According to Jay King of The Athletic, the Boston Celtics signed Hason Ward to an Exhibit-10 contract. Ward went undrafted in the 2024 draft after spending five years in college — three years at VCU, and his final two years of eligibility at Iowa State. Earlier on Wednesday, the Celtics waived center Dmytro Skapintsev who was also signed to an Exhibit-10 deal according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith.
The Celtics need to cut their roster down to 15 players by Sunday and there’s a good chance Ward will be one of the players waived. One benefit of signing players to an Exhibit-10 deal is that the Celtics will then retain Ward’s G League rights once waived, meaning he can find himself playing for the Maine Celtics this year.
Ward is familiar with the New England area as he went to Springfield Central for high school. Despite playing high school basketball in Springfield, Ward was born in St. Thomas, Barbados.
After going undrafted, Ward signed with the Sacramento Kings and was part of their Summer League team. The former Cyclone is 24 and stands at 6’9 but plays above his height. Ward averaged 6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in his final season at Iowa State while playing 15.8 minutes per game. Ward helped his alma mater to the Sweet 16 this past season before being eliminated by Illinois.
While in Maine, the Celtics can continue to monitor Ward’s progression while giving its affiliate an elite athlete which will allow Maine to play some small ball with Ward at the center position. There’s a lot to benefit from developing your game in the G League. Just ask NBA champions Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet.
