A 7-foot European big man is set to suit up for the Boston Celtics in the near future.
We’re not talking about Kristaps Porzingis, whose debut in green will come in the fall after Boston acquired him in a three-team trade late Wednesday night. We’re talking about Aleksander Balcerowski, who is one of several players expected to join the Celtics’ 2023 NBA 2K Summer League roster, The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reported Sunday night.
The 22-year-old Balcerowski, a Poland native, is listed at 7-foot-1 and currently plays for the Spanish club team Gran Canaria, where he averaged 9.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last season in Liga ACB, the country’s top basketball division.
Balcerowski won’t be the only new face on Boston’s Summer League roster, which is also expected to include guard Mychal Mulder, a 29-year-old Canadian native with 84 games of NBA experience over three seasons; guard Jay Scrubb, a 22-year-old with 24 games of NBA experience in two seasons; and a 26-year-old forward Justin Bean, a Utah State product who spent last season with the Memphis Grizzlies’ G-League affiliate.
That trio will make up for the absences of recent Celtics draft picks Yam Madar and Juhann Begarin, who reportedly won’t join the Summer League squad due to commitments to their international clubs. Boston’s 2023 second-round pick, Arkansas product Jordan Walsh, is expected to be on the Summer League roster, per Himmelsbach.
Here’s a look at the Celtics’ expected Summer League roster (based on current reports and subject to change):
The Celtics’ first Summer League game is set for Saturday, July 8 against the Miami Heat in Las Vegas. Check out Boston’s full Summer League schedule below (all times Eastern):