The Boston Celtics have a strong history in the NBA Draft. They selected Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams in recent years to build the foundation of their latest run. The Celtics are still looking for their 18th championship, but they have made the conference finals five times in the last seven years.
Boston is never afraid to shake up their roster and make a bold move. Fans saw it as they traded Smart for Kristaps Porzingis and two first-round picks. The Celtics want to get their 18th ring, and they had to make a change to get over the mountain.
Finding undrafted talent is never easy, but Boston saw in their recent playoff wars with the Miami Heat just how important it can be. Who are the top players the Celtics have found?
Best undrafted talents to play for the Boston Celtics
7. Daniel Theis
Theis began playing professional basketball at 18 years old in Germany, but he was not selected in the 2013 NBA Draft. The 6’8 big man continued honing his craft in his home country until the Celtics signed him in 2017. He spent his first three and half seasons in Boston where the team made two conference final appearances. Theis was their starting center in 2020 as the Celtics lost to the Heat in six games.
He was traded to the Bulls at the 2021 deadline before being reacquired by the Celtics one year later. Boston made it to the NBA Finals in 2022, but Theis played an inconsistent role in the playoffs, including being a DNP-CD in seven of the last nine games.
The Celtics packaged him with four players and one first-round pick to acquire Malcolm Brogdon during the 2022 offseason. Injuries limited Daniel Theis to just seven games with the Pacers last season, but the 31-year-old accomplished plenty with the Boston Celtics. The 6’8 big man was never a star. Boston did not need him to be, but he quickly became a favorite of the organization.