The Boston Celtics wrapped up their Summer League campaign with a 101-80 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night, finishing their five-game slate with a 4-1 record. During their first three games, the story of their team was the play of Charles Bassey, who showcased his potential during his quick stint with the Celtics.
It didn’t last long, though, because Bassey ended up leaving Boston’s Summer League team after their third game, as his contract was only three games long. While his future in the NBA is up in the air, reports indicate that Bassey is garnering quite a bit of interest overseas, with one team in particular emerging as a potential landing spot for him.
Charles Bassey Linked to Virtus Bologna After Celtics Departure
A second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Bassey initially broke into the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers before spending the past three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. A surprise addition to the Celtics Summer League team, Bassey quickly showcased his potential, as he averaged 15.3 points and 11 rebounds per game during his brief stint with the team.
An undersized center, fans were clamoring for the C’s to sign Bassey, given how light their center rotation currently looks. After the team traded away Kristaps Porzingis and lost Luke Kornet in free agency (with Al Horford looking likely to follow right behind him), Boston doesn’t have much at their disposal when it comes to the center position.
At this point, Boston hasn’t signed Bassey, and given their current roster outlook, another move would have to be made in order to bring him to town. If a spot doesn’t materialize for Bassey with the Celtics or another NBA team, he could go overseas, where he is reportedly drawing interest from Italian club Virtus Bologna.
“Virtus Bologna would be sounding out Charles Bassey, a Nigerian center born in 2000 back from four seasons in which he shuttled between the G-League and the NBA,” La Prealpina reported on Sunday.
Should Celtics Find a Way to Keep Charles Bassey Around?
Boston’s primary goal this offseason has been to get under the second apron of the NBA’s new salary cap. While they initially accomplished that by trading Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, their signings of Luka Garza and Josh Minott in free agency have put them back over the second apron. Beyond that, they already have 15 players on their roster, so in order for Bassey to land with the Celtics, a corresponding roster move would have to be made first.
While the C’s have reportedly been looking to trade away guys like Anfernee Simons or Georges Niang, they aren’t forcing moves right now, because they don’t have to. Sure, it would be nice to reward Bassey with a roster spot, but at this point in time, it doesn’t seem feasible. However, you can bet teams across the league took note of his strong play, and even if an NBA deal doesn’t materialize, Bassey will have options to play overseas next season.
