Celtics
The five-year NBA veteran has already had a prolific, record-setting profession in basketball.
The Boston Celtics have bolstered their wing depth and rounded out their roster on Thursday by signing free agent Svi Mykhailiuk to a one-year deal.
Mykhailiuk began final season with the New York Knicks earlier than he was dealt to the Charlotte Hornets on the 2023 NBA Commerce Deadline. In complete, he has performed for six groups in 5 seasons within the NBA.
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Celtics signal sharpshooting veteran Svi Mykhailiuk to 1-year contract
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Rajon Rondo explains why he thought of a commerce request as a Celtics rookie
Previous to this signing, rumors had surfaced that Mykhailiuk was leaning in the direction of signing with Panathinaikos Athens in Greece, however had been mulling over a minimal deal the Celtics supplied him. Mykhailiuk’s choice to take Boston’s supply surprised some, since a contract with Panathinaikos would have been extra profitable. However he shifted course to remain within the NBA, and Boston acquired their man.
The Celtics had two obtainable roster spots earlier than signing Mykhailiuk, however latest historical past means that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens will go away one roster spot open for flexibility functions, though it’s not recognized if he’ll. If that is so, the Celtics have lately labored out a lot of wings for what is basically their remaining roster spot, together with Glenn Robinson III, Louis King, T.J. Warren and Lamar Stevens. However they gave that spot to Mykhailiuk, who suits their need to have extra established gamers of their locker room as coaching camp attracts nearer.
However who’s Svi Mykhailiuk? What does he deliver to the Boston Celtics, and why did they select to signal him over the plethora of forwards they labored out?
He’s an elite shooter.
Mykhailiuk’s calling card has all the time been his lethal capturing vary. All through his NBA profession, he has shot 36 p.c from behind the three-point line. Final season was the perfect capturing season of his profession, capturing a mixed 42.4 p.c on 3.7 makes an attempt per recreation from past the arc with the Knicks (60 p.c on 0.8 makes an attempt per recreation) and 40.4 p.c with the Hornets (40.4 p.c on 4.7 makes an attempt per recreation).
The Celtics know all about Mykhailiuk’s capturing prowess. Sean Grande posted on X, the platform previously referred to as Twitter, that Mykhailiuk has shot a profession 44 p.c from three towards Boston in his profession. He’s made 24 three pointers towards the Celtics this season, which is the best variety of threes he’s made towards anybody crew. The Celtics are very conscious how deadly Mykhailiuk is from past the arc, and it appears seemingly that Mykhailiuk will primarily function a sharpshooter off the bench alongside Sam Hauser, torching opponents from distant.
He began enjoying professionally over a decade in the past.
Regardless of not making his NBA debut till the 2018-19 season, Mykhailiuk is not any stranger to skilled basketball. When he was simply a young person in 2012, the Cherkasy, Ukraine native started his profession by enjoying for his hometown membership, Cherkaski Mavpy of the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague, the perfect league in his nation.
Mykhailiuk performed for Cherkaski Mavpy from 2012-14 towards a lot older and extra skilled competitors. The crew had completed in the course of the standings throughout his time there, however the younger Mykhailiuk had begun to garner nationwide reward. In his remaining season with the membership, he represented Workforce Ukraine within the 2014 FIBA World Cup, the place he averaged 1.8 factors in simply 8.3 minutes per 4 video games.
He set information whereas on the College of Kansas.
Contemporary off of enjoying for Cherkaski Mavpy, Mykhailiuk moved to the USA in 2014 and turned down affords from faculties reminiscent of Virginia and Oregon to play for Kansas, some of the storied groups in faculty basketball. However Kansas wasn’t storied sufficient for Mykhailiuk to make his mark on the group, and even its convention, as at that yr he turned the youngest participant to ever play within the Huge 12, at simply 17 years outdated.
Mykhailiuk’s younger age didn’t appear to faze him, as he was used to enjoying towards older gamers. That wouldn’t even be the one document he would set whereas in faculty. Mykhailiuk made 115 threes throughout his senior season at Kansas, which is essentially the most any Jayhawk has ever made whereas on the college.
He was drafted by the Celtics’ largest rival.
Mykhailiuk put his title within the 2018 NBA Draft when his time at Kansas ended, and the Los Angeles Lakers used their forty seventh general choose to pick out him. He signed a three-year cope with the Lakers and performed in 39 complete video games with them, averaging 3.3 factors on 10.5 minutes per recreation.
“I really feel prefer it’s only a blessing to be a part of the Lakers and be a part of the NBA,” Mykhailiuk stated after he was drafted. “With the entire Lakers’ historical past, it’s only a blessing to be a part of the crew.”
However Mykhailiuk’s greatest days would come after leaving Los Angeles. Simply earlier than that yr’s NBA commerce deadline, the Lakers traded the rookie to the Detroit Pistons, the place his minutes doubled and scoring numbers tripled by the top of the next season. He was a Piston till he was dealt to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder in 2021, the yr his rookie contract he signed as a Laker ended.
He has publicly advocated towards Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been displaced after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, which initiated a model new battle between the 2 international locations. On that day, Mykhailiuk and heart Alex Len, the one two energetic Ukrainian gamers within the NBA, launched a joint assertion condemning the invasion and prolonged prayers for many who resided in Ukraine.
“A fantastic tragedy befell our expensive homeland Ukraine,” they stated. “We categorically condemn the struggle.”
Of their assertion, Mykhailiuk and Len described the nation they love as a “peaceable, sovereign state inhabited by individuals who wish to resolve their very own future.” The 2 ended their assertion by encouraging these individuals to remain robust amid this horrible battle, one that’s nonetheless occurring at this time.
“Expensive fellow Ukrainians,” they stated, “Maintain on! Our power is unity! We’re with you!”
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