The Boston Celtics roster crunch is well documented at this point, as they currently have 16 players on the roster with fully guaranteed contracts. Earlier in the offseason, it was assumed that Perry Jones was going to be the odd man out, but that may not be the case anymore. Heading into training camp, it seems more likely now that there might be a competition between Jones and Evan Turner for that final roster spot, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston.
In this reported scenario, Jones would likely have all of the power to force the Celtics to keep him, as he is still a relative unknown while the Celtics know what they would get from Turner. The Celtics acquired Jones in a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they were looking to shed salary, and general manager Danny Ainge has said that the Celtics don't have another player like Jones.
Jones is easily the most athletic player on the roster, and the Celtics feel that with his length, 6-foot-11, he could become a great defender for them. Turner was given a lot of playing time last season as a ball handler but is likely to see his minutes reduced if he makes the team as Marcus Smart will be the main ball-handler and the depth chart is now more crowded on the wings with rookies Jordan Mickey, R.J. Hunter and Terry Rozier now all on board.
Pre training camp, the popular thought is that Jones is still the likeliest to be gone among people around the Celtics but the way Ainge has talked about Jones suggests he has a legitimate shot to force his way on the roster. Forsberg thinks that Jones is going to have to show up to camp and really wow the Celtics, but he certainly has the ability to do that.
If Jones were to show up to camp and really impress the Celtics, it is very possible that the Celtics could look to trade Turner. One of the potential places where a trade would make sense is the Utah Jazz, as they just lost Dante Exum for the season to a torn ACL and could use a backup point guard. Turner isn't primarily a point guard, but he has the ability to play the position and can handle the ball and create plays well enough to be a more than adequate fill-in for the Jazz.
This competition between Jones and Turner should be a fun one to follow when training camp begins in a little over a month. Either way, a good player will be left off the Celtics roster and available for somebody else to scoop up.
