On this day in 2014, former Boston Celtics shooting guard James Young signed his three-year rookie deal with the Celtics.
A native of Flint, Michigan, Young was drafted 17th overall out of the University of Kentucky in the 2014 NBA Draft. He would spend much of his time playing for the Maine Red Claws in the NBA D League (as the G League was still known then) in his inaugural season after missing Summer League due to injuries.
Young would play for Boston for three seasons, but could never quite find his footing in the NBA despite abundant patience from the front office.
He would get one more crack at the league after his time with the Celtics as a two way player with the Philadelphia 76ers before moving on to a successful overseas career.
The Kentucky product averaged 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in his time in green and white.
It is also the date that ex-Boston big man Jermaine O’Neal signed with the Celtics in 2010 after a career playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors.
Brought on to try and ease the burden on Boston’s aging, oft-injured frontcourt, O’Neal himself spent many games tending to minor injuries, and only played 49 games for the team over two seasons. He would log 5.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game with the Celtics.
Finally, it is the anniversary of the 2014 three-team trade that sent former Celtics center Tyler Zeller to Boston from the Cleveland Cavaliers along with Marcus Thornton from the Brooklyn Nets.
Boston got the North Carolina product for the use of their cap space to roster him as the Cavs juggled players in an effort to assemble a championship-caliber team around LeBron James. Zeller would play three seasons for the team, putting up 7.1 points, 4 boards and an assist while with the Celtics.
