What Celtics' NBA playoff roster may look like based on latest report

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Turns out Tacko Fall had good reason to hit the gym Thursday.

The NBA plans to allow teams to carry up to 17 players on their rosters when 22 clubs resume the 2019-20 season in Orlando next month, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Thursday.

NBA playoff rosters typically are capped at 15, as two-way players aren't eligible for the postseason unless their contracts are converted to NBA deals.

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The NBA had discussed having a transaction window from June 22 to July 1 for teams to convert those contracts if they wish, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks, but that was under a 15-player format.

This new format seemingly would allow those two-way players to come to Orlando without having their contracts converted, per Charania, although it's still unclear whether they'd be eligible for the postseason or just the eight "seeding" games leading up to the playoffs.

For the Boston Celtics, that means two-way players Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters could join their teammates at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex when the season resumes in late July.

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Here's what the Celtics' postseason roster could look like with Fall and Waters in the fold:

Guards: Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Brad Wanamaker, Carsen Edwards, Tremont Waters

Wings: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Semi Ojeleye, Romeo Langford, Javonte Green

Bigs: Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter, Robert Williams, Vincent Poirier, Grant Williams, Tacko Fall

The Celtics also could opt to leave Fall, Waters and/or a bench player behind and sign a free agent -- Isaiah Thomas, anyone? -- to bring with them to the "bubble."

Boston resisted signing an extra body at several points this season, though, so it's unlikely they bring a newcomer into this unique environment.

The NBA has tried to limit the size of its "bubble" to keep the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak as low as possible, and adding 44 players certainly won't do that. Then again, teams should feel more comfortable having extra bodies available in the event any of their players gets injured or infected -- in which case we could see a certain 7-foot-5 big man get some run in Orlando.

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