Celtics sign Dillon Mitchell to two-way contract

A door that was once closed for Mitchell and other players like him swung open earlier this summer thanks to a court ruling that now gives college players five seasons of eligibility to be completed over five years. The original rule gave them four years of eligibility. Despite playing well for the Celtics’ summer league team, Mitchell is reportedly considering returning to school to fill the final available roster spot for the two-time defending Big East champions. If Mitchell, who has yet to finalize a contract with the Celtics, were to return to school, Boston would retain his draft rights. Given how lucrative NIL deals can be for some players in this new era of college sports, a domestic “draft and stash” may not be a bad idea for Mitchell, especially when considering that he would be playing for one of the sport’s best coaches in Rick Pitino.

A highly regarded recruit out of high school who played his first two seasons at Texas, Mitchell would move on to play one season apiece at Cincinnati and St. John’s. A disruptive defender and capable facilitator, he averaged 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game for the Red Storm this season. However, while the defensive ability and playmaking are positives, Mitchell has a lot of work to do to improve his shot. In addition to shooting 19.3 percent from three for his career, he was a 48.8 percent shooter from the foul line. Boston has already had a success story with a defensive-minded wing that struggled to shoot with Jordan Walsh. This is a solid spot for Mitchell to land, though early on, he may not be much more than an occasional rotation piece for defensive minutes.