Kansas basketball: Svi Mykhailiuk inks contract with Boston Celtics
Former Kansas basketball sharpshooter Svi Mykhailiuk signed a guaranteed one-year contract with the Boston Celtics.
A crucial part of the 2018 Kansas Jayhawks team that went to the Final Four, Svi Mykhailiuk has carved out a respectable career for himself in the NBA. The veteran journeyman is set to play for his seventh team after inking a deal with the Boston Celtics.
The Ukraine native is entering his sixth year in the pros after graduating from Kansas in 2018. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka selected him 47th overall five years ago, but he’s bounced around since then. He has competed in 252 games with an average of 6.6 points and 1.8 rebounds.
He was swapped from the Trail Blazers to the Hornets without playing a game in Portland, but his late-season resurgence in Charlotte might have saved his career. In 19 games after the trade deadline, Mykhailiuk averaged 10.6 points and 2.7 assists on a 44.1/40.4/67.6 slash line. That featured multiple nights with 20+ points and 5+ 3-pointers.
Boston had two remaining roster spots and decided to utilize one on Svi. He will compete with Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, Justin Champagnie, and Oshae Brissett for the backup wing role. The chances of him making the final roster look pretty good, especially because there were reports that he would play in Greece if he could not find a contract suitable for him.
Mykhailiuk’s 115 3-pointers made in a single season remain the all-time Kansas basketball record. His renowned shot was against Duke in the Elite Eight, when he hit a game-tying rattler from beyond the arc that eventually sent the game to overtime.
READ: Ranking the 10 greatest 3-point shooters in KU history
How often he will see the court remains to be seen, but Svi’s time in the NBA should linger for at least one more year.
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