Xavier Tillman signs 2-year deal to return to Boston Celtics

Former Michigan State basketball star Xavier Tillman has re-signed with the Boston Celtics on a two-year deal.

Being traded midway through the year can often be hard on players. For Xavier Tillman, it was especially difficult because he was leaving his home of four years in Memphis where he played with his best friend Jaren Jackson Jr. But at least he was joining a winner.

A lot of the time, players get traded to not-so-great situations, but that wasn’t the case here.

Tillman left a disaster in Memphis (at least this season) and joined the league’s best team. The Celtics took him in and he played in 20 regular-season games, averaging 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game.

Once the playoffs rolled around, he saw his playing time diminish. He averaged just 8.0 minutes per game over eight appearances, but he stepped up in the NBA Finals when the Celtics needed him and Kristaps Porzingis was hurt. Tillman averaged just 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in the NBA title run, but Celtics fans could do nothing but thank him for his heroics in the Finals.

And now, the 25-year-old big man from Michigan State is headed back to Boston for at least two more years.

Free agent F Xavier Tillman has agreed on a two-year deal to return to the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN. Tillman averaged 5.3 points and 3.9 rebounds last season. pic.twitter.com/Z1510rRVs6

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2024

While he hasn’t quite “starred” in the league as many of us would have hoped, Tillman has carved out a nice role for himself. He’s a reserve big man who plays good defense and can really defend any position. He’s a bit of a tweener as a 6-foot-7 power forward with a decent outside game, but he plays bigger than his frame. But in the NBA Finals, he showed that he could even stick with Luka Doncic.

Michigan State fans have to be happy that one of the best guys to come through the program is sticking with a successful organization and now has a chance to carve out an even bigger role with the reigning champs in 2024-25.