NBA Notebook: Who could the Celtics select in the 2025 draft?

The Celtics prepared to make a consequential pair of draft selections earlier this spring, hosting an array of draft workouts with numerous prospects, and at least five of those players decided to return to college basketball. This draft class became the most impactful yet since college players began receiving name, image and likeness money, which made staying in school the most compelling option it's been since the NBA mandated a one-year gap between high school and entering the league for the 2006 draft. That the Celtics make their selections at No. 28 and No. 32 overall created even greater challenges in what's generally considered a thinner draft than usual. 

It's also the class with the most variety of opinions on the same prospects and where they'll land for some players further down the board. This draft featured a slam dunk No. 1 pick in Cooper Flagg, who never garnered any doubt as the top prospect. He'll head to Dallas, and while Dylan Harper from Rutgers quickly separated himself as the No. 2 selection, some combination of fellow Rutgers wing Ace Bailey, fast-rising wing V.J. Edgecombe from Baylor, Duke wing Kon Knueppal, guards Tre Johnson (Texas) and Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma) round out the rest of the top-seven Bailey's stock seemingly took a hit this week as his refusal to workout for teams continued, though he should remain a top-10 selection. Anything could happen from there, with Duke center Khaman Maluach, Kasparis Jakucionis from Illinois, Maryland big Derik Queen and Cedric Coward, a wing who began his college career in Division III, standing out as popular names. Though some rank them much lower, and some include other names in their best available. 

The Celtics reportedly worked out Coward, the highest-rated of their known visits. He's still relatively young at 21 despite his long college journey that began at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. A Fresno, California native, he received no Division I offers before a strong season in D-III drew interest from Eastern Washington in Division I. He became a double-figure scorer as a junior, shooting 38.3% from three on more than four attempts per game then transferring to Washington State, following his EWU head coach after testing the 2024 draft. There, he played only six games before suffering an articular cartilage tear and a partially torn labrum. He began that season shooting 40% from three and he finished his college career converting 59.5% of his shots overall. At 6-6 with a 7-3 wingspan and 38.5-inch vertical, he's one of this draft's most physically gifted players. 

Coward will go long before the Celtics select, making a move way up the board necessary for them to select higher-regard prospects, though it'll prove difficult to navigate between picks with much certainty. Consolidating a late first and early second-rounder probably won't get them much higher up the board either, especially with the Nets attempting similar moves with three late firsts at their disposal. A Jaylen Brown or Derrick White trade is the only feasible path for the Celtics to make a major leap into lottery territory. 

At 28, mock drafts mostly connect the Celtics to centers given Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet's uncertainty, with the two most likely available being Stanford and Creighton seniors Maxime Raynaud and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Raynaud averaged a double-double last season with 20.2 points per game, reaching 34.7% on 193 attempts per game from a variety of positions on the floor and situations. Over his last two college seasons, he shot 89-of-254 (35%), making him a strong shooting prospect at 7 feet (73.2% FT). Born in Paris, he studied math at Stanford with an interest in astrophysics. He attacked closeouts, finished well inside in limited opportunities, moved fluidly for his size and got off 5.5 threes per game despite a slow release. Raynaud averaged 10.6 rebounds per game as a senior, including 2.7 offensive. His defense could knock him into the second round, without great foot speed or a clear scheme he works best in. Even his drop discipline caused problems for Stanford, who was seven points per 100 possessions worse defensively with him on the floor compared to off. 

Kalkbrenner makes more sense for what Boston likes out of its bigs. Another massive center (7-1, 257 lbs, 7-6 wingspan, 33 in. vertical), he played five seasons and flourished in his fifth, emerging as a 34.4% three-point shooter on low volume. Creighton played through Kalkbrenner more offensively after losing Baylor Scheierman to the draft, the Celtics wing who played two seasons with Kalkbrenner. Unlike Raynaud, Kalkbrenner emerged as one of the NCAA's best defensive bigs, if not the best this past season. He blocked 2.7 shots per game after 3.1 in 2023-24. Craighton's defense improved by 9.8 points per 100 with Kalkbrenner on compared to off on a defense that ranked top-25 in adjusted defensive rating across his last four seasons. 

On offense, he's a willing screener, gets out of picks quickly to explode toward the basket with great hands and constantly runs ahead of the play in transition to catch lobs and finishes below the rim at a high rate too. He shot 65.8% across his college career, and 69.6% on twos. Despite some concerns about his relatively slow feet, low rebounding numbers and an uncertain shooting future given his 70.9% free throw shooting and low three-point volume, he has improved continuously and could be available at No. 28 overall. Some evaluations compared him to Kornet, and you can see it by how he fills space defensively in the drop. Mitch Ballock, who coached him in college, wanted to see Kalkbrenner play more angry. 

"He'll be in a similar position (to Scheierman), I know a few teams are higher on him than most," Ballock said. "Atlanta liked him, the Kings liked him, teams in that area liked him ... I think this year, especially, has brought back the big man a little bit. I think in the last four years, it disappeared and they're talking pick-and-pop fives and spacing the floor, and each of them have a couple. If you look at the two (Finals) teams, you have Myles Turner and Chet (Holmgren), but you have guys off the bench in Mitchell Robinson, who played for the Knicks. Those guys make an impact at a high level, and what Ryan's able to do, his translatable skill to the NBA is he's able to protect the rim, he's able to guard the rim at a high level. Guys don't understand how big he is until they play against him, and then they find out quickly that some stuff that works over some centers doesn't work over him. He's also shooting the ball better, I think he had the best shooting numbers out of all the big men at the combine, which is really good for him. He can do that at a higher clip and at a higher level, and he can really move." 

"His ability to switch onto guys on the perimeter, we didn't switch much with him, because of his impact at the rim and we wanted to keep him at the rim, because it gave us a chance to win, but when he switched onto smaller guards, it was incredible. Guys didn't even start trying him anymore. They would try to go by him and he would catch up or he'd get them at the rim. It's pretty incredible what he can do. I understand in the NBA, guys are a little better and they can get to their kill spots and they're a lot more efficient, but I think that gives an interesting matchup that he can do. He can switch, and he can guard on the perimeter and he can move his feet at a high level. So I think he'll do well. Organizations will fall in love with him just because of who he is as a person. He's really nice, sometimes too nice, so hopefully he can get that s*** that Baylor has, the good s*** ... and turn into a little bit of an a**hole." 

The late first round could also feature an array of wings who could join Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and others competing for minutes Jayson Tatum won't fill for most, if not all, of this season. Sam Hauser's future with the team enters the offseason in some doubt due to how easily the Celtics could trade his $10-million salary into trade exceptions and cap space without taking money back. The Hawks are worth watching as a Hauser team given that they own the No. 22 pick, which they could swap with Boston's No. 28 as compensation for Hauser. But Hauser became a rock for a team that won a championship while playing him significant minutes in the Finals, and he shot 42% from three across four years and 1,243 attempts with the Celtics. That's not easy to replace. Many wings in Boston's range also come with some offensive questions. 

North Carolina's Drake Powell, the youngest option the Celtics could take, and an intriguing defensive stopper ranked ninth in offensive usage on his team. He only scored 7.4 PPG and while his mechanics and 37.9% mark from three last season still point toward 3-and-D potential, his lack of assertiveness on offense could lead teams to ignore and challenge him. That's led to quick pulls for younger and older players alike by Joe Mazzulla, who values spacing above all else. Powell also only converted 64.8% of his free throws last year despite better results in college. Similarly, Arkansas' Adou Thiero emerged as one of this year's most gifted athletes, but struggled to knock down shots (25.6% 3PT) after better showings as a freshman and sophomore. Michigan's Danny Wolf stands out as a potential face-up center who plays more like a point forward with passing and some shooting skill (33.6% 3PT). The Celtics worked out Tennessee's Chaz Lanier, a second-round shooting prospect who knocked down 40.2% of his 687 threes in college over five years despite his smaller stature. He hit 39.5% on 311 tries after transferring from North Florida to Tennessee for 2024-25. Koby Brea shot 43.4% on 730 attempts between Dayton and Kentucky. 

Yet the most intriguing name for Boston could be French wing Noah Penda, a 6-8 passer with an endless motor who's still only 20 and could flash the most star potential of any player available in the Celtics' range. Adding to the intrigue -- Boston worked Penda out last year while he tested the 2024 process before playing for Le Mans Sarthe in France. Mazzulla visited France earlier this month, and went out to eat with Penda's head coach Guillaume Vizade during a trip to Le Mans. Penda stands 6-8, measured at 242 pounds and has a 6-11 wingspan. That could allow for a versatile defensive role where he's changing matchups and scrambling to recover, his specialty with his club team. Penda shot 37.3% on catch-and-shoot threes, posted a positive assist-to-turnover ratio with some flashy feeds and played off-ball while keeping the ball moving. Those all point toward him potentially fitting into the Celtics' system with the ability to improve on his 30.4% three-point shooting last season. His offense remains a question, without much burst, finishing ability or movement shooting, with the shot still enough of a question to drop him down the board. He's a draft-and-stash candidate, according to ESPN, who slotted him No. 30. 

The Celtics, who could move Jrue Holiday this month, could use some guard depth as well. Walter Clayton Jr. intrigues most if he falls into the 20s due to his size and age. Coming off leading Florida to the national championship, he shot 39.8% from three off the catch and 36.9% off the dribble with defenses keying in on him. He's a brilliant shot creator and had the college success that calls back to Payton Pritchard's success from the 2020 draft. Clayton also plays with underrated athleticism, and while his 6-2 size could hinder him defensively, he could benefit from putting on more weight and defending more actively off-ball with his large hands. Given Clayton's likely selection ahead of Boston, other guards like Kam Jones, who thrived stepping into an on-ball role for Marquette last year and shot well from three throughout his career, Ben Saraf, a young, tall playmaking guard from Israel, or Tyrese Proctor, who orchestrated Duke's offense last year while hitting threes, could all factor into the Celtics' second-round selection process. The Celtics worked out West Virginia guard Javon Small, a playmaking guard with size concerns who managed to finish at the rim well and shot over 40% on his catch-and-shoot threes. 

Other names worth watching for: Joan Beringer could give the team a long-term big man development project in the late first round, The French 18-year-old played in Slovenia last season, averaging 5.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 1.4 BPG after only picking up basketball three years ago and starring on France's youth international team. Will Riley and Rasheer Fleming, both potentially gone before 28, could provide shooting and physicality, respectively, at the wing. Both players are earlier in their development. Boston worked out Auburn senior Johni Broome, the best player in college last year alongside Flagg, a physical defender and interior scorer who hasn't developed as a shooter. He's expected to go later in the second round. Likely second round wings Jamir Watkins (Florida State) and Sion James (Duke) could also step into roles quickly. Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard, whose Pacers guard brother every Celtics fan should know, averaged 9.8 APG this year and deserves a look in the second round. Nevada wing Kobe Sanders, Kentucky's Jaxson Robinson and others who project closer to G-League players or Summer League invites. 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Boston: Teams calling the Celtics about Derrick White and Jaylen Brown have met insurmountable requests for packages to make Boston consider moving either player, according to Shams Charania. Boston has stressed since Brad Stevens' exit interview that it will expect strong offers for any of its players, and is not simply searching for ways to offload salary. Jayson Tatum turned the corner mentally after several difficult weeks to begin his achilles rehab, Torrey Craig told The Garden Report after visiting Tatum at the Celtics' facility last week. Craig expressed interest in returning to Boston in free agency. Impending free agents Al Horford and Drew Peterson have also been at Auerbach Center.

Charlotte: Josh Green underwent surgery to address left shoulder instability and will remain out indefinitely. The Hornets await intrigue above them before they select No. 4 overall in Wednesday's draft, including Ace Bailey's seemingly declining stock after initially emerging as the third-best prospect in this class. Charlotte could face a difficult decision there if San Antonio goes with Dylan Harper and Philadelphia pivots to VJ Edgecomb, as reports have suggested. At least one draft lottery prospect reportedly declined to workout for the Hornets because of his desire to not play with LaMelo Ball, according to a report. 

Chicago: Bulls GM Arturas Karnisovas reportedly received an extension, news that'll surely receive mixed reviews from a Chicago fan base frustrated with the team's stagnancy since the Jimmy Butler era. Karnisovas' Bulls peaked with 46 wins in 2022, losing in the first round to Milwaukee in their only postseason appearance over those five seasons. An extension appears imminent for Billy Donovan too, who's 195-205 since joining the Bulls in 2021 from Oklahoma City as Karnisovas' first hire. The Knicks reportedly requested to interview Donovan for their open head coaching position, which Chicago declined.

Dallas: Hosted consensus No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg for a dinner with Jason Kidd, Nico Harrison and other Mavericks brass before he ate with some of Dallas' players. Flagg reportedly impressed, though his status as this draft's top choice solidified on lottery night. The Mavericks continue to receive mention as suitors for Boston's Jrue Holiday. 

Golden State: The Heat and Bulls could reportedly become suitors for impending free agent Jonathan Kuminga, according to Michael Scotto. Those teams and most others don't have significant enough cap space to sign Kuminga to an offer sheet, so they would need to execute a sign-and-trade with help from the Warriors. That remains a significant point of leverage for Golden State, and the team hasn't ruled out a Kuminga return. The Bulls previously expressed interest in Kuminga during Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević trade talks with the Warriors. Teams, like Miami, currently focused on the Kevin Durant trade saga could pivot to Kuminga once free agency begins. 

Houston: Traded Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 overall pick in this draft and five future second-rounders for Kevin Durant, winning the sweepstakes they stayed patient for with a shockingly small trade package compared to what past projections would've been. The Rockets retained their rights to the Suns' 2027 unprotected first and pick swap rights in 2029 that they received from Brooklyn in exchange for the Nets' future firsts that Houston owned from the James Harden deal. The Rockets extended Duran's former Brooklyn assistant coach Ime Udoka to a new contract worth more than $10 million annually, according to ESPN. The Rockets rebuffed the Knicks' efforts to interview Udoka earlier this month, which set up negotiations following two turnaround seasons and a playoff appearance for Houston. 

Indiana/Oklahoma City (series tied 3-3): Tyrese Haliburton played for 23 minutes through a calf injury that would've cost him multiple weeks normally, according to ESPN. He scored 14 points, one of six double-figure efforts in what turned into a season-saving rout of the Thunder at home. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 of the Thunder's 91, and Oklahoma City lost Jalen Williams' minutes by 40 points in the kind of blowout the Thunder normally deliver. Williams had scored 40 in Game 5 to secure a 3-2 Thunder lead. They'll play for the championship on Sunday at 8 p.m. at home, where the Thunder have only lost eight times all season, including the playoffs. Haliburton is listed as questionable, but said on Saturday that he'll be ready to play. Watch for the turnover differential in Game 7: the Thunder only forced 10 in Game 6 and gave the ball away 21 times despite Indiana retreating its full court pressure to the half court line. 

Lakers: The Buss family sold the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter for a record $10 billion valuation, the highest for a US professional sports team. The agreement includes a similar temporary governor position for Jeanie Buss through the transition. Walter purchased 26% of the Lakers in 2021, and received right of first refusal if the Buss family, who's owned the team since Jerry Buss' purchase in 1979, sparking the Showtime era and nearly unparalleled success that followed. Those wins came despite increasingly low financial commitments to the franchise from ownership compared to other deeper-pocketed owners, including the Clippers' Steve Ballmer. Improvements like increasing the franchise's analytic capabilities only happened in recent years, and Walter's ascension alongside his company TWG Global, inspired hope that the Lakers may spend on par with the ownership group's other investments in the Dodgers, Chelsea and others. The purchase follows the Celtics' sale to Bill Chisholm for $6.1 billion and the Mavs' $3.5 billion sale.

Memphis/Orlando: The Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to the Magic in a rare aggressive addition for Orlando, who parted ways with Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the rights to five first round picks, including the No. 16 overall pick in this month's draft. Bane immediately addressed the Magic's biggest need after falling to last in three-point shooting last season. Many questioned Orlando's significant draft pick commitment, which also included the team's unprotected firsts in 2028 and 2030, a top-two protected swap in 2029 and 2026 swap rights with the Suns that Washington gets the first rights to from the Bradley Beal trade if Phoenix is worse than them. It's a significant haul for Memphis, but the team will quickly need to address its plans to build a competitive roster around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. The Magic, despite long-term risks, now look like a team capable of contending for a Finals berth next season. Orlando retained Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Anthony Black and Jonathan Isaac in the deal, while offloading Caldwell-Pope, who struggled immensely after signing a three-year deal with the team last summer. Orlando declined Gary Harris and Cory Joseph's team options. 

Minnesota: Reportedly pursued a Kevin Durant trade with the Nets as facilitators before finding out that the Timberwolves weren't a preferred destination. While the Wolves' flexibility to get a deal done always stood in some doubt, heavily reliant on a Julius Randle or Naz Reid opt-in, Minnesota needed a longer-term assurance from Durant to proceed in talks anyway with the star playing on a one-year deal. That sidelined the Wolves in the Durant sweepstakes. Rudy Gobert will not play in 2025 EuroBasket for France. Minnesota now awaits Randle and Reid's player option decisions later this month. 

New Orleans: Sent the Pacers' their 2026 first-round pick back from the Pascal Siakam trade that the Pelicans landed in the Brandon Ingram deal with Toronto in February. Indiana sent New Orleans the No. 23 overall pick in this month's draft, giving the Pelicans a second selection alongside No. 7. The Pacers now own their first-round selections from 2026-2033, with savvy drafting part of what built the team's Finals roster. The Pelicans will assess the Ace Bailey situation, with the Rutgers star increasingly likely to slide in the draft. 

New York: Interviewed Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown for their vacant head coaching position, the only one available in the NBA at the moment, which allowed them to remain more patient with the Jason Kidd saga in Dallas. The Mavs declined to allow New York to speak with Kidd, though Dallas and Kidd haven't reached the extensions that Ime Udoka and Billy Donovan began negotiating with their teams after the Knicks reached out. New York hasn't requested permission to interview Cavs assistant Johnnie Bryant, an early favorite for the position, having coached in New York until 2023-24. The Knicks aren't expected to hire a coach until after this week's NBA Draft.

Philadelphia: Top prospect Ace Bailey cancelled his workout with the 76ers, who select No. 3 in Wednesday's draft. Bailey long stood as a top-three prospect in this draft for his scoring prowess, but his latest move alongside other concerns could lead to a slide down the first-round board. The Sixers had already pivoted toward Baylor wing V.J. Edgecombe as a likely selection. ESPN most recently mocked Bailey No. 6 overall to the Wizards, noting a perplexed array of draft evaluators unsure why he hasn't scheduled an official workout with any team. Some wonder whether he's intentionally positioning himself for prominent roles with the Wizards, Pelicans or Nets, who picked from 6-8th overall. The Sixers have not ruled out selecting Bailey, ESPN reported, despite the cancelled workout. Philadelphia also hasn't given up on trading up to No. 2 overall to select Dylan Harper, talks they've already explored with the Spurs. 

Phoenix: The Kevin Durant era ended with a shockingly small return for the superstar they traded Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and various future first-round picks away for in 2023, which resulted in only a second-round exit that year, a first-round sweep defeat in 2024, and missing the playoffs this spring. The Suns could reportedly look to move on from Jalen Green, which could improve the draft pick compensation they received for Durant, but this appears at the moment another chapter in an increasingly grim future for Phoenix. Durant bizarrely needed to clear up accusations that fist fights went on in the Suns locker room last season this week, an accusation lobbed by Demarcus Cousins. He was then on stage at a Fanatics event when the trade was reported on Sunday. 

The Suns hadn't received compelling offers for Durant as the team has lost some leverage through their clear intent on moving him and a limited array of suitors emerging. Even the Raptors reportedly would not include Jakob Poeltl in talks. The Suns have maintained hope that a deal could materialize before draft night, and Zach Lowe indicated a larger deal could emerge that includes Celtics guard Jrue Holiday's salary moving. The trade cannot be finalized until July 6 due to Green's poison pill provision in his contract extension, opening the door for it to become a larger deal. 

San Antonio: Was always hard to read their seriousness as a Kevin Durant contender despite being listed as a preferred destination. The most likely scenario remains that they'll pick at No. 2 and No. 14 this week and stay patient building around Victor Wembanyama, but their future draft pick capital makes them worth watching as a team that could get aggressive for a player like Jaylen Brown or Derrick White. The Spurs' Durant package would've likely centered around No. 14, Devin Vassell and either Keldon Johnson or Harrison Barnes. A similar offer to Boston probably wouldn't pry loose either Celtics star.