Real Madrid and Max Shulga have reached an agreement for the shooting guard, coming from the Boston Celtics, to join Real Madrid for the next two seasons through the end of 2027-28.
It's official. Real Madrid announced on Friday the agreement with Max Shulga by which the shooting guard, coming from the Boston Celtics, will be a Real Madrid player for the next two seasons through the end of 2027-28, according to the club's statement.
He becomes the fourth signing of the Madrid summer, after Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, Jaime Pradilla and Mikael Jantunen, on a roster that Pedro Martínez is rebuilding almost from scratch.
The key is in the roster spot
Beyond talent, the move has an administrative dimension that makes it especially valuable. Shulga was born in Kyiv, but was developed in Spain: he attended Colegio Leonés and the Torrelodones Basketball Excellence School before heading to the NCAA. This gives him the status of a locally-trained player under ACB regulations.
On a roster where roster spots are scarce currency, that detail matters. He will share that category with Sergio Llull, Alberto Abalde, Edy Tavares, Jaime Pradilla and Usman Garuba, the latter sidelined with a long-term injury.
One year of limited NBA time and a brilliant G League season
His first season as a professional was full of contrasts. Selected 57th overall in the 2025 draft by Orlando and immediately traded to Boston, he barely saw minutes with the Celtics: just over a dozen appearances and three minutes per game.
Where he did shine was in the G League. With the Maine Celtics he averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals—numbers that explain Madrid's interest and paint a picture of a player capable of creating off the pick-and-roll, facilitating and threatening from three-point range.
His college resume points in the same direction. He was Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2025 with VCU, posting 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 72 games, and shot 39.2% from three over his five-year career between Utah State and VCU.
How he became available
The path here explains everything. Boston declined its team option for 2026-27 and also did not extend him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. He subsequently played in Summer League with the Golden State Warriors, with whom he won the Las Vegas title, but did not receive any firm NBA offers.
Madrid had been pursuing him for some time. And it wasn't the only team: Unicaja explored signing him even before he entered the draft.