As it stands, the Boston Celtics hold the No. 28 and 32 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. There are plenty of solid players who should be available to them in that range, though trading up or down could yield equally as interesting results. That said, Kam Jones of Marquette is projected to fall firmly in their range.
With Jrue Holiday a question mark in trade talks, adding some additional guard depth behind Derrick White and Payton Pritchard could be a smart idea for the Celtics this summer, whether it be through the draft or in free agency. Jones would provide them with a solid upswide swing who is also capable of playing right away.
And that’s a train the Celtics should be eager to board, considering they don’t know what their roster will look like next season.
Celtics NBA Draft watch: Kam Jones
Jones grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was both a boxer and a basketball player. He attended Evangelical Christian School in his home state, even spending some time at the center position to fill the team’s needs.
From there, Jones committed to play for Marquette, where he ended up spending four years. In his senior season, the 23-year-old appeared in 34 games, playing 33.8 minutes per contest. He averaged 19.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while shooting 48.3% from the field and 31.1% from deep on 6.1 three-point attempts per game.
His efficiency took a hit in his senior season, largely due to a role change. Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro, both of whom got drafted in 2024, allowed Jones to play in a primarily off-ball role.
However, Jones was still the team’s leading scorer next to Kolek and Ighodaro, a feat he achieved for three years in a row with the Golden Eagles from his sophomore to senior season.
As a junior, Jones averaged 17.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 50.1% from the floor and 40.6% from beyond the arc on 6.5 three-point attempts per game.
At the NBA Draft Combine, Jones measured in at 6-foot-3 and 0.25 inches and 202.4 lbs. He has an 8-foot-4-and-0.5-inch standing reach and a 6-foot-6 wingspan.
Offense
This is where Jones thrives. As a senior, he was the leader for the Golden Eagles, thriving as a shot-creator and playmaker. Jones is extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands, calm at all times. Ready and willing to make a play.
Driving to the hoop is Jones’ bread and butter. His one-handed finishing might be one of the most impressive niche, individual skills in this year’s draft. Once he raises up off a drive, he’s capable of finishing around almost anyone that’s in front of him.
A huge part of that ability is linked to Jones’ ball-handling. The crafty lefty has no problem putting the ball on the floor anywhere on the court, weaving through traffic and finding open space within the teeth of the defense.
Jones has also proven to be a very capable three-point shooter. Though he’s not the best at shooting off the dribble, he’s great in catch-and-shoot situations, which bodes well for his adaptation as an NBA role player.
Passing is the area in which Jones took his biggest leap this past year. With Kolek and Ighodaro gone, he was tasked with running the show at Marquette, and he thrived. He’s constantly aware of where his teammates are on the floor and more than capable of drawing two and finding the best kick-outs.
The shooting is the only real shaky part of Jones’ offensive game. His shot is relatively flat, and his percentages took a huge hit when placed in a largely on-ball role. But perhaps more concerning is the fact that his free-throw percentage fell off a cliff in his senior year, too.
He went from shooting 72.4% from the line in his junior year, a respectable, but still relatively low number, to 64.8% as a senior.
If his shooting holds up in the NBA, Jones is a perfect, NBA-ready offensive guard who could come off the bench for most teams in the league. If it doesn’t, his adaptability would take a major hit.
Defense
Contrary to his offense, Jones’ defense could be a sore spot at the NBA level, but it depends on the eye of the beholder.
Jones is not an impressive athlete. In fact, he’s a rather unimpressive athlete. His finishing in the lane almost exclusively comes from below the rim, which puts him at an immediate disadvantage, though he gets around it with elite skill. Defensively, he doesn’t have that same luxury.
Though he’s capable of staying in front of guys, he can occasionally get stuck behind the play, playing catch-up on defense. And while he did play some center minutes in high school, which aids his versatility and defensive IQ, his lack of athleticism prevents him from allowing that advantage to reach its full potential.
He’s not the quickest, strongest, or biggest, but he’s also not the slowest, weakest, or smallest. However, nothing about Jones’ defensive game screams ‘liability.’
For as obvious as it is that he’s not the quickest, strongest, or biggest player on the court at any given time, he’s also very clearly not the slowest, weakest, or smallest. He’s in an awkward middle ground that leads to some question marks, but his time at Marquette indicates that he should, at the very least, be a quality team defender in the NBA.
Jones is always keeping his head on a swivel, and while his athletic limitations prevent him from causing the same chaos as the truly elite collegiate defenders, he communicates well and knows how to hold strong within the flow of a team’s defense.
If an NBA developmental program can help him work on his positioning in order to get around his physical limitations, there’s no reason Jones won’t be able to hold up in the NBA. His bulky frame could even help him become a plus defender if he learns how to utilize his wingspan and solid base.
Fit with Celtics
Depending on what their guard room looks like post-trade season, Jones could be a perfect fit in Boston. He’s an offensive spark capable of playing on and off the ball, and if any team can find a way to make use of his defense, it’s the Celtics.
Draft expert Tyler Rucker of No Ceilings says that he sees Jones as a versatile combo guard at the NBA level.
“I like Kam a good amount,” Rucker told Hardwood Houdini. “Crafty off the bounce with some good burst and quickness. Think he'd be a bit of a combo guard with some size and versatility. Smart and tough player. Down year statistically because he was asked to do so much more with Kolek and Ighodaro leaving for NBA. Not the greatest athlete in terms of verticality, but tough and quick enough to get to his spots.”
Jones is certainly old for a prospect, as he will turn 24 in February of next year, but that didn’t matter to the Celtics last summer. They selected Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson, both of whom were around the same age as Jones is now.
Bringing in a crafty offensive guard usually wouldn’t seem like the Celtics' style, as that type of player often comes in the build of a skinny, shifty, defensive liability. Shifty is the only one of those words that applies to Jones.
Though there are certainly some kinks to iron out defensively, and the athleticism isn’t there, Jones has an ideal skill set for the Celtics. He would be perfectly capable of playing right now and could also turn into something more than a role player in the future if he gets the right reps and improves on defense.
It’s a weird dichotomy. Usually, a lack of athleticism is enough to scare NBA teams away. It signals a troubling defensive future and, in some cases, a project offensively. Jones doesn’t have either of those issues.
And for the Celtics, a potential lack of athleticism hasn’t been an issue in the past. Just look at Scheierman. One year, they took a mega-athlete in Jordan Walsh, yet a year later, Scheierman has seemingly usurped him in the rotation pecking order.
As confusing as Jones’ overall game combined with athleticism concerns is, he may just be one of the best targets for Boston specifically. It’s the perfect balance of a swing and a safe pick, as Jones projects to be the type of player who has the potential to contribute in the Celtics' lineup for years to come.