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Colton Iverson and the Boston Celtics have not discussed an agreement for a deal, according to a source close to the situation.
Iverson was reported to have reached an agreement to join the Celtics for training camp, but a source subsequently told MassLive’s Jay King, “There is no agreement.”
The Celtics and Iverson’s camp are, “Not even discussing an agreement,” a source told CelticsBlog.
As Iverson’s rights holders after drafting him in the second round in 2013, the Celtics maintain exclusive negotiating rights.
The 27-year-old can become a free agent if the Celtics offer him a non-guaranteed required tender and then waive him. Once a team offers a required tender—a one-year deal at the league minimum of $543,471—the player must clear waivers before the first day of the regular season to clear the books. The Celtics could also trade his rights to a team looking to bring him in to their training camp.
With the Celtics carrying six bigs on guaranteed deals, rookie Ben Bentil on a partially guaranteed multiyear deal and Abdel Nader unsigned, Iverson would be a long shot to make the roster. Since there is interest in Iverson around the league, taking a significant pay cut to eventually hit the free-agent market could be a viable path.
"You can't put a price tag on playing in the NBA,” Iverson said in a report by King in June. “That's just been my dream since I can remember. So I really hope there's an opportunity, and if that opportunity comes I'm going to for sure make the most of it. And I'm going to prove to them that I deserve to be there. I'm hoping that will be the next step, but if not there will be very lucrative offers overseas also.”
Although there has not been discussion on an agreement as of now, there is still plenty of time before training camp. Iverson averaged 20 minutes per game over 17 contests for Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir in the Euroleague and Eurocup last season, averaging 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He played 58 games for Laboral Kutxa Baskonia in the Euroleague and Liga ACB in Spain in ‘14-’15, averaging 20.5 minutes, 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.