The Boston Celtics have a lot of decisions to make during the offseason. First and foremost will be how they want to approach the upcoming NBA Draft.
Boston owns the 27th pick, an area where they’ve found some legitimate contributors in recent years. Both Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez have been selected at the end of the first round and have earned their spots in Joe Mazzulla’s rotation.
According to the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, Boston could look toward Koa Peat out of Arizona.
“Koa Peat helped Arizona reach the Final Four with consecutive 20-point games against Arkansas and Purdue,” Wasserman wrote. “…At this stage, his strength and weaknesses are well-defined, with Peat producing mostly off play-finishing, strength, short fallaways and the occasional line-drive. His passing and defensive versatility can make him a more well-rounded player.”
Peat is a one-and-done prospect, having played and started in all 36 of his freshman season games for the Sun Devils. In those 36 games, Peat has averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists, shooting 53.8% from two-point range and 35% from deep on 0.6 three-point attempts per game.
However, Boston may be concerned about how Peat’s game translates to the next level.
“However, the lack of shooting range, creativity and height have made scouts question his NBA ceiling,” Wasserman noted of Peat’s limitations.
Celtics’ Brad Stevens Prefers More Polished Talent
One key note of Brad Stevens’ recent draft record is that he’s often leaned toward players who have spent multiple years in college. For example, Scheierman enjoyed a five-year collegiate career with South Dakota State and Creighton.
Gonzalez even joined Boston with multiple years of professional experience in Spain with Real Madrid. Second-round pick Amari Williams is another who joined after a long run in the college ranks, as did Max Shulga.
Therefore, Peat’s one-and-done nature may be something that turns Stevens away from him on draft night. It’s one thing to take a one-and-done lottery pick, it’s another to use a late first on such a sizeable developmental project.
Given where Boston is in its current timeline, Stevens is more likely to seek out a ready-made contributor.
Celtics Urged To Make Big Move
Outside of the upcoming draft, Stevens is also expected to be active in the trade market. As currently constructed, the Celtics are far away from being at a championship level. With that in mind, Kendrick Perkins recently called for Boston to seek out a star-level addition at the center position.
“The first move, where they got exposed was the big [man] area,” Perkins told the Boston Globe. “I like Queta but I don’t think he’s a starter. They need to go find that All-Star-caliber big. If I’m the Celtics, do I break up JB and JT? No. But if a Giannis [Antetokounmpo] becomes available, I might have to think about it. Or if Anthony Davis is feeling some type of way as a Washington Wizard and you could package something up and bring him to Boston.”
Boston has a busy summer ahead. How they approach the draft will be important for adding depth. However, the team’s overall growth will undoubtedly come in the trade market.
The question is, who will Stevens target?
Only time will tell.
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