Ben

Bentil

Bentil has three NBA games to his credit, with the Mavs in 2016-17, and he’ll likely be looking for a deal in the G League or overseas once training camp concludes.

The Celtics gave guaranteed deals to Tyler Zeller, Gerald Green and Demetrius Jackson on Saturday, so Boston’s roster is nearly complete. None of those guys would crack the rotation on opening night anyways, so fantasy owners can ignore this.

Bentil will have to fight hard in training camp to make a Celtics roster that’s already loaded with guaranteed contracts, and it’s no guarantee that the No. 51 overall pick sticks in Boston. If he winds up being waived, there’s at least a decent chance that another club decides to scoop him up. Regardless, there is no fantasy intrigue here.

Boston came into the draft with eight picks and the expectation that they’d make a splash, but their only trade involved a pair of early second-round picks. Bentil is coming off a strong sophomore campaign for Providence during which he averaged 21.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks, while shooting 32.9 percent from downtown. His 6'8" frame hurts him, but if Bentil develops his 3-point shot he could emerge as a reliable stretch-PF for Boston. He’s only worth monitoring in the deepest of leagues.

Once again, the Celtics are loaded up front and they will likely play a lot of small ball with Jae Crowder and Jaylen Brown at the four as well. Bentil signed a three-year deal in Boston, but he’s not even a lock to make the 15-man roster.

Young and R.J. Hunter—both former first-round picks with guaranteed contracts—are competing for one roster spot along with rookie Ben Bentil as well as John Holland. Young has shown absolutely nothing during his tenure with the Celtics to date, but the guaranteed deal may give him and/or Hunter an undeserved edge to stick around. Regardless, none of these players will be on the fantasy radar. For what it’s worth, the Boston Globe calls Hunter a “favorite to emerge from this group.”

With there already being 16 players on the roster with guaranteed deals, and a wealth of depth at the power forward position, it’s extremely unlikely that Bentil makes the regular-season roster.

The report adds that the Clippers are a strong possibility with the No. 25 pick. The sophomore forward out of Providence averaged 21.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.9 steals during the 2015-16 season, shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from deep. For what it’s worth, most reports have Bentil going in the second round of the draft.

The Celtics didn’t have room for Bentil on their 15-man roster, but he does have some talent. The Pacers likely just want his D-League rights, so there are no fantasy implications here.

The Pacers already have 15 guaranteed contracts on the books for this upcoming season, so Bentil is likely headed to the Indiana’s D-League affiliate.