Charles Bassey has found a new NBA home two months after being a surprise late addition to the Celtics Summer League roster in July. The big man signed with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, according to a team release just a couple of weeks before the start of training camp. Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports it is an Exhibit 10 deal.
Bassey played three games for the Celtics in Summer League despite being an unrestricted free agent. The 24-year-old impressed in a starting center role, averaging 15.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game on 70.4 percent shooting from the field. He left the team before the end of Summer League due to a prior commitment, and Boston elected not to clear a roster spot for him while dealing with a steep luxury tax bill. Boston opted to bring aboard former Raptors big man Chris Boucher on a minimum deal this summer after trading away Georges Niang. Boucher will compete for minutes in the frontcourt with Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman and free agent signee Luka Garza.
With no guaranteed opportunity available in Boston, Bassey gets a chance with the Hawks, where he may have a path to make the 15-man roster. Atlanta currently has just 12 players on guaranteed deals, so Bassey will have to be on the likes of N’Faly Dante, Mouhamed Gueye and Caleb Houston to try to earn a spot on the 15-man roster. If he does not make the team but elects to play in the G-League for Atlanta, Bassey will earn a $75,000 bonus.
Bassey has bounced around during his NBA career that has been riddled with injuries before this past summer. He was selected by the Sixers in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft but was waived after one season. He has played the last three seasons for San Antonio, posting 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds last year over 36 games. The 6-foot-10 center was also rumored to be drawing interest overseas earlier this summer but will try to stick in the NBA after taking the deal with Atlanta.
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