Celtics could target the next Robert Williams in the 2026 NBA Draft

Jayden Quaintance might have the most obvious player comp in the 2026 NBA Draft. Watching him against St. John's, Duke, Alabama, and Florida to form this scouting report, it was easy to recognize the resemblance to Robert Williams III.

The Boston Celtics could opt to sign the Time Lord this offseason. However, Quaintance is a younger, less expensive potential alternate, if he's still available when they come on the clock.

Both individuals stand at six-foot-nine. Williams's doppleganger is 10 pounds heavier than he was when he left Texas A&M. Health concerns caused the former to fall to Boston at 27th overall in 2018. It's also why Quaintance could hear his name called anywhere from just outside of the lottery to late in the first round.

The former Arizona State and Kentucky standout has dealt with a series of knee injuries, including a torn ACL, meniscus damage, and a fractured knee. He missed the first 11 games of the 2025-26 campaign while recovering from that torn ACL, which he suffered as a freshman with the Sun Devils. He only appeared in four games with the Wildcats.

Maybe the outlook on his medical evaluations is bleak enough to drop him to the second round of the draft. However, with a talent like this, it is far more likely that a franchise selects him in Round 1.

Now, for a deep dive into what Boston would be getting if it picks the high-flying teenager [he turns 19 in July] with a grown man's physique.

Jayden Quaintance's offensive scouting report

One doesn't draw comparisons to Williams without being a lob threat. When you have a target who puts plenty of distance between the soles of his sneakers and the hardwood when he gets airborne, and has a 7'5.25" wingspan and a 9'1" standing reach, it's hard to overthrow him.

Even when he's not dunking, the North Carolina native finishes well around the rim; he is also active on the offensive glass, fighting to create extra possessions.

Watching him against St. John's, it was encouraging to see him play with physicality. He also demonstrated good footwork and body control. And while he isn't a shooter, that does include a play where he banked in a turnaround fadeaway from below the elbow and just outside of the paint.

Kentucky's head coach, Mark Pope, likes to play through his center. Quaintance's passing instincts aren't as sharp as Williams's were early in his Celtics career, in this author's opinion. However, he routinely found himself with the ball above the perimeter or at the elbow. Out of the games this author watched, that was especially true against Alabama. And he looked comfortable making plays from those spots as a passer when he got those opportunities, regardless of the opponent.

When he faced Duke as a member of Arizona State, the Sun Devils put him in the middle of the Blue Devils' zone defense, where he did a nice job of finding cutters.

An area of note that stood out while studying him against the Crimson Tide is that one would like to see him set screens with more force. Too often, his picks didn't create an advantage.

Also, it was unfortunate not to see him get reps on the short-roll. Given his body control and passing when he gets the ball with his feet set, it would be interesting to see his decision-making and effectiveness in those situations.

Nate Oats' club also did a good job of neutralizing him as a lob threat, which speaks to Quaintance's not showcasing more out of the pick-and-roll.

To his credit, another element he brings as a screener is that he does a good job on Gortat screens, sealing his defender to pave a path to the rim for a teammate.

It's also impressive to see someone of his size and skillset display functional handles. For instance, against Duke, he attacked seven-foot-two center Khaman Maluach with a between-the-legs crossover to get downhill for a layup. Here's another example from that game.

Lastly, when he finds himself at the free-throw line, Quaintance needs to use his legs more. He had a 45.2 percent conversion rate for his collegiate career on 3.0 attempts. While acknowledging his history of knee injuries, that tweak seems like it would go a long way to seeing a spike in success rate at the stripe.

Jayden Quaintance's Defensive scouting report

Allow this author to remix the billing from the start of Quaintance's offensive scouting report. One doesn't draw comparisons to Williams without being a shot-blocking rim-protector. That includes erasing 2.6 shots per game in his 24 appearances with Arizona State.

In the game against the Blue Devils, he did a nice job of defending against the two-on-one, staying connected to Maluach while being in a position to challenge the ball-handler as he came into the paint.

And in the matchup vs. St. John's, he made life difficult for Zuby Ejiofor. The Red Storm's power forward, another potential first-round pick, finished with 12 points on 3/11 shooting. He committed four turnovers. Quaintance registered two rejections in that contest. That includes stonewalling and swatting an attempt by Ejiofor at the basket.

He's also a versatile defender. That stems from his hard-working motor, willingness to make multiple efforts, and his ability to get down in a stance and guard.

Against Alabama, that was on display while matched up against 6-foot-3 guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. when the Wildcats went to a double-big lineup. Quaintance took good angles to stay in front on the initial drive, and then the discipline to not leave the ground after Wrightsell picked up his dribble.

The Crimson Tide's backcourt tandem of Labaron Philon, who is projected to get drafted just outside of the lottery, and Aden Holloway provided more of a challenge. The two were patient with the ball when approaching him around the rim out of a pick-and-roll, waiting for Quaintance to get back to his man before finishing at the basket.

As a young player at his position, who is long-limbed, and athletic, he can also get a bit overzealous when he comes out to the perimeter. However, he does have the length to atone for that at the rim. Sometimes, the soon-to-be 19-year-old is also guilty of over-helping against the pick-and-roll, trusting his ability to recover a little too much.

There were times when Kentucky needed to communicate better on screens. However, when he was more vocal, it consistently led to a stop.

That's going to matter considerably for someone who can and will operate as a stand-alone big at the next level. When Quaintance gets those opportunities, there will be times when he struggles against taller, more traditional centers. That happened against Aiden Sherrell and Noah Williamson vs. Alabama, and while dealing with Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu of Florida.

Still, even when he's battling larger opponents, he cleans up misses at the defensive end of the floor. Even with his physical and athletic gifts, it's a safe bet that he's going to get a body on someone when boxing out.

Teams will also love that he plays hard even when he's tired. It's a testament to his conditioning, physique, and motor. It's all part of a package that NBA franchises will fall in love with. It's just a question of how many of them are scared away by his medicals.

If he's available when the Celtics are picking at 27, this could be deja vu of when they selected Williams in that same spot in 2018.

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