Andrew Thompson, Sports Editor 

Alexis Washington, Assistant Sports Editor 

After two years of captivating fans and creating a lasting legacy in Richmond, former VCU men’s basketball guard Max Shulga will now take his talent to the NBA. 

Shulga is the latest rookie to join the Boston Celtics as he was selected in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft on Thursday. He was initially drafted by the Orlando Magic in the 57th pick, before being traded to Celtics. 

Shulga was primarily scouted as a mid-to-late second round pick with a low ceiling as a potential bench piece, according to Bleacher Report.

“Max is a tough guy who can handle and shoot,” Celtics Vice President Mike Zarren said in a press conference following the draft. “He’s just a winner.”

Shulga is the fourth Ram since 2021 to be drafted into the NBA, joining Bones Hyland, Vince Williams Jr and Jamir Watkins, according to VCU Athletics.

Shulga is not the only VCU player going pro this year. Two former Rams will join the NBA Summer League — Jack Clark for the Philadelphia 76ers and Adrian “Ace” Baldwin for the Memphis Grizzlies. 

Shulga’s trip to the NBA was a long time coming. The Kyiv, Ukraine native first made waves in 2019 as a standout member of the country’s under-18 FIBA European Championships, being one of the top shooters throughout the tournament, according to VCU Athletics. 

He then went to Utah State University in 2020 where he spent his first two seasons primarily on the bench. 

Shulga played for the Ukrainian under-20 team in the FIBA European Championships during the summer of 2022, and finished the tournament ranked No. 7 in the world by FIBA.

Shulga gained an increased role in his third season for the Aggies following his successful summer and started every game for Utah State under former head coach Ryan Odom. 

Odom joined VCU in the summer of 2023 and brought Shulga with him, recognizing his work ethic. 

“He is just an all-around player, he can score when you need him to score, he can facilitate when you need him to do that,” Odom said. 

Shulga made an immediate impact on VCU basketball. He appeared in all 37 games last season and averaged a team high with fourteen points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

He was an assassin behind the arc, knocking down 86 threes to place sixth on the program’s single-season list. 

Shulga finished his time at VCU by leading the Rams to the 2025 Atlantic Ten Conference Championship and was named the 2025 A-10 Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.

What can Celtics fans expect from Shulga? 

The Celtics are a championship winning franchise that value the development of young players, and Shugla does exactly that as he is constantly improving, Odom said. He has been with Shulga throughout his college career and watched him consistently grow as a player.

“I think it just speaks how much he loves the game, his willingness to be coached and his understanding that he needs to improve every year, and he’s gonna need to do that again,” Odom said. 

Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ general manager, told Odom he is excited for Shulga to join the organization. 

The Celtics are known for their team chemistry and selfless plays, according to Sport Boston. Shulga’s former VCU teammate Joe Bamisile describes Shulga as just that.

“It’s probably my favorite part about playing with him,” Bamisile said. “Like, if you were open, he’s gonna pass to you, and if he wasn’t open, he would find a way to make some incredible shots, which is really cool.”