Celtics Reportedly Signing Al-Farouq Aminu, Norvel Pelle To 10-Day Contracts
BOSTON (CBS) -- With eight players now in Health & Safety Protocol, the Celtics are bringing in two more big men to fill out their roster. Boston is reportedly signing veteran Al-Farouq Aminu and center Norvel Pelle to 10-day contracts.
That comes according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, who reported Friday morning that the two big men are en route to join the Celtics. Boston is set to play the defending champion Bucks in Milwaukee on Christmas Day.
The Celtics have been without Al Horford and Grant Williams in their front court for over a week, and big man Enes Freedom was put in Health & Safety Protocol on Thursday. With Juancho Hernangomez and Jabari Parker also in protocol, the Celtics have been extremely shorthanded down low.
Adding Aminu and Pelle should help in the short term. Aminu is an 11-year vet with plenty of experience, while Pelle is enjoying a solid season in the G League.
Aminu was the eighth overall pick back in 2010, taken by the L.A. Clippers after a two-year career at Wake Forest. He was part of the trade package that the Clippers sent to New Orleans in 2011 for Chris Paul, and went on to play for the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Orlando Magic, and Chicago Bulls.
The 31-year-old has appeared in over 700 NBA games (making 445 starts) and has averaged 7.5 points off 40 percent shooting to go with six rebounds per game. He appeared in 23 games for the Magic and the Bulls last season, averaging 4.4 points and 4.8 rebounds over 18.9 minutes per game.
A solid role-player in each of his stops, Aminu enjoyed his best season in 2015-16 with Portland, when he averaged a career-best 10.2 points.
Pelle, 28, has played in 37 games in the NBA, with 24 of those games coming with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019-20. He played 13 games in total last season between the Brooklyn Nets (three games), Sacramento Kings (one game) and New York Knicks (nine games). Pelle has played in 95 games in the G League over his career, and is averaging 8.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks through nine games with the Cleveland Charge this year.
Since their COVID outbreak, the Celtics have also added Joe Johnson, C.J. Miles and Justin Jackson on Hardship Exceptions.
