With the No. 28 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics just selected Spanish guard Hugo Gonzalez. Following two straight days of trades that included shipping out Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in a salary-shedding effort, the Celtics have now welcomed a new member to the franchise, signaling two things: The Celtics want upside potential and winners.
Gonzalez played for Real Madrid this past season, but he didn't earn many minutes on a stacked roster (by EuroLeague standards). He's coming into the league as a very versatile defender who will have some work to do as a three-point threat. However, the Celtics will presumably be taking an upside swing with this pick, as his relative lack of playing time overseas this past season led to some diversity in his projected draft range.
Now, the Celtics will look to focus on pick No. 32 in their second round, which is their final selection of this year’s draft (at this moment in time).
The Celtics want to add upside and winners - that's Hugo Gonzalez
When Jayson Tatum went down with an Achilles tear in the second round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks, the direction of the Celtics' future was changed forever. As soon as the NBA Finals ended, they made trades.
Those trades were going to happen regardless - the Celtics had to get under the second apron heading into next year - but Tatum's injury changes the team's direction. Adding Gonzalez just sent the message that they want to add upside-swing talent and winners.
Gonzalez is still only 19 years old, and he didn't play much this past year for Real Madrid. But heading into the draft, he was viewed as a hidden gem. He has a high basketball IQ, is an intriguing defensive talent, and is one of the better cutters in the class. At his age, to be as smart as he is, Gonzalez has the potential to turn into an impressive talent.
But perhaps even more important than that is the situation Gonzalez has been in with Real Madrid. The Celtics value players with a certain level of humility. Gonzalez has that. His lack of playing time this past year may have been a red flag for some teams, but for Boston, the humility to accept that for the great good of winning basketball games was enough to draw them in. Now, he'll have a chance to grow in Boston.