Celtics Send Parting Message After NBA Champion Joins New Team

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Elie Deglaoui | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 8:44 PM ET

A little over one year since winning their 18th NBA Championship, the Boston Celtics' roster is already beginning to look completely different.

Earlier this offseason, Boston traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to the Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks, respectively. Furthermore, backup center Luke Kornet left in free agency to sign with the San Antonio Spurs, and veteran Al Horford is all but confirmed to leave the Celtics this summer, whether it be to sign with another team or to retire.

While these were the biggest losses the Celtics have had this summer, they are not the only ones. Recently, Drew Peterson, who had been with the team since 2023, signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets. On Wednesday, the Celtics sent a simple three-word message to the former NBA Champion: "Thank you, Drew ☘️"

Thank you, Drew ☘️ pic.twitter.com/9G2CzgpcxL
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 16, 2025

Across his two seasons with the Celtics, the Illinois native appeared in 28 games and started one of them. In those games, he averaged 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.5 minutes while shooting 44.7% from the field and 42.1% from beyond the arc.

Peterson never got much of an opportunity in Boston, spending most of his time in the G League. Still, he looked solid when he did play, even if it was only in a small sample size.

Even with next year looking like a gap year for the Celtics as they retool their roster, it was unlikely that the 25-year-old was going to carve out a big role with the team. Now that he is in Charlotte and reunited with head coach Charles Lee, Peterson might have an opportunity to have a breakout year and establish himself as a legitimate NBA contributor.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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