The Boston Celtics made two smart choices on the first day of this year's NBA Draft. The first was choosing not to trade up. Generally speaking, that's not a good decision from a value perspective. Instead, they stood pat at No. 27. When picking that late in the first round, a team might as well take a high-upside swing. They did so by selecting Chris Cenac Jr.
When rolling the dice on someone, it helps when they arrive with a chip on their shoulder. The Houston Cougars' big man entered his freshman season with hopes of being a lottery pick. Pundits had him projected to go 19th. Falling to 27 could ignite a flame that burns throughout his career.
Chris Cenac Jr. on being drafted 27th: “I feel like I was one of the sleepers in the draft. In four or five years, I can’t wait until people are making those re-drafts and saying I was a sleeper and I should’ve been drafted way higher.” pic.twitter.com/Vj4cvi1MwR
— Joseph Duarte (@Joseph_Duarte) June 24, 2026
"I feel like I was one of the sleepers in the draft," he told Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle after he finally heard his name called. "In four or five years, I can't wait until people are making those re-drafts and saying I was a sleeper and I should've been drafted way higher."
Celtics fans will love Chris Cenac Jr.
The 19-year-old from New Orleans was a consensus five-star recruit. He was ranked No. 7 in his class. Wanting to maximize his talent, he chose to play for Kelvin Sampson. The Houston Cougars' head coach, who has experience working in the NBA, runs a demanding, hard-nosed program.
The way Cenac took to that style of coaching endeared him to Brad Stevens.
"Everything that we've learned about Chris, and everything that coach has told me, is that he was pretty hard on him, and he was on him, and all he did was come to work, and I think that that's that's a really impressive quality for a young guy," said the Celtics' president of basketball operations shortly after the first round concluded.
Cenac is raw, and he needs to sharpen his feel for the game. That's why one shouldn't expect much from him in his rookie season. He could defy those odds, but it's more likely that his development will occur primarily behind the scenes.
If Boston's new big, who boasts an impressive blend of size and mobility, speeds up his processing speed, he can maximize his physical and athletic gifts. That's how he can make good on his statement and have teams regretting they passed on him.
Given Cenac's two-way upside, he could have the Celtics looking like geniuses while the rest of the league, at least those who had a chance to draft him, are kicking themselves.
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