We’re less than a week away from this year’s NBA Draft. Boston Celtics fans (and the team) have had more time than usual to sit around and ponder which prospects will be wearing green come October.
Boston should have plenty of viable options when pick 27 rolls around with how deep the 2026 class is supposed to be. Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson is a guy they’d be wise to consider.
The six-foot-eight-inch forward was named to the First-Team All-Big 12 and Second-Team All-American after a strong senior campaign for the Cyclones. Jefferson started 35 games for Iowa State where he averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.4 stocks (steals and blocks) per game while shooting 47.1% from the field and 34.5% from beyond the arc.
It’s not hard to see that the 22-year-old was a “do everything guy” on a very good Iowa State team.
What does Joshua Jefferson bring to the Celtics?
Jefferson is a versatile defender with potential to be a real weapon off of the bench. His strength and size enables him to guard bigger players. He has no problem being physical and possesses the instincts to be a disruptive presence on that end of the floor -- as the 2.4 stocks per game would indicate.
It doesn’t take a basketball genius to know that it’s hard to break into Joe Mazzulla’s rotation in Boston without being able to defend.
Not only can Jefferson be helpful when it comes to slowing down stronger players, but his feel for the game makes him a great team defender too. Draft experts rave about his knack for being in the right place at the right time, whether it be as a help defender, or simply filling defensive rotations properly.
The Las Vegas native isn’t a perfect prospect, though. His bulkier frame limits how quickly he can move his feet, causing him to struggle sticking with quick guards on the perimeter. This is, of course, something he can continue to work on in the pros.
Nonetheless, the advanced defensive metrics absolutely love him.
He’ll help Boston close out defensive possessions, too. Jefferson posted identical rebounding numbers in his junior and senior seasons. He ripped down 7.4 per outing, ranking in the 84th percentile on the defensive glass. The Cs cleaned up their rebounding as last season went on, but they probably wouldn’t mind some extra help.
Offensively, Jefferson has the strengths of a great NBA role player. Not so much in the sense that he’s a knock-down three-point-shooter, but more so in that he knows what the game needs. He moves well without the ball, makes timely cuts, and sets strong screens to free up his teammates.
Not to mention how great he was at finding his teammates as the offensive initiator at Iowa State.
Joshua Jefferson playmaking
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Several draft experts have described Jefferson’s offensive traits to be “Draymond Green like.” Draftballr has Green as Jefferson’s most similar player comp, for what it’s worth. It makes sense. He’s well equipped to play as a connector and ensure the offense is run at its highest level.
That may be as far as his offensive impact goes, though. Jefferson struggled to score efficiently for the Cyclones as the top option in the 2025-26 season. He ranked in the 49th percentile for efficiency, per draftballr’s metrics.
Jefferson isn’t a sharpshooter from distance, either. At just 34.5% from distance on 3.1 attempts per game. Hopefully, he’ll be able to improve there as he continues to grow his game.
Even with his limitations, there’s real reason to believe that Jefferson can be an impactful, winning player in the NBA. His size, defensive instincts, and strong feel for what’s needed on offense would make him a great fit in Boston.
We’ll all just have to wait and see if he’s still on the board when the Celtics are on the clock next week.
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