Celtics Waive John Holland, Cutting Training Camp Roster To 18 Players
By Brian Robb, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) – John Holland's tenure with the Boston Celtics ended up being a brief one. The team announced on Thursday they have waived the 6-foot-5 swingman weeks before the start of training camp in late September.
Holland starred locally at Boston University during his four-year college career from 2007-2011. After going undrafted in 2011, he played several seasons overseas before returning to the states last season to play in the D-League for the Canton Charge.
The Celtics elected to sign the wing to a two-year non-guaranteed deal back after his standout season in Canton in April to provide the team with additional shooting depth at the end of the bench for the team's postseason run. Holland appeared in just one game during the Hawks series.
He had one year remaining on his contract but his role with the Celtics next season has long been in doubt after the team selected six players in the 2016 NBA Draft. With rookies like Demetrius Jackson and Ben Bentil competing for roster spots in training camp, Holland's odds of making the final 15-man roster looked slim at best.
Rather than make Holland scramble to find a new pro team at the end of training camp, the Celtics likely cut the cord now to give the 27-year-old a chance to catch on with another NBA team or sign with a franchise abroad.
After the Holland cut, the Celtics currently have 18 players under contract as they prepare for the start of the season. Here's an updated look at their depth chart as it stands:
Guards: Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter, James Young, Demetrius Jackson, Marcus Georges-Hunt
Wings: Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown, Gerald Green, Jonas Jerebko
Bigs: Al Horford, Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller, Jordan Mickey, Ben Bentil
The Celtics still have room for two more players on the active roster during the preseason, so cutting Holland may clear the way for a couple more developmental signings, as was the case with Georges-Hunt earlier this month.
Hunter, Young and Jackson are the players expected to be competing for a final couple spots on the roster next month.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
