The Boston Celtics have already begun the process of adding bigs to potentially replace Al Horford. The 38-year-old big man just won his first championship, but his time in the league is coming to an end.
Guys like Xavier Tillman and Anton Watson project to be solid replacement options. Both guys are capable three-point shooters who can defend multiple positions—Horford’s exact skill set.
Obviously, neither is quite as good as Horford, and they may never get to that point. Because of that, the Celtics should continue taking shots on guys who could be in their big-man rotation moving forward.
Here are five prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft who could help the Celtics replace Horford.
1. JT Toppin - Texas Tech
Out of Texas Tech, JT Toppin is projected to land somewhere in the late first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Obviously, a lot can change in a year, so there’s a chance Toppin could fall in Boston’s range by the time they are selecting.
Toppin will be entering his sophomore season, and after spending his first year at New Mexico, he’ll join the Red Raiders in hopes of improving his draft stock.
The 19-year-old plays with great energy, and while his offensive game still needs some work, and he has the size, at 6-foot-9, to play the big man position in the NBA.
He’ll need to improve as a three-point shooter if he wants to be anything close to Horford, but he fits the bill of a potential project player the Celtics could mold into something useful at the big man position.
2. Jarin Stevenson - Alabama
Standing at 6-foot-10, Jarin Stevenson is taller than some of the other big men on this list, and he’s very comfortable shooting the three-ball. He didn’t shoot particularly well during his freshman season, but at roughly 2.7 attempts per game, the willingness is there.
In his freshman season at Alabama, Stevenson only got to play 16.6 minutes per game, so getting to spend some time playing a larger role should do well for his draft stock this year, should he perform at a high level.
Stevenson is a quality defender with a developing three-point shot. Like Toppin, he’s projected to go late in the first round, which means he could technically fall into Boston’s range.
3. Adou Thiero - Arkansas
This would be a project for the Celtics, as Adou Thiero is still emerging as a player on both ends of the court after two seasons with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Thiero just wrapped up a season where he played 21.3 minutes per game, which is up from the 9.5 minutes per game he played during his freshman year. The 20-year-old rebounds the ball well and is a solid defender all over the floor.
He’s yet to play a season where he’s shot more than one three-pointer per game, but he’s shot okay in the limited attempts he’s taken, clocking in at 32.3% for his college career. Thiero is projected to go late in the first round of early in the second.
4. Trevon Brazile - Arkansas
Another Arkansas product, Trevon Brazile could fill the role of a versatile big man just as well, if not better, than his teammate, Thiero. After spending one year at Missouri, Brazile has played the last two with the Razorbacks.
Unlike Theiro, Brazile is a quality three-point shooter, which is one of his best NBA traits at this point. He’s a solid athlete too but will need to add some muscle if he wants to be effective at the next level and keep up with NBA-level guys on defense.
As an older prospect, Brazile is predicted to go in the middle of the second round of next year’s draft, but the Celtics have been unafraid of selecting older players, as evidenced by Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson.
5. Carey Booth - Illinois
After a freshman season at Notre Dame, Carey Booth will join Illinois for the upcoming season as a guy with a skill set that fits how bigs play at the NBA level.
Booth didn’t shoot super well from deep in his first college season, but he took 3.6 per game and has all the makings of a solid shooter. He’s also a mobile big, despite his size, which bodes well for how Boston would want him to play.
The 19-year-old defends the paint well and can get around the floor, but he’s projected to go late in the first round. Next season could change that, but as of now, Boston could potentially snag him.