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Celtics Summer League standout center Charles Bassey is not planning on playing overseas next season, sources told CelticsBlog. Multiple outlets previously reported that he was seriously considering signing with the Serbian club Partizan Belgrade, but he currently plans to play in the NBA next season.

Bassey would especially love to sign with the Celtics if the opportunity presented itself, sources said. How realistic that might be remains to be seen.

After waiving JD Davison, the Celtics have one open roster spot. But, as the roster currently stands, signing a 15th player would put them back over the second apron, something the team has actively worked to get below this offseason.

Brad Stevens has been explicit about that, noting that several offseason moves — like the Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis trades — were the result of the penalties associated with the team’s payroll exceeding $207.8 million.

“The second apron is why those trades happened,” Stevens said. “I think that is pretty obvious. And the basketball penalties associated with those are real.”

The Celtics currently have a fairly thin frontcourt, with Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and Xavier Tillman all in the mix. Queta, who Bobby Manning of CLNS Media reported had offseason knee surgery, looks to be the likely starting center, while Garza and Tillman should both play rotation minutes.

Charles Bassey was a standout Summer League performer

Bassey, a 24-year-old center, was the Celtics’ most consistent player at Summer League, averaging 15.3 points and 11 rebounds per game (4 offensive). He shot 70.4% from the field across three games, two of which were wins.

After he made his Summer League debut with the Celtics, Bassey explained why he was drawn to joining the Celtics, citing his impressions of the players and coaches: “It’s just the culture.”

Charles Bassey explains he was a last-minute Summer League roster addition, and tells @JackSimoneNBA what drew him to the Celtics:

“The culture.” pic.twitter.com/dzklVGLe8j
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) July 11, 2025

Bassey, who has only played for one playoff team in four NBA seasons, is said to be very attracted to the team’s record of sustained winning.

“They go to the playoffs every year,” Bassey said in Las Vegas. “So, obviously, just learning from those guys, it’s great for me. I went to the playoffs one time. But it’s been good, man... I’m just going to learn a lot from those guys.”

Summer League head coach Matt Reynolds said that Bassey joined the team right before the first day of training camp, and that he was able to participate in the live portion of the second day of camp.

“It was just clear that that guy could make an impact in the game, and you saw that throughout the course of the game today,” Reynolds said after the Nigerian center recorded 14 points (7-8 FG), 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 18 minutes. “I think he was huge for us.”

What Charles Bassey’s tenure in the NBA has looked like to date

Since being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers 53rd overall in 2021, Bassey has played in the NBA for four seasons, appearing in 113 games. He spent his rookie season in Philadelphia and played for the San Antonio Spurs for the last three seasons.

Last season with the Spurs, he appeared in 36 games before suffering an injury midseason. But he had a strong first half of the year, averaging 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game.

It’s hard to know what that would look like scaled up; Bassey averaged 15.1 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per 36 minutes last season. (For reference, Neemias Queta, who is likely to be the Celtics' starting center next year, averaged 12.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per 36 minutes last year. It’s not a perfect comparison.)

Charles Bassey is the second player in NBA history to have 14 rebounds, 4 blocks and 4 assists in less than 20 minutes played and the first player in league history to do it off the bench pic.twitter.com/i6qku6YVKX
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 12, 2022

Rebounding and rim protection have long been Bassey’s strengths. When asked what he brings to an NBA team, Bassey said: “Great effort, my rebounding, blocking shots, rim protection. I bring great defense to the team. And I just play my role. I know what the team needs from me, I know what they want from me, and I do it every night.”

League sources said there is some concern regarding Bassey’s injury history — the 6’10 center suffered a fracture in his left patella in 2023 and later tore his ACL. He missed the second half of last season with an MCL injury.

But, Bassey played on both nights of a back-to-back with the Celtics last month and is now fully cleared for NBA action.

Charles Bassey was a BEAST off the bench! ☘️

He posted a team-leading 22 PTS and 13 REB in just 22 MIN to power the @celtics to victory over the Knicks. #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/NfCLugSOvS
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) July 14, 2025

It remains to be seen whether the Celtics end up having the cap space, or sufficient interest, to sign Bassey. But, contrary to previous reports, sources say Bassey is currently not planning on playing in Europe next season. And, Boston is a destination he is particularly fond of.

Likely Celtics starter underwent surgery this offseason

2025-08-02T08:30:00-04:00

David Butler II-Imagn Images

Neemias Queta underwent left knee surgery this offseason and expects to be ready for EuroBasket later this month, he told CLNS Media.

Neemias Queta underwent left knee surgery earlier this offseason following the Celtics’ second round loss to the Knicks, he told CLNS Media. He expects to play in EuroBasket later this month after returning to Boston for final clearance after conditioning at his annual camp in Lisbon, Portugal.

CLNS spent a week with Queta between the camp and Vale da Amoreira, where Queta grew up, and observed his workouts with Maine Celtics assistant Taaj Ridley focused on ramping up for the tournament. This year marks Portugal’s fourth-ever appearance in the competition and its first since 2011. Queta will compete in the same group as Turkey’s Alperen Şengün, Serbia’s Nikola Jokić and his former Celtics teammate Kristaps Porziņģis, who’s playing for host country Latvia. The games begin on August 27.

“It’s been good,” Queta told CLNS. “We’ve been dealing with this stuff (since) a couple years ago. We just decided it was a great time for us to do it. We’re trying to get back to 100%. We feel pretty confident in the process and we’re just grateful that we were taken care of, and I want to make sure I’m healthy and get back to 100% and I feel like I’m on the right path to do that.”

Queta dealt with pain in the knee going back to his youth competition days. Previous injuries, including a stress fracture in his foot he suffered during the summer between his time with the Kings and Celtics, prevented him from playing in past years for Portugal during the offseason. This year, he and his generation are trying to show the country’s progress in basketball despite entering as significant underdogs.

His workouts in Portugal prepared for the role he’ll play with the national team, which places more one-on-one scoring burden on the big man. In Boston, he’ll continue to focus on perfecting his screening, rebounding and facilitating on offense. He’s in line to start for the Celtics after Porziņģis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet’s departures. Queta acknowledged the unexpected increase in responsibility ahead, but asserted he and the team hope to surprise people.

“It’s pretty much a new me and we just want to get it the best possible way we can right away so we have a high ceiling or a high standard,” he said of his recovery. “Whether it gets set back every now and then, we know we started at a great spot for now.”

The timing of the Celtics’ playoff exit allow for Queta to get the procedure in an attempt to reach 100% before EuroBasket. He didn’t consider it a significant surgery, and downplayed it having any role in his reduced role late last season into the playoffs, where he did not remain in the rotation.

Instead, he stressed the need to make great decisions, hit open shots when he receives opportunities and overall play more consistently this coming year. Queta’s minutes could potentially double, and as the roster stands, he’ll need to remain available for most of the team’s games to have a chance at a winning season. He’s focusing on conditioning first ahead of the tournament, which he felt would give him a leg-up on his readiness for training camp.

“We’re getting there slowly but surely,” he told CLNS. “We’re reconditioning our body, we’re figuring out ways to be athletic, ways to be out there moving well. We’re just trying to figure out the movement patterns to get back and I think it’s going well. I’m really confident in the work that I put in, the amount of hours that I put in and it’s gonna show.”

Boston Celtics Daily Links 8/1/25

2025-08-01T13:46:54-04:00

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Anfernee Simons and the Celtics can help each other out

2025-07-31T08:00:00-04:00

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

This partnership could grow Simons’ game to benefit Boston now, and preserve flexibility for the future.

So far, most of the conversation around Anfernee Simons has framed him as a trade chip more than a basketball fit.

This is reasonable, considering the roster is still in flux, along with the fact that they haven’t even held an introductory press conference to mark his arrival. But as the summer drags on with no breaking news, it’s worth taking a step back and evaluating how this could become a mutually beneficial partnership.

Simons has spent his entire career in Portland, a team with little recent playoff success. While the Celtics are not a contender as currently constructed, they’ll be Simons’ first real look at a championship organization.

Out of necessity, the Blazers gave Simons the ball, and a ton of leeway to create his own offense. Boston will benefit from his creation ability, but the ballhandling of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard allows Simons to tap into different strengths with less on-ball responsibility.

Simons is a gifted scorer, but not suited to be a primary offensive engine. Not having to be the #1 priority on the scouting report should really work in Simons’ favor. For the Celtics, Simons offers a welcome blend of on-ball juice and off-ball gravity. He’s someone who can create a shot late in the clock, or attack mismatches when opposing defenses are stretched thin. If Joe Mazzulla wants to stagger Brown and White effectively this season, Simons becomes even more important as a bridge between lineups. And if his catch-and-shoot numbers hold up in a lower-usage role, he could become a very intriguing offensive weapon.

After spending five seasons under the guidance of Damian Lillard, he hasn’t had a true running mate in Portland that could consistently take the pressure off of him.

His time alongside Lillard remains the clearest blueprint for how Simons might thrive next to another scoring star.

He’s a fearless shot-taker with a lightning-fast release, which makes him perfectly qualified to thrive on the advantages created by others. Like Lillard, Brown and White draw a lot of eyes on their drives. In a game about margins, this will buy Simons a few more inches of space than he’s had in a while.

In the ‘21–’22 season, Simons played extended minutes alongside Lillard and CJ McCollum—two creators who drew constant attention. In that role, he led the league in catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage (47.8%, min. 2 attempts).

With respect to Dame and CJ, Brown and White offer a considerably more balanced support system. They’re still capable of drawing doubles and bending defenses, but they also give Simons the luxury of playing alongside stronger perimeter defenders.

Simons’ defense has been a weak point throughout his career, and it’s unlikely he becomes a difference-maker on that end. But in a reduced role alongside two-way players, he could stay more engaged and limit his exposure.

That same structure could also support further growth on offense. Aside from just spot-up opportunities, there’s room to grow attacking closeouts. Simons has a skillset that is tailor-made for punishing defenses in scramble mode, and with the Celtics, more advantages will be created for him.

In those early days, Simons was still finding his footing in the league as a gifted scorer learning to operate in the gaps of a star-driven offense. Now, he returns to a similar setup with far more polish and the added perspective that comes from having run the show himself. With that experience behind him, he’s better equipped to take advantage of the openings others create, instead of being solely responsible for generating them.

When Brown drives or has a mismatch in the post, Simons will be able to start his three-level attack with the upper hand–instead of making one for himself–when the ball swings his way.

That kind of ball movement, anchored by players like White, rewards guys who can make quick decisions in space, and Simons could be devastating in those moments.

It’s likely Brad Stevens will keep taking calls on Simons. That’s just the nature of asset management. But letting him play out the first few months in Boston could be worthwhile. Whether he’s part of the long-term plan or not, giving him a chance to contribute in a more balanced role raises both his on-court value and overall trade appeal.

Using Simons more off the ball is also a natural way to reduce his offensive burden and highlight a scalable skill set that fits winning basketball. As an upcoming free agent, that kind of shift in perception could matter to decision-makers just as much as his box score numbers.

Of course, the goal isn’t to turn a dynamic scorer into a floor spacer. Simons has been one of the league’s more consistent high-volume pick-and-roll guards in recent seasons, and that part of his game should translate well in Boston. Mazzulla and the staff will still count on his self-creation and pull-up shooting, but the surrounding talent allows him to pick his spots more selectively.

For a player looking to prove he can contribute to a contender, and a team navigating a transition year, this could be a short-term fit that evolves into something more meaningful for both sides.