Celtics sign rookie Kadeem Allen to two-way contract

The Boston Celtics utilized their first ever two-way contract to sign rookie guard Kadeem Allen. The team selected Allen with the 53rd overall pick in this year’s draft and have seen enough promise across practices and Summer League to make him a part of its future, at least in the near term.

The two-way contract is a new roster-building tool that allows players to spend a maximum of 45 days with the NBA team and an unlimited amount of time with its G-League affiliate. Allen’s signing marks the first time the Celtics have ever utilized such a deal.

The structure of the contract will allow Allen to earn significantly more money than most G-League players can hope for, though substantially less than if he had a standard NBA deal, or even if he played abroad. His pay rate will fluctuate based on what level he’s playing at, but, according to an SB Nation report, the maximum he stands to earn is $279,000 (that report has a lot more details on what a two-way contract entails as well).

Allen projects as a point guard, with enough length to potentially fill the shooting guard role against smaller opponents. The Celtics are pretty well stocked on the perimeter though, and barring injury, he’ll have a tough time finding his way onto the court in Boston.

That shouldn’t come as a criticism here. Allen is intriguing, but he needs reps to develop. He’ll get those in Maine. His signing to a two-way deal provides the Celtics with the time needed to determine whether or not he might turn into an impact player, with relatively limited financial risk.