Boston rewards rookie guard after strong G League season
The Boston Celtics (44-23) made a pair of roster moves following Saturday night’s win over the Washington Wizards, including rewarding one of their young guards for a strong season in the G League.
Boston signed rookie guard Max Shulga to a standard two-year NBA contract after he spent the season on a two-way deal with the organization.
The team also brought in veteran big man Charles Bassey on a 10-day contract to add frontcourt depth.
For Shulga, the promotion marks a significant step in his first professional season.
The 23-year-old guard was selected by Boston with the No. 57 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and has spent most of the year developing with the Maine Celtics in the NBA G League.
Across 36 starts, Shulga averaged 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.6 steals in nearly 34 minutes per contest.
He scored in double figures 29 times during the season, including 10 games with at least 20 points and two 30-point performances. Shulga’s playmaking ability has been a major part of his development as a pro.
In addition to his scoring production, he averaged more than 6 assists per game while shooting nearly 40% from three-point range, numbers that helped him emerge as one of the more productive guards on Maine’s roster.
His NBA opportunities have been limited so far.
Shulga has appeared in only a handful of games for Boston this season and logged minimal minutes at the NBA level, but the organization clearly sees long-term potential in the Ukrainian guard. Elevating him to a standard contract ensures he remains part of the team’s plans beyond the current campaign.
Before entering the league, Shulga spent five seasons in college basketball, beginning his career with three years at Utah State before transferring to VCU. During his final collegiate season, he averaged 15.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting nearly 39% from three-point range.
Jan 17, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics guard Max Shulga (44) watches a game against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)Boston’s other roster addition brings a bit more NBA experience.
Bassey, a 6-foot-10 center who has previously played for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies, joins the Celtics on a short-term deal as the team looks to bolster its depth in the frontcourt.
Over 116 career NBA games, the Nigerian big man has averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 62.6% from the field.
Together, the moves give Boston a promising young guard to develop and a veteran big man who can provide immediate depth as the season continues.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.