Jordan Mickey's first career stop is no more. The Boston Celtics waived the young forward late into the night on Thursday. The move was expected, as it was more of a bookkeeping measure to ensure the signing of Gordon Hayward. Still, it's tough for any NBA player to say goodbye to the place that gave them their first opportunity to make it in the league. The real question for Mickey going forward is where he'll get his next opportunity.
Mickey is moving out
The only surprising thing about the Mickey release was how late it took place, breaking well after midnight on Thursday evening - well, Friday morning.
For some reason, the Celtics almost seemed to be trying to slip the transaction by people. Nevertheless, people found out and understood the rationale. After all, the big prize of the team's free agency still isn't under contract and the team needs to clear some room for him.
Mickey was the 33rd overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft out of LSU. He spent most of his rookie season in the D-League, averaging just 1.3 points per game in 16 games with the Celtics. Last season was more of the same, averaging 1.5 points per game in just 25 games with the club. He was never really given a chance, but he only just turned 23 years old this week. There is certainly a chance he'll get another opportunity elsewhere, as least in the G-League (the newly-renamed developmental league).
What's next for the Celtics
Once the Mickey transaction became official, the space was cleared to bring Hayward on. The small forward quickly signed a four-year, $128 million deal with the Celtics with a fourth-year player option. The team has been making small transactions all offseason in preparation of this moment, trading away shooting guard Avery Bradley and renouncing the rights to Kelly Olynyk.
Now, the team needs to round out the roster.
The team has agreed to terms with center Aron Baynes to solve their rebounding woes, although no contract has officially been signed yet. They should be signing last year's first-round pick, power forward Guerschon Yabusele. The Celtics will still have a couple of slots to fill after that, which could become a competition between second-round draft picks.
Ridding the books of Mickey was a necessary move for the team. Now, the team can finish building a roster that is expected to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a real run for their money in the Eastern Conference next year.
