Boston Celtics could trade No. 30 pick for veteran big man: Reporter
The offseason is brewing, and unlike stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who are celebrating their coveted first NBA championship, Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has big decisions to make — like whether or not he should send away his first-round pick (No. 30) for an experienced big man.
Either way, the Cs will benefit from gaining a young piece or snagging an experienced post presence. The main rule of thumb for the 2024-25 season? These guys are not letting off the gas pedal. It's a full-on push for the franchise in pursuit of Banner 19.
NBC Sports Boston Darren Hartwell points out that while the previous drafts picking late in the round have served well -- Payton Pritchard and Robert Williams, for example -- there's no guarantee Boston even picks at the No. 30 pick if the right big man emerges on the trade market.
“Boston has had success in the back half of the draft before, selecting Robert Williams 27th overall in 2018 and Payton Pritchard at No. 26 in 2020, so there's a case to be made for trying to replicate that success in this draft,” Hartwell prefaced before saying, “On the other hand, the Celtics are in full "win now" mode, so if they can package the No. 30 pick in a deal that lands them a veteran big man, for example, that would be hard to turn down.”
Who could General Manager Brad Stevens choose at No. 30?
With prospects such as Alex Sarr, Donovan Clinigan, and Rob Dilingham, among others, off the board by the time Boston is picking, who could the Cs reel in at No. 30 if they decide to keep their pick?
Sports Illustrated has projected one-and-done Yves Missi out of Baylor will be selected. Missi is a six-foot-11 center from Yaounde, Cameroon. He averaged 10.7 points and five rebounds through 34 games of action playing 23 minutes per game.
Yahoo Sports has the Celtics drafting Creighton fifth-year senior Baylor Scheierman. The six-foot-six Aurora, Nebraska, native scored 18.5 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out four assists per game.
You can look at both choices and say, "Scheierman is the best pick here, look at his numbers."
However, in the end, it's Stevens' job to make that decision.