JD Davison has signed with the Houston Rockets on a two-way contract. He was waived by the Boston Celtics on Thursday, July 24. Davison had spent three seasons in Boston, having been selected with the 53rd pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
Davison is using up the final year of his two-way eligibility by heading to Ime Udoka’s team. He was no longer eligible for a two-way contract in Boston, having spent three seasons bouncing between the NBA and the G League with the franchise.
Outside of Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard and Aaron Wiggins, the Rockets have minimal depth at the guard position. Davision will likely be hoping that provides him an in-road to Ime Udoka’s rotation. Furthermore, his rim pressure and drive-and-kick brand of offense will likely fit better with the style the Rockets prefer to deploy.
Davison entered the NBA as a one-and-done collegiate prospect, having impressed during his time with Alabama. However, he entered the league with a raw skill set that wasn’t fully ready for the professional leagues. He’s shown year-on-year growth, winning the 2025 G League MVP as a result.
During his time in Boston, Davison suited up for 36 regular-season games, averaging 5.5 minutes per contest and providing 1.9 points and 0.9 assists per outing.
Celtics Insider Explains Davison’s Release
In a recent mailbag for MassLive, Celtics insider Brian Robb shared his thoughts on why the former second-round pick is now a free agent.
“JD was in the system for three years so the team had a very long look at him,” Robb wrote. “Did not get many opportunities at NBA level but never looked like a guy who deserved more minutes in those spots. Ultimately, he’s a late second-round pick, so he was always going to be a long shot to make it in the NBA. Possible it could still happen elsewhere but his shooting/size/defense never rose to NBA level here.”
Davison is rolling the dice by joining Houston. They’re a contending team, which could limit Udoka’s desire to help develop the athletic guard. However, if Davison can prove himself with the Rio Grande Vipers, he could earn a spot off the bench, which would give him a shot at sticking in the NBA beyond the upcoming campaign.
Celtics Now Have an Open Roster Spot
By waiving Davison, the Celtics now have an open roster spot. They’ve also ducked beneath the second luxury tax apron, which will now allow them to aggregate salaries in a trade. As such, Davison’s release has given Boston some much-needed flexibility in both the trade and free agent market.
Brad Stevens may wait until later in the summer to make his next move. The Celtics are unable to aggregate the salaries of Anfernee Simons and George Niang for 60 days. It would likely take pairing the two together in a trade to land a legitimate upgrade.
Nevertheless, there was a clear reasoning for Davison’s release beyond basketball reasons. The decision also made perfect sense from a business standpoint. At least now, Celtics fans can continue to monitor Davison’s grow and development, as he continues his career journey.
