Boston Celtics Roster: Chris Cenac Sent to G-League

The Maine Celtics, the G-League affiliate of the Boston Celtics, open up their 2026-27 season on Friday night and Celtics' first-round pick Chris Cenac Jr. will be with them, as he was assigned to Maine on Thursday.

Speaking to the media, head coach Phil Pressey said that Cenac just needs to be who he is, and he complimented his ability to defend the rim as well as his athleticism.

Cenac, taken No. 27 overall in the NBA Draft this year out of Houston, has appeared in three games for the Celtics, averaging just 3.3 minutes per game. He is scoring 2.7 ppg and has pulled down one rebound per game. He shared a special moment with the team in the locker room after scoring his first NBA basket.

Obviously, it's a very small sample size, but it will be better for his development to see consistent minutes in the G-League. We saw what Cenac could do during the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League when he was more of a focal point and he should get a chance to do the same thing here. He also had solid moments in the NBA's preseason schedule.

At the NBA level, the Celtics have Mitchell Robinson, Luka Garza and Neemias Queta in the big men positions, so there just hasn't been much time available for the rookie. Dillon Mitchell, the C's second-round pick, might also spend some time in Maine, but he hasn't been officially assigned there yet.

As someone who played for legendary head coach Kelvin Sampson in college, Cenac certainly has a knowledge and understanding of what it takes to be a pro, and with his athleticism, he looks like someone who can help the Celtics in relatively short order. But again, he'll get a chance for more minutes in the G-League and we should see him shuttle back-and-forth to Boston at times.

A 6-foot-11 center from New Orleans, Cenac saw time in 37 games in his lone season at Houston. He helped the Cougars get to the NCAA Tournament as a highly-regarded seed as well.

Cenac started 36 of those contests, playing 25 minutes a game and averaging 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds. Long and athletic, he also averaged 0.5 blocks per night and he also had 0.8 steals. 

From the perimeter, Cenac shot 33.3 percent from 3-point range, attempting 2.4 threes per night. He's been working on his three-point shot since getting drafted as well.