 151 (94 starts), ninth in field goals made (571), ninth in rebounds (780), and tenth in blocked shots (87). While Watson was at Gonzaga, the Bulldogs made the national championship game once, and won at least two NCAA Tournament games every season after being poised for a deep run during his COVID-shortened 2019-20 freshman season. Even among numerous other NBA players to come out of Gonzaga, Watson’s level of production and consistency stands out.
Celtic fans can anticipate Watson bringing that same intelligence, toughness and dependability he displayed in college. Oftentimes slotting into the power forward spot, Watson is an extremely smart player that adds value on both ends of the court. On offense, he can spot up, stretch out the defense and shoot from range, attack closeouts and make passing reads to find cutters, crashes the offensive glass, and finishes at a high clip on the interior. Defensively, Watson’s mobility at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds grants him tremendous versatility—he can switch onto smaller players, defend on the wing and hold up in the paint. Simply put, Watson is a low-mistake, high-impact player at the forward spot.
Between JD Davison, Drew Peterson and Watson, Maine’s 2024-25 roster already has three smart passers that can operate at various levels of the court. Davison’s explosive athleticism can bend a defense, Peterson’s ball-handling and shot-making at 6-foot-9 is a mismatch waiting to happen, and Watson can find pockets of space or cut off the ball to put himself in positions to score. Once again, Maine should have little issue replicating the play style of the big club down in Boston.
Despite growing up out west, Watson is a longtime Boston Red Sox fan. Add that onto his potential to make an impact in Boston and up in Maine next season, and he’ll have no trouble fitting in as a Celtic.
