Celtics have reportedly worked out potential Al Horford replacement ahead of draft

Six weeks away from the 2026 NBA Draft, the first breadcrumbs of intel as to who the Boston Celtics will select with the 27th overall pick are beginning to trickle out. According to HoopsHype’s draft workout tracker, Boston has seen St John’s senior forward Zuby Ejiofor workout already.

For what it's worth, Ejiofor is listed as having worked out for several teams, so this could be a case of "they saw him at the combine."

The six-foot-nine-inch, 245-pound forward would be an intriguing prospect late in the first round. He’s been mocked anywhere from pick 25 to pick 35, so he should be there in Boston’s range.

In his senior season Ejiofor racked up the accolades. He was named Big East Player of the Year, Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and Big East Tournament MVP. The Texas native also made the conference’s All-Defensive team.

Ejiofor appeared in 37 games for the Johnnies, starting each time. He averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 53.6% from the field and 30.3% from beyond the arc on 1.6 attempts per outing.

What does Zuby Ejiofor offer to the Celtics?

He’s going to defend and play hard, that’s for sure.

Ejiofor’s defensive versatility is the first thing that stands out when watching his film. As a more traditional power forward or small-ball center, he shows a tremendous willingness to switch onto smaller guards on the perimeter.

When he does, not only does he move his feet well, but he’s able to stay close enough to rack up a fair share of blocked shots on jumpers. His over two blocks per game aren’t all coming at the rim. Ejiofor’s 7’1” wingspan helps in that area, too.

Discipline hasn’t escaped the big man on the defensive end, either. He does a great job staying on his feet and avoids biting on pumpfakes in the paint. Think back to watching a young Robert Williams III or even Neemias Queta over the past few seasons -- guys who can block shots often want to try to, maybe a bit too much.

Ejiofor’s nose for the offensive glass also makes him an interesting fit with the Celtics. Nearly half of his rebounds came on that side of the floor. He consistently found himself in the mix when shots were flying to the rim. The Big East Player of the Year uses his strength well when battling for position.  It could be a harder tactic for him to execute at the pro level, but his consistent motor is impressive nonetheless.

This past season, Boston thrived when it came to creating and taking advantage of extra opportunities. Their 16.9 second-chance points per game ranked fifth in the league. Adding a bulldog like Ejiofor into the frontcourt could further enhance this superpower for them, especially when considering that it feels like Nikola Vucevic’s brief stint in Boston won’t last any longer.

Furthermore, Ejiofor has an extremely versatile skillset, and could go a long way towards replacing the giant void left by Al Horford.

Ejiofor also showed growth as a passer in his senior season. His assist average jumped up by two and he proved willing to hit cutters while playing out of the high post or higher post (top of the key). The next step for him as a pro, specifically in Boston, would be making those reads in the short roll. It wouldn't be shocking to see him used as a screener in whatever minutes he’d get as a rookie. Ejiofor’s screens were a serious asset at the college level.

Scoring is the biggest question mark, and likely the reason why a player with so many winning traits is projected to fall so far in the draft. Ejiofor was able to create opportunities for himself below the rim with his strength, but again, how reliable will that be against pros?

His jumpshot isn’t polished enough to be viewed as a reliable source of scoring, either. Although, he did show improvement this past season when he raised his three-point percentage by eight. Ejiofor has also been a solid free-throw shooter at 70.9% across four college seasons.

There’s reason to believe he can develop a jumper as time goes on.

“His presence is inescapable,” wrote No Ceilings draft expert Maxwell Baumbach back in January. “He’s always in the right spots and making things happen on defense. He’s a super-intelligent player on both sides of the ball. He plays his tail off on the offensive glass. His fluid playmaking process draws the occasional audible “oh s---” out of me when I watch his film. If there’s something that gets him over the hump, it’s going to be the intersection of his strength, smarts, and motor.”

We’re still relatively early in the draft process, but if in six weeks it’s Ejiofor’s name that gets called at pick 27, Celtics fans would have plenty of reason to be excited.

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