Saturday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Boston Celtics plan to sign Charles Bassey to a 10-day deal. The six-foot-10 center most recently suited up for the Santa Cruz Warriors. As one can likely deduce, that's Golden State's G League affiliate. Before that, the former second-round pick spent time with the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers this season.
Across three appearances, split between those two NBA clubs, Bassey averaged 3.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 12 minutes of floor time. The Lagos, Nigeria, native also impressed during his preseason opportunity with the Atlanta Hawks. Most notably, he generated seven points, 17 rebounds, five blocks, and two steals in a stat-sheet stuffing performance against the Miami Heat.
For Bassey, this 10-day opportunity brings him back to the franchise he was with before going to "The Peach State" for training camp.
The four-year veteran averaged 15.3 points and shot 70.4 percent from the field in three appearances with the Celtics at Summer League. He also hauled in 11 rebounds and swatted two shots per tilt during his stint in Sin City.
The organization would have enjoyed the chance to continue working together at training camp. Now, that reunion is on its way.
What's next for the Celtics?
Interestingly enough, because Bassey is arriving in Boston on a 10-day deal, the Celtics must prepare for when that contract expires. When that happens, they must fill their vacant roster spot.
They'll most likely wait until the tail end of the regular season to convert Ron Harper Jr. from a two-way deal to a standard contract. That way, he only counts on their books for one regular-season game. With the margins to stay under the luxury tax as narrow as they are, that precision matters.
They could bring back Bassey or Dalano Banton on another 10-day deal. Of course, it's also possible they move on to someone else.
The other move Boston made on Saturday means the franchise will only have to worry about filling one more roster spot until it's time to convert Harper to a standard contract.
The Celtics signed Max Shulga, previously on a two-way deal, to a standard two-year agreement, per ESPN's Shams Charania. It will be prorated for the rookie minimum for the rest of the current campaign. That will help his team finish this league year below the luxury tax.
Shulga is averaging 16.4 points per game with the Maine Celtics this season. He is burying 39.9 percent of the 6.4 threes he is attempting. The six-foot-four guard is also dishing out 7.1 assists, snagging 4.5 rebounds, and swiping 1.7 steals per contest.