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Marc Stein reports:
Sources -- Boston Celtics close to signing Sean Williams, will waive Jermaine O'Neal - ESPN Boston
The Boston Celtics, seeking some added depth for their frontcourt, are closing in on the signing of free-agent center Sean Williams, according to sources with knowledge of the deal. Sources told ESPN.com that the former Boston College center, waived by the Dallas Mavericks in March, is scheduled to join the Celtics in Atlanta and will be in uniform for Boston's game Friday night against the Hawks.
Williams was released on March 22 by the Dallas Mavericks, who decided they needed another wing player instead of four centers and used the vacated roster spot to sign swingman Kelenna Azubuike. Because Williams was waived by Dallas before the league's March 23 deadline, he is eligible to play for Boston in the playoffs.
Kevin Garnett has made a great transition to center and Greg Stiemsma has filled in wonderfully as a backup, but the team needed some more depth and Ryan Hollins still doesn't know how to rebound the basketball.
With only 3 games left before the playoffs, Sean Williams doesn't have much time to learn any kind of system, never mind practice with the team. He might get thrown into these last few games just so our rotation guys can get some rest and heal up any bumps and bruises before the playoffs. I like this take by Jay King of CelticsTown.
Celtics close to signing Sean Williams after waiving Jermaine O’Neal
Consider this similar to the Tony Gaffney signing of two years ago, in that the Celtics are signing a project who could play dividends down the road but isn’t likely to field a single second of playing time during the playoff push. The only difference is that Williams has significantly more potential and a history of marijuana usage which has come to highlight his underachieving nature.
Classic Danny Ainge: Get a guy that's value is low for some non-basketball reason, sign him to a low impact, low risk contract, and see if he pans out. He's got some untapped potential if he can keep his nose clean and stay focused. That potential might not be tapped into till next year, but it is worth taking a flyer on.