Santa Cruz have once again had arguably their best player stolen from their grasp, with the Boston Celtics signing Charles Bassey out of the G League after the center was recently snubbed by the Golden State Warriors.
With veteran center Nikola Vucevic sidelined by injury, the Celtics have brought Bassey back on a 10-day contract after the 25-year-old appeared in last year's Las Vegas Summer League with the franchise.
Celtics sign Charles Bassey after Warriors snub
This move came instantly after the Warriors signed a center of their own on Saturday, signing Omer Yurtseven to a 10-day contract after just three games in the G League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Some believe Bassey was snubbed by Golden State who went outside their organization to sign Yurtseven, rather than rewarding the impressive form of Bassey or Marques Bolden by calling one of them up from Santa Cruz.
Bassey has put up some big and efficient numbers in the G League since his arrival to the Warriors in December, averaging 20.4 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.1 blocks on 60.1% shooting from the floor and 40.5% from 3-point range.
Congrats to Charles Bassey on signing a 10-day contract with the @celtics! The @gleaguewarriors center is our 76th #NBACallUp of the season. ☘️ pic.twitter.com/q7A4TT3Sfl
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 16, 2026
The 6'11" big man now gets his opportunity on a Celtics team that's suddenly a legitimate championship contender, having just regained Jayson Tatum from his torn achilles while moving to 44-23 on the season and sitting second in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Celtics will be Bassey's fourth NBA team, having been drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 53rd overall pick in 2021, before further stints with the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies.
Charles Bassey stolen twice out of Santa Cruz
This is actually the second time in less than two months that Bassey has earnt an NBA call up on a 10-day contract. The 76ers also signed him to a 10-day deal in late January, but Bassey appeared in only one game where he recorded two points and a block in less than five minutes.
It now remains to be seen whether Bassey's time with the Celtics will also be a short-lived one that may bring him back to Santa Cruz, or whether he can parlay it into a rest of season deal where he could contribute to a potentially deep playoff run.
Bassey has appeared in 116 NBA games through five seasons in the league, holding averages of 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and nearly a block in just over 11 minutes per game.