The NBA Draft typically ushers in the start of offseason movement, and we suspect the biggest drama at this year’s pick-a-palooza might ultimately be the maneuvering that teams engage in around the selections.
Will the Boston Celtics utilize their picks at Nos. 28 and 32? And who are the best players that might still be available when they go on the clock?
We’re admittedly no draft expert, so we cobbled together a crack team full of NBC Sports Boston’s top college hoops junkies and asked them to help steer us through our first mock draft. With their guidance, we charted a path to Boston’s pair of picks.
1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, Duke
Brian Scalabrine is sharing his thoughts on reports that the Celtics met with Cooper Flagg, who is expected to go No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft.
2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, Rutgers
Kevin O’Connor discusses the potential that the Spurs offer the #2 pick in a trade with Boston and shares what league sources think of Dylan Harper.
No drama at the top. Fresh off the Luka Doncic debacle, Nico Harrison couldn’t possibly fumble the Flagg. The Spurs take Harper, either as another young prospect to nurture alongside Victor Wembanyama, or to deliver to whatever team sends them a more established star in a win-now pursuit.
3. Philadelphia 76ers: Ace Bailey, Rutgers
If the Sixers truly engaged the Spurs about shimmying up to No. 2, then it suggests they are not sold on the other guard that might be sitting there for them (VJ Edgecombe). Rebuffed, we suspect they zag and take Bailey.
4. Charlotte Hornets: VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
5. Utah Jazz: Kon Knueppel, Duke
Keep an eye on Utah. The last time an Ainge was at the helm of a draft where his team maddeningly slipped to the fifth pick, there were fireworks that ultimately led to two big-swing trades (and, eventually, Banner 17). Maybe Austin Ainge makes a move and shows he wasn’t kidding when he said the Jazz were focused now on winning games.
6. Washington Wizards: Tre Johnson, Texas
7. New Orleans Pelicans: Khaman Maluach, Duke
Pelicans add another defensive weapon, and maybe they finally decide to move on from the other Duke guy who can’t seemingly stay on the court.
8. Brooklyn Nets: Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma
9. Toronto Raptors: Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
10. Houston Rockets: Carter Bryant, Arizona
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Derik Queen, Maryland
Another big man in Portland!? Guess that would make Robert Williams III expendable. Say to a team that might just have a hefty disabled player exception available after its offseason tinkering.
12. Chicago Bulls: Egor Demin, BYU
13. Atlanta Hawks: Noa Essengue, France
14. San Antonio Spurs: Nique Clifford, Colorado St.
Gregg Popovich knows all about plucking an unheralded talent out of the state of Colorado and molding them into NBA talent
15. Oklahoma City Thunder: Asa Newell, Georgia
It doesn’t seem fair that the Thunder have a pick just outside the lottery. And it will seem doubly unfair when they land an intriguing, high-upside player like Newell
16. Orlando Magic: Hugo Gonzalez, Spain
17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
18. Washington Wizards: Cedric Coward, Washington State
19. Brooklyn Nets: Thomas Sorber, Georgetown
Chris Forsberg takes a look at the center out of Georgetown and wonders if he might be the potential best fit in this year’s draft.
20. Miami Heat: Danny Wolf, Michigan
21. Utah Jazz: Jase Richardson, Michigan State
22. Atlanta Hawks: Nolan Traore, France
23. Indiana Pacers: Joan Beringer, France
24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Noah Penda, France
So, basically, whoever wins the NBA Finals is drafting a French guy.
25. Orlando Magic: Liam McNeeley, UConn
Chris Forsberg says Liam McNeeley’s potential is there for him to become a sharpshooter from beyond the arc, and that if he falls to 28 in the NBA Draft, the Celtics should consider picking him up.
26. Brooklyn Nets: Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
Chris Forsberg is breaking down why Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. could be an ideal pick for the Celtics in the 2025 NBA Draft.
27. Brooklyn Nets: Will Riley, Illinois
28. Boston Celtics: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Chris Forsberg takes a look at center Ryan Kalkbrenner from Creighton and wonders if he might be the best fit for the Celtics in this year’s draft.
Our panel really wanted us to make Maxime Raynaud the pick here, but given the choice between two available big men, we’re taking the guy with an elite defensive skillset.
The 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner packs pure size and might be the best rim protector in the draft. If you’re not certain that Luke Kornet will be back, Kalkbrenner can fill some of Luke’s void (even if no one can fill his entertainment value).
Kalkbrenner’s age (he’ll turn 24 as a rookie) isn’t ideal, but we think it gives him a Payton Pritchard-like chance to contribute from the start of his pro career. That he was teammates with Baylor Scheierman at Creighton is a fun storyline, too.
29. Phoenix Suns: Maxime Raynaud, Stanford
30. Los Angeles Clippers: Drake Powell, North Carolina
31. Minnesota Timberwolves: Ben Saraf, Israel
32. Boston Celtics: Adou Thiero, Arkansas
Chris Forsberg explains why 6’8″ forward Adou Thiero out of Arkansas might be the perfect fit for the Celtics in this year’s draft.
We’re slightly worried about some overlap with another Arkansas pick the Celtics made recently (Jordan Walsh), but the Celtics need wing depth, especially with Jayson Tatum sidelined, and Thiero has an NBA-ready frame (6-foot-6, 7-foot wingspan).
We like the all-gas, no-brakes scouting report. It feels like he can carve out a role as an energy guy while figuring out where his offensive contributions can come from at the NBA level. His 3-point percentage (25.6) during his lone season at Arkansas is troubling, but the athleticism is obvious with many eye-popping dunks in his highlight reel.
If Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez is still on the board here, he might also be an option as a raw teenager with a similarly intriguing motor.
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