Gonzaga's Anton Watson, Killian Tillie to play for Boston Celtics in 2024 NBA Summer League

Two former Gonzaga men’s basketball standouts will suit up for the Boston Celtics in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this month, as Anton Watson and Killian Tillie were among the13 players listed on the defending NBA champion’s summer roster.

Watson and Tillie were teammates on the Bulldogs in the shortened 2019-20 season, when Watson was a freshman out of Gonzaga Prep and Tillie a seasoned senior who was recovering from a torn plantar fascia he suffered as a junior. Five years later, the two reunite after Watson was selected with the 54th overall pick by the Celtics in last month’s NBA Draft. Tillie, who recently bought a home in Spokane, gets another shot at an NBA career.

After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, Tillie signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies and appeared in 54 games over two seasons. A back injury limited the 6-foot-9 Frenchman in the 2021-22 campaign, and after undergoing surgery, the Grizzlies waived Tillie in October 2022. 

"I haven't played in two years. Just excited to get back to it. I'm feeling healthy now," Tillie said on an episode of Gonzaga Nation in May. 

Watson spent the last five years in Spokane developing into an NBA level prospect, as the 6-foot-8 forward expanded his game beyond a defensive-focused wing into a two-way forward who can guard multiple positions and is capable of making the right basketball decisions on offense, with or without the ball in his hands. While he strives to improve his 3-point shot, Watson is a plus on offense with his timely cuts and hard dives to the rim as a screener. The athleticism doesn’t stand out, though his improved measurements from the G League Elite Camp would suggest its trending in the right direction.

Also, coming from a winning culture at Gonzaga certainly helped his draft stock.

“It's a winning culture with the Celtics. I think everyone knows that,” Watson said to Gonzaga Nation last week. “I think they want me to come in and try to produce like right away. Develop as a player, develop in the league and you know, what I do best is win games.”

The Celtics tip off the 2024 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on July 13 when they take on the Miami Heat, who drafted former Indiana Hoosiers standout Kel’el Ware in the first round. Then it’s a matchup against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers on July 15, followed by games against the Charlotte Hornets (July 17) and Dallas Mavericks (July 19). All games will be televised on NBATV. 

Watson was the 31st Gonzaga player selected in the NBA Draft all-time, the 19th under Mark Few and the eighth since 2019. It also marks the fourth consecutive draft to have a former Bulldogs chosen.

Joining Watson and Tillie is the Celtics' 2022 second round pick, JD Davidson, as well as the 30th overall pick in last month's draft, Baylor Scheierman. Jordan Walsh, who the Sacramento Kings traded to the Celtics with a second round pick (that later ended up being Watson) will be on the summer league roster as well after spending much of last season in the G League.