R.J.

Hunter

The 28th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Hunter has plied his trade overseas since his last appearance in the Association back in 2019. Most recently, he played for Sydney Kings, where his 2021-22 season was cut short by a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. According to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer, Hunter’s deal for the 2023-24 season is not guaranteed. Hunter’s addition to the Hornets’ roster is unlikely to impact fantasy basketball.

Hunter, a first-round pick of the Celtics in 2015, scored 17 points in his lone NBA appearance this past season. Hunter spent most of the first four years of his career in the G-League and hopes to earn an NBA deal after a successful year in Turkey.

None of the three players made an impact this season. The Celtics need all the cap space they can get with Kyrie Irving and Al Horford on their way out.

He’ll just be emergency depth for Boston if Gordon Hayward (ankle) is unable to play vs. the Bucks. There are no fantasy implications here.

He was the 28th pick by the Celtics back in 2015 after a strong tourney appearance at Georgia State, but Hunter hasn’t panned out yet. The 25-year-old swingman played just five games with the Rockets last season and likely will need a lot to happen to get NBA minutes on a deep Celtics roster this year.

Hunter, a first-round pick by the Celtics back in 2015, has bounced around the league and has been unable to secure a roster spot for long. He’s appeared in just eight games over the last two seasons.

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.

“It’s feeling better. It was just really stiff, and I couldn’t get the flick off of it the other day,” Hunter said. “I had an X-ray as soon as it happened, and they didn’t see anything. They didn’t want to get an MRI, so that’s good.” Hunter will test his wrist during shootaround, but there’s no way he’ll take the court if he’s not 100 percent.

The departure of Evan Turner gives Hunter a new lease on life as a backup SG, though Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart are still looming threats to his playing time. Tonight’s line was marred by 4-of-11 shooting and seven personal fouls, though Hunter said afterward that the bone bruise in his right wrist prevented him from getting full extension. The perimeter specialist struggled in limited minutes as a rookie, shooting just 36.7 percent from the field (30.2 from deep), so it’s hard for fantasy owners to be optimistic.

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.”