Saturday, the Boston Celtics made a pair of roster moves. They signed Charles Bassey to a 10-day deal and Max Shulga to a standard two-year arrangement.
The reason was that the organization had used up the days it could carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts. That means they will have to re-sign Bassey or immediately acquire his replacement when his 10-day deal expires. Obviously, that reality is not lost on an organization that is maneuvering with pinpoint precision to finish this league year under the luxury tax.
Regarding Bassey, for all the options available to bring to Boston on the same agreement as the one he arrived on, he had a leg up over other candidates.
Joe Mazzulla explains motivating factor in Celtics signing Bassey
When Boston's bench boss met with the media before Monday's 120-112 win over the Phoenix Suns, Mazzulla explained the advantage the 25-year-old center had as the C's worked to sign someone to a 10-day contract.
"He was good for us in Summer League," said Mazzulla of Bassey's standout performance with the Sin City Celtics. "Any time you can just continue to build a relationship, relationships with the assistants, relationships with our language, with some of the stuff from Summer League that's carried over to now, anytime you can have that continuity, it kind of helps you, especially in a short period of time. Just the ability for him to potentially be able to help us is huge. He was great for us in Summer League, and I think just having him on the roster for this time period will be good for us as well."
In three games in Las Vegas, the fifth-year veteran averaged 15.3 points and shot 70.4 percent from the field. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked two shots per contest.
Since then, his path has taken him from training camp with the Atlanta Hawks to 10-day deals with the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. He also spent time in the G League. That includes his most recent stop, suiting up for Golden State's G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Now, Bassey is back with Boston. He was present for Monday's victory vs. the Suns and went through a pregame workout with Shulga, Ron Harper Jr., and Amari Williams. And with Nikola Vucevic out at least through March after undergoing surgery on a fractured right ring finger, perhaps his stay will extend beyond his current 10-day contract.