Robb: Celtics Waive Perry Jones, Trim Roster to 15

BOSTON (CBS) – The Perry Jones era in Boston has come to a speedy end.

The team waived the 6'11'' forward on Saturday afternoon, along with point guard Corey Walden, to trim the roster to 15 players before the start of the regular season on Wednesday.

Jones played his first three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to being traded to the Celtics in July. The former first-round pick was a long shot to stick around in Boston this season from the start, thanks to a crowded roster that had plenty of depth and 16 guaranteed contracts on the books.

Still, Danny Ainge was intrigued enough by Jones' athleticism and strong stretches with the Thunder to take a flier on him. The ex-Baylor star failed to make a strong impact from the start of training camp however, and fell behind teammates when he left the team during their European trip in order to attend his cousin's funeral.

Was a tough preseason for Perry Jones. The death of a very close cousin hit him hard. Jones left Europe early & said he never got in rhythm.

— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) October 24, 2015

Jones averaged 2.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game in five preseason appearances over the past few weeks. Even after returning to the team following the European trip, the biggest number that sticks out from Jones' individual stats is his minutes per game average.

Brad Stevens had plenty of position battles to sort out at other spots of the roster, as he attempted to determine a starting lineup and a rotation for the regular season. With tough decisions to make at those spots and newly added rookies also playing well in limited playing time, Jones became more of an afterthought most games. He failed to check into several contests until the fourth quarter and never showed enough on the court to stand out from the pack.

The good news for Boston is that the team still gained a second-round pick from the Thunder upon acquiring Jones in July, as well as cash to cover his two million dollar salary for this year. Unless another team claims Jones on waivers in the next 48 hours, the Celtics will be on the hook for his $2 million hit on the salary cap this year.

In the meantime, the Celtics appear to have their roster set for opening night. There is still a glut of depth in the backcourt and at the big man spots for Danny Ainge to manage as the season continues, but the roster shuffling may be one for the time being.

Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.