Boston grabbed two more fascinating players in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, one day after the Celtics welcomed Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez to their team with the 28th choice.
The Celtics first selected 7-foot center Amari Williams from the University of Kentucky with the 46th pick, and then they selected shooting guard Max Shulga with the 57th pick.
In a deal with the Orlando Magic, Boston gave up the 32nd pick in the second round in exchange for picks 46 and 57, as well as a 2026 and 2027 second-round pick.
Here are five things to be aware of with Williams and Shulga, Boston’s recent second-round selections:
Williams is a big-bodied center with promising defensive upside
Given that Boston selected Williams in the second round, it is easy to understand why he is a desirable NBA prospect.
With a wingspan of 7 feet 6 inches, the 7-foot center might be a defensive difference-maker at the next level.
Williams started all 36 games during the previous season at Kentucky and averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. The 23-year-old big man played four years at Drexel before joining the Wildcats, winning CAA Defensive Player of the Year three times in a row.
Amari Williams was chosen by the Boston Celtics with the 46th overall pick. Next season, he will have a two-way contract.An intriguing blend of length (7-foot-6 wingspan), rebounding ability, shot-blocking timing, and passing feel characterizes this British center.ggmlkryRem pic.twitter.com/
Kevin O. Connor of Yahoo! Sports ranked Celtics big man Neemias Queta as Williams’ top similar in his draft preview.
Williams is an underrated passer
Williams may appear to be a big-bodied, defensive anchor in the paint, but the center can also pass the ball with finesse in the post.
Williams matched for the team lead with 115 assists in his one and only season at Kentucky, the most ever for a 7-foot player in Wildcats program history.
In addition to earning just the fourth triple double in program history after recording 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in a defeat at Ole Miss in February, he had five or more assists in six of his 36 games with Kentucky.
Positional passing of Amari Williams http://t.co/lrDhmE39X3pic.twitter.com/mxfofq5h7J
Williams might be helpful to Boston if he stays in the NBA, either throwing the ball back out to 3-point range or searching for cutters while playing in the post.
According to WEEI’s Justin Turpin, Celtics VP of basketball operations Mike Zarren noted of Williams on Thursday that he has long been one of the best passing big men in college. He is a really good rebounder. He is a wonderful man. After having a fantastic career at Drexel, he went to the next level at Kentucky.
You will see that he has a huge wingspan when you meet him. And if you haven’t already, you’ll see that he has amazing vision on the court. Those are only essential skills. Your big players need to be able to perform a lot of different things in the current NBA.
Williams hails from England
Williams, who is from Nottingham, England, first dunked at the age of 14 while playing for Great Britain in a national league game, even though he had been in college for five years.
Earlier this season, Williams admitted that basketball was not his favorite sport as a child, despite his obvious skills on the court.
Williams said to the Lexington Herald-Leader, “I’ve always preferred soccer to basketball.”I then experienced a delayed growth spurt. I realized that I had to start playing basketball at that point.
Shulga was a dangerous 3-point shooter in college
Given Joe Mazzulla’s penchant for 3-point shooting, it’s hardly surprising that Boston chose Shulga as their final pick in the 2025 Draft.
During his five seasons in college, the 6-foot-5 guard has shot 39.2 percent on 3-point tries, making him a serious threat at both Utah State and VCU.
In his final season at VCU, 23-year-old Shulga averaged 15.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, earning him the title of A-10 Player of the Year.
Shulga shot 40.2% of his 3-point tries during his last two years at VCU, and his 86 3-pointers in 2024–25 rank sixth in program history.
Max Shulga’s driving technique, pick-and-roll passing, and vision are all fantastic, and he possesses more ancillary talents than most elite shooters of his profile.For a shooting specialist, 51.4 FTr, 3.3% STL, and 23.2% AST (2.4 a:to) are all excellent. typepic.twitter.com/AVNGoYdvN3
Shulga speaks four languages
Shulga is a seasoned linguist who speaks Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, and English, thanks to his lengthy journey to become a professional basketball player.
Before relocating to Spain as a teenager to hone his basketball skills, Shulga was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Shulga told The Guardian that in the midst of the unrest and violence in his native Ukraine, he still depends on basketball because his immediate family still lives there.
“Everything kind of just goes away when I’m on the court, playing the game,” Shulga remarked.And I’m just focused on the task at hand and my actions in that specific game. I was able to maintain my focus by playing basketball. Whatever has been going on, basketball will be my escape and my release.
Since 2023, Conor Ryan has worked as a staff writer for Boston.com, covering the Boston Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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