5 gamers Celtics might goal in 2025 NBA Draft
Earlier than the Celtics should resolve which championship-winning gamers to jettison from their exorbitantly costly roster, they’ll have an opportunity so as to add a few rookies to that group.
Boston presently owns two of the highest 32 picks within the 2025 NBA Draft: its personal late within the first spherical (No. 28) and the second choice of the second spherical, which it acquired from Detroit two years in the past.
The chances of touchdown an influence participant that far down the board are slim, particularly with NIL and income sharing now incentivizing gamers outdoors of the elite tier of prospects to remain in class. However it’s doable to seek out worth outdoors of the draft lottery.
Final yr, the Celtics drafted Baylor Scheierman at choose No. 30, and although he didn’t crack Joe Mazzulla’s core rotation as a rookie, he confirmed promise late within the season and may very well be in line for a bigger function in 12 months 2. NBA Sixth Man of the 12 months Payton Pritchard was the twenty sixth choose in 2020. And given Boston’s present monetary scenario, the group may very well be much less reliant on established veterans in 2025-26, which might result in extra minutes for its incoming draftees.
With the draft set to start on June 25, right here’s are 5 gamers who might make sense for the Celtics:
Walter Clayton Jr., guard, Florida
If the Celtics wish to add a talented shooter who thrives within the clutch, they may do lots worse than Clayton, who led the Gators to a nationwide championship and was the Ultimate 4’s Most Excellent Participant.
Identified for his unflappability and deep bag of shot-making tips, Clayton shot 38.6% from 3-point vary as a senior whereas averaging 5.7 makes an attempt per recreation. He was even higher within the NCAA match, going 20-for-46 from deep (43.5%) throughout Florida’s six-game run to the title.
Clayton’s cons? He’s small (6-foot-2, 199 kilos with a 6-4 wingspan) and hasn’t been a high-level on-ball defender, with some scouting reviews questioning his give attention to that finish of the ground. Comparable critiques had been levied towards Pritchard coming into the NBA, nonetheless, and he developed into a significant asset for Boston.
With beginning guard Jrue Vacation seen as considered one of their most definitely commerce candidates, the Celtics might look to bolster their backcourt depth via the draft, as a Vacation commerce would go away Derrick White and Pritchard as their solely confirmed choices.
Al Horford, a fellow Florida alum, raised the opportunity of a team-up with Clayton after the nationwide championship.
“He’s only a winner,” Horford advised CBS Sports activities’ John Fanta. “He is aware of play, and I do know that I’m going to be enjoying towards him subsequent yr within the professionals, within the NBA. Perhaps he’ll be with us; who is aware of? However I’m positive he’ll be enjoying within the NBA.”
Maxime Raynaud, huge, Stanford
The 7-foot-1 Raynaud led the ACC in rebounds per recreation this previous season (10.6) whereas additionally vastly increasing his perimeter recreation. The towering Frenchman tried 5.5 threes per recreation throughout his last Cardinal marketing campaign – method up from the 1.9 he averaged as a junior – and made 34.5% of them, a good clip for a participant his measurement. Scouting reviews additionally reward his ball-handling, passing, means to complete on the rim – most of his offensive ability set, outdoors of his penchant for turnovers.
Like Clayton, Raynaud’s greatest considerations are defensive. He possesses very best peak and size however is, as The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie put it, “very heavy-footed.”
The frontcourt is without doubt one of the greatest unknowns on this Celtics’ roster, as Horford and Luke Kornet are impending free brokers and Kristaps Porzingis, very like Vacation, ranks excessive on the record of Boston gamers who may very well be traded this offseason. The following man up behind that trio is Neemias Queta, who was out of the rotation for many of this season.
Adou Thiero, wing, Arkansas
If the Celtics wish to beef up their wing depth with Jayson Tatum taking a look at a prolonged restoration following Achilles surgical procedure and Sam Hauser on the commerce block, Thiero could be an intriguing draft-night goal.
Mazzulla and Brad Stevens may not be curious about a swingman with such a restricted 3-point resume (28.4% on 1.0 try per recreation over two seasons at Kentucky and one at Arkansas), however Thiero presents high-end athleticism, physicality and measurement at 6-foot-7, 218 kilos with a 7-foot wingspan.
“Amongst perimeter gamers, Thiero was essentially the most dominant offensive rebounder within the nation,” J. Kyle Mann wrote in The Ringer’s NBA draft information. “His vertical pop and foot pace are electrical in transition. He assaults straight-line drives with a reckless abandon and doesn’t bat an eye fixed if a much bigger defender is in his method.”
Mann described Thiero as a “chaos agent with a sky-high steal proportion and an urge for food for deflections,” evaluating the 21-year-old to present Celtics reserve Torrey Craig. Yahoo! Sports activities’ Kevin O’Connor had a totally different Boston comp: ex-C’s bruiser Jae Crowder.
Noah Penda, wing, Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France)
One other wing possibility, Penda developed a popularity as a wise, unselfish, playmaking glue man whereas beginning as a 19-year-old in LNB Élite, France’s high skilled league.
He’s thought-about a high-level defender however didn’t supply a lot as a scorer in his first professional season, averaging 10.2 factors per recreation whereas taking pictures 44.0% from the sector and 30.4% from three. How that facet of his recreation develops seemingly will dictate his NBA ceiling.
“Penda’s versatility and robust really feel for the sport performed an essential function in carving out a powerful function within the French first division,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote after mocking Penda to the Celtics at No. 28 this week. “He’s an clever passer who slides everywhere in the courtroom on protection and performs a mature model of basketball for a 20-year-old.”
The Celtics haven’t used a first-round choose on a participant who didn’t play school basketball since 2016, after they took Guerschon Yabusele and Ante Zizic.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, huge, Creighton
Scheierman’s former collegiate operating mate is seen as a late first- or early second-round prospect, and he’d fill the Celtics’ potential want for one more huge physique down low.
Kalkbrenner isn’t a contemporary 3-point taking pictures middle (0.9 makes an attempt per recreation over his Creighton profession), however he’s an incredible rim protector and at-the-rim finisher. Measuring in at 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, he led the Massive East in blocks per recreation in every of the final three seasons and led the convention in field-goal proportion in every of the final 4. The largest knock on him is his lack of athleticism and mobility.
Mann likened him to Kornet, who deserted his outdoors shot early in his Celtics tenure and simply turned in the perfect season of his NBA profession.
