The Boston Celtics have waived Jermaine O’Neal and are close to signing former Boston College Eagle Sean Williams, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

Consider this similar to the Tony Gaffney signing of two years ago, in that the Celtics are signing a project who could play dividends down the road but isn’t likely to field a single second of playing time during the playoff push. The only difference is that Williams has significantly more potential and a history of marijuana usage which has come to highlight his underachieving nature. It’s highly likely that Williams will come to Boston, overstay his welcome and leave after turning off yet another organization, but it’s also possible (albeit entirely improbable) that the super-athletic big man finally harnesses his potential and becomes a legitimate interior force, at least on the defensive end.

This is a high-reward, low-risk move for the Celtics that could pay dividends moving forward but won’t cost them much of anything. I like it, even if I believe it’s ultimately destined to fail.