Celtics
The Celtics don’t pick until the end of the first round, but they could add a valuable contributor for next season or down the line.
While many members of the Celtics have gotten as much time as needed to celebrate their NBA Finals win, Brad Stevens and the rest of the front office still have some work to do.
The start of the 2024 NBA Draft is only a few days away. For the first time in its history, the NBA Draft will be a two-day event. Round 1 will take place on Wednesday and Round 2 will follow on Thursday.
Boston has two picks in this year’s draft. It has its first-round pick, selecting at the end of the opening round (30th). The Celtics don’t have their second-round pick, but they have the 54th overall pick by way of the Mavericks and Kings.
With the draft looming, here’s who experts have the Celtics selecting with their first-round pick.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo: Ratiopharm Ulm SG/SF Pacome Dadiet
Dadiet seems to be picking up steam as a possible first-round selection. The 18-year-old wing opted to remain in the NBA Draft ahead of the international deadline for prospects to opt out earlier in June. Givony noted that the Celtics are one of the teams most connected to Dadiet as he’s planning to meet with several teams ahead of the NBA Draft.
“Dadiet’s combination of size (6-foot-9), youth and shot-making prowess gives him an interesting upside to grow into long term, something that could be attractive at this stage of the draft,” Givony wrote of Dadiet.
Obviously, wing isn’t much of a need for the Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown expected to be in town for several years to come. But Dadiet is an intriguing prospect.
The French native only scored 6.6 points per game off the bench for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany’s top professional basketball league, shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from deep. In addition to Givony’s note on Dadiet, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor wrote that the Frenchman is a good pull-up threat and off-ball mover.
“Skilled shooter off the dribble,” O’Connor wrote in his scouting report of Dadiet. He’s comfortable pulling up from midrange, whether it’s stopping on a dime or stepping back. If he extends his range, he could become a major scoring machine Good shooting potential off the catch. He isn’t yet a knockdown guy but has smooth form and soft touch on free throws and layups.”
Dadiet’s age and international status could allow the Celtics to stash him, too. They currently have 12 players under contract for next season and stashing Dadiet would allow him to develop without having to use a roster spot.
Givony and Woo also have the Celtics selecting Kentucky SG/SF Antonio Reeves with their second-round pick. Reeves led Kentucky in scoring last season with 20.2 points per game, but the 6-5 wing’s age (23) seems to be hurting his draft stock. Still, he made 45 percent of his 3-pointers last season, which could make him an enticing prospect to the Celtics.
The Athletic‘s Sam Vecenie: G League Ignite PF/C Tyler Smith
Smith’s draft profile makes him one of the stronger long-term Al Horford replacement candidates the Celtics can add in the first round. The 6-9 big averaged 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this past season, shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from deep.
“He was effective within a limited role where he pick-and-popped, cut to the rim and dove to the hoop out of ball screens,” Vecenie wrote of Smith. “His jumper is silky smooth; it looks like he could become one of the better shooters in the league at this size.”
Vecenie noted that “there are some worries” with Smith on the defensive end, noting that it’ll take time for him to develop and he might not be ready for regular minutes in the NBA right away. But if the Celtics select him, they likely won’t need Smith to play much right away as Horford already announced he plans to return next season.
Vecenie has the Celtics selecting Baylor SG/SF Jalen Bridges with their second-round pick. The 6-7 wing averaged 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game with the Bears last season, shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from distance.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman: Marquette PG Tyler Kolek
In terms of college success, there aren’t many prospects who had a better collegiate career than Kolek in this year’s draft class. The point guard is a two-time All-American and won Big East Player of the Year in 2023, averaging 12.9 points and 7.5 assists per game that year. While he didn’t repeat as the conference’s player of the year in 2024, Kolek led the nation in assists (7.7 per game) to go with 15.3 points per game this past season.
There are some questions though about the 23-year-old Kolek’s ability to translate to the professional game.
“Underwhelming measurements (6-1, 6-3 wingspan) and athletic testing will make teams view Tyler Kolek as a backup,” Wasserman wrote. “But that could still be enough to draw first-round interest, particularly from playoff teams that will see a guard who can instantly provide pick-and-roll offense, spot-up shooting and toughness.”
The Celtics don’t have a need for a point guard entering the offseason. Jrue Holiday and Payton Pritchard are entering the first years of their respective four-year extensions while Derrick White is also reportedly expected to sign an extension soon. But point guard play is always important and if Kolek were to blossom, it would give the Celtics some roster flexibility down the line.
Wasserman has the Celtics adding another point guard with their second-round pick as well, mocking UConn’s Tristen Newton to Boston. Newton has served as UConn’s starting point guard over its back-to-back national championship seasons. The 6-3, 23-year-old guard averaged 15.1 points and 6.2 assists per game last season, shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from deep.
Yahoo! Sports’ Krysten Peek: Duke C Kyle Filipowski
Filipowski is one of the other first-round prospects who fit the mold of being a possible Horford replacement down the line.
The 6-10 center was a versatile player during his two seasons at Duke. He averaged 16.4 points per game last season, adding 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals. He wasn’t a reluctant shooter, either. He shot 34.8 percent from deep on 3.1 3-point attempts per game in 2023-24. He also shot 50.5 percent from the field.
Entering his time at Duke, Filipowski was viewed as a possible lottery pick. Peek doesn’t think it’s too much of a concern though if he falls to latter half of the first round.
“Filipowski falling in the first round doesn’t necessarily reflect his body of work during his sophomore year at Duke, but that other players have higher ceilings and are rising after workouts and team meetings,” Peek explained.
Peek has the Celtics adding UConn guard Cam Spencer with their second-round pick. Spencer, who turned 24 in April, transferred to UConn this past season, averaging 14.3 points per game on .484/.440/.911 shooting splits.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: Illinois G/F Terrence Shannon Jr.
Shannon’s draft status was clouded for much of the season after he was arrested and charged with rape in December. But he was acquitted on all charges earlier in June.
After serving six games of an indefinite suspension from the program following the arrest, Shannon received a preliminary injunction that allowed him to play the remainder of the season.
The 6-5 wing, who turns 24 in July, was one of the nation’s leading scorers this past season. He averaged 23 points per game on .475/.362/.801 shooting splits, often blowing by defenders to score at the rim.
“Shannon could master his downhill scoring ability in Boston’s developmental system, and he has enough size and versatility on defense to potentially contribute during his rookie contract,” O’Connor wrote.
O’Connor has the Celtics taking Florida point guard Zyon Pullin with their second-round pick. The 6-4 guard averaged 15.5 points per game on .442/.449/.847 shooting splits, adding 4.9 assists per game in his fifth season of college ball.
CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone: Creighton SG Baylor Scheierman
The Celtics have a team option for Sam Hauser next season, but if they want to start thinking about his possible replacement, Scheierman is a strong candidate. The lefty was a knockdown 3-point shooter on a high volume over the last two seasons at Creighton. He made 38.1 percent of his 3-pointers last season, averaging 8.3 attempts from deep per game.
As the 6-6 wing scored 18.5 points per game last season, Scheierman also impressed evaluators at the draft combine in May.
“Scheierman was one of the big winners of combine week after standing out in the scrimmages,” Boone wrote. “He’s an older prospect but could produce instant value for a contenting Celtics team that has shown it values size and shooting.”
CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish: Indiana C Kel’el Ware
Ware is also among the first-round prospects that could serve as a candidate to replace Horford when the time comes. The big man was productive in his one season at Indiana, recording 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game as a sophomore last year.
Physically, Ware stands at 6-11 and has a 7-4 wingspan. That’s why Parrish thinks Ware would be an intriguing fit for the Celtics.
“Ware is reportedly in the top 10 of some franchise’s big boards and an interesting prospect for a Boston franchise that just relied on a 38 year-old (Al Horford) to average 35 minutes per game in the Eastern Conference finals while its starting center (Kristaps Porzingis) was sidelined by an injury,” Parrish wrote. “The physical tools alone make Ware worthy of a serious look from the Celtics, who obviously already have a championship-level roster.”
Ware also showed off a bit of a 3-point shot last season. He made 42.5 percent of his 3-pointers, though he averaged just 1.3 per game.
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