Celtics all but confirm post-Jrue Holiday direction with latest draft pick

The Boston Celtics just selected VCU guard Max Shulga with the No. 57pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, beginning the process of replacing the minutes they lost in the Jrue Holiday trade. Obviously, Anfernee Simons is slated to help with that process, but adding another young player to their guard room is a good step in the right direction for Boston post-Holiday trade.

Shulga played five years of college ball, starting at Utah State for three seasons before finishing off his collegiate career with two seasons with the Rams. At his core, Shulga is an elite three-point threat, and he should give the Celtics another shooter to develop as they move forward in the wake of the Holiday deal.

And though he may not play right away, the selection of Shulga for Boston’s guard room signals a clear message following the Holiday trade.

Max Shulga signals Celtics’ buying into offense after Jrue Holiday trade

Again, it’s highly unlikely that the Celtics play Shulga much, if at all, next season. He’ll almost certainly end up in Maine for most of the year, and perhaps even on a two-way contract.

But bringing him on board, especially after trading for Simons in the Holiday deal, signals that the Celtics are buying even more into the offensive side of the ball.

They want to create an elite lineup of shooters, and with Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and others already on the roster, Shulga could be getting positioned as next in line in that regard.

Shulga is a great off-ball mover, and this past season at VCU, he shot 38.7% from deep on 5.3 three-point attempts per game this past season. He averaged 15.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 43.5% from the field as well. In addition, he was named A-10 Player of the Year, an honor he’s taken home two years in a row.

As Summer League inches closer, Shulga will have a chance to prove himself as a shooter, ball-handler, and connector for the Celtics, as they once again took an older player who seems primed to give them role-player minutes down the line.

At 6-foot-4, Shulga has decent size for the shooting guard position, though he will have to continue to get better on the defensive end if he ever wants a chance to earn real playing time in Boston.

Bringing in a guy who shoots the ball as well as Shulga just proved that the Celtics are ready to embrace the offense even more.