Celtics Sign Marcus Georges-Hunt To Training Camp Deal
BOSTON (CBS) – The Celtics added one more name to their already crowded roster this week by agreeing to terms with undrafted guard Marcus Georges-Hunt to a training camp deal.
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard played four seasons at Georgia Tech, averaging 16.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Georges-Hunt also played for the Brooklyn Nets during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas last month.
The non-guaranteed contract will add even more competition to what has become a nearly full Celtics training camp roster in October. With Georges-Hunt signed, Boston currently has 19 players under contract, just one shy of the NBA maximum of 20 before the season.
Eventually, Brad Stevens and his staff will have to trim down the roster to 15 before the team's regular season opener on Oct. 26.
That number of bodies give a player like Georges-Hunt virtually no shot of making the opening night roster, but the team likely will give him a little guaranteed money out of the gate (like $25,000-$50,000) for coming to camp.
In return, the Celtics should be able to shuttle Georges-Hunt to the Maine Red Claws once final cuts are made, giving the hybrid guard a chance to develop with the C's minor league affiliate for the year. Similar deals were made last season with players like Malcolm Miller and Coty Clarke, both of whom became regulars in Maine.
In the meantime, the former Georgia Tech star will have a chance to make an impression with the coaching staff during training camp. Georges-Hunt was known as a tough versatile defender in the ACC and he'll put players like R.J. Hunter and James Young to the test in practice scrimmages as the team decides which one of those two to keep on the final roster.
The Georgia native isn't much of an outside shooter (32 percent career from downtown), but he's a strong slasher (7 FTA/game during his senior year) who averaged double digits in points for all four seasons of his college career.
Georges-Hunt only had limited opportunities to play for Brooklyn's summer league team (13 minutes per game) but the Celtics scouting staff clearly saw enough to think there might be some potential in the 23-year-old wing for the long haul.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
