Boston Celtics land Purdue big man Trevion Williams in FTW mock draft

In order to go in on the 2021-22 Boston Celtics, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens gave up the team’s 2022 first-round draft pick.

Needless to say, that has paid off.

Boston is the hottest team in the NBA and has usurped the Phoenix Suns at the top spot in most NBA Power Rankings from around the web. They’ve gone 23-5 in their last 28 games and are sitting 1.5 games back of the Eastern Conference’s #1 seed.

Of course, this narrative could shift dramatically with anything short of a conference finals appearance come April/May–since the Cs have made two of the last four Eastern Conference finals series’–but as of now, this core looks capable of winning at a sustainable pace for the next several seasons.

This is a relieving thought since no first-round draft picks will be joining the likes of Grant Williams, Aaron Nesmith, or Payton Pritchard in the rotation this coming offseason barring a last-second draft night trade.

That said, the second round of the NBA Draft could still provide talent to the team, just like it has the past two years. Of course, the level of talent we’re dealing with is still an unknown since 2020 second-round pick Yam Madar and 2021 second-round pick Juhann Begarin still haven’t debuted yet.

But if USA Today’s For The Win gets it right with their latest mock draft, the Celtics could be set to add a true difference maker in the Big Ten the last two seasons.

The Boston Celtics drafting Trevion Williams in second round would be major win

Trevion Williams has been a physical force battling hard down low for the Boilermakers the past two seasons. He recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists on a 55/36/60 shooting slash in 2021-22.

While his counting stats decreased this past season, his efficiency all over the court improved, and Purdue made its second Sweet Sixteen with Williams in uniform.

If Boston ended up with him in the late second round, the Cs would have another versatile long-term project to help mold on the block. Robert Williams’ and Grant Williams’ respective progress make for a promising pair of exhibits A&B to support adding a third Williams to the frontcourt.