Celtics Summer League standout making strong case for roster spot
Though he wasn't on the roster initially, Charles Bassey finds himself suiting up for the Celtics in Las Vegas. He's managed to turn heads with his play, making a strong case for a roster spot in the process.
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Over the weekend, Bassey put together his best outing of Summer League thus far. In a 94-81 win over the New York Knicks, he notched 22 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks off the bench.
As a fourth-year player in the league, Bassey is dominating Summer League the way an experienced player should. In light of their need for rotation-level big men, the Celtics should be taking a good long look at the former second-round pick.
Bassey started his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, who drafted him 53rd overall in 2021. He's since spent the past three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs in a backup role. Bassey appeared in 36 games last year, posting averages of 4.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 0.8 BPG.
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Standing at 6-foot-10 with good athleticism, Bassey has the makings of an effective rim-running center at the NBA level. While his numbers don't jump off the page at the pro level, he could just need the right situation. Having a defined role on the Celtics could help kickstart the 24-year-old's career.
With no clear option at center for next season, Boston will have to get creative with their frontcourt rotation in 2026. Seeing how he's looked in Summer League for them, the Celtics might have lucked into a cost-effective rotation piece.
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