Less than 10 days after winning their 18th NBA Championship, the Boston Celtics will look to add a pair of new faces to their roster in Wednesday’s NBA Draft. Boston holds picks No. 30 and 55 this year, in a draft that Brad Stevens believes to be a deep one.
“I think that this draft is – whatever people think of it at the top because, I’m not really paying attention to that. I mean, I’ve seen all those guys but I knew we were going to be picking up there. I think it’s pretty deep,” he told reporters at the Auerbach Center on Tuesday.
Despite his confidence in the class’s depth, Stevens doesn’t believe Boston will be bringing anyone in to play minutes next season. Instead, the newest Celtic(s) will work to develop their game in hopes of earning minutes somewhere down the line.
“It will be hard for any draft pick to crack our rotation when healthy,” he explained. “And so, we’ll think about how we can best continue to invest in young players and their development and growth, with the reality that, if we’re able to continue to move forward with this group, that these guys are going to be on the court. So, this will be a good opportunity again to bring in somebody who we think will help us down the road.”
Stevens, now in his third year as Boston’s president of basketball operations, has yet to make a first-round selection. In past drafts he’s traded back in favor of picking in round two. This year, he hopes to land a quality player with the 30th pick.
“But as far as the picks go, if the right person is available at 30, then we will take them, and if we have a couple of people that we think are still the right person, then we’ll see what our options are and what kind of flexibility we have. But I anticipate picking a couple of picks, and whether they’re on the roster or a two-way, investing in young players, I just- If they come in and crack our rotation, then they’re really good. That’ll be a good thing, too.”
If you’re looking to learn more about the 2024 NBA Draft class, check out a recent episode of the “How ‘Bout Them Celtics” podcast, where Jack Simone and I chat with Tyler Rucker of “No Ceilings.”
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