The 2026-27 NBA season has yet to begin, but attention is already turning toward next year’s draft, with the Boston Celtics emerging as a team to watch.
Boston has become familiar with late first-round territory in recent years, selecting Baylor Scheierman with the No. 30 pick in 2024, Hugo Gonzalez at No. 28 in 2025, and Chris Cenac Jr. at No. 27 in 2026.
With early projections suggesting another late first-round selection could be on the cards, the Celtics may have several promising prospects to consider.
Boston Celtics Projected to Target 6-Foot-8 International Prospect
Draft expert Sam Vecenie and CBS Sports analyst Adam Finkelstein recently projected Boston to hold the No. 27 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft during the latest episode of the Game Theory Podcast.
At that position, they identified North Carolina wing Neo Avdalas as a potential selection.
The 20-year-old Greek prospect spent his freshman collegiate season at Virginia Tech during the 2025-26 campaign before entering the NCAA transfer portal in late March.
He subsequently committed to North Carolina, where he will play under former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone.
Across 31 appearances with Virginia Tech, Avdalas averaged 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting 38.6% from the field and 31.4% from three-point range.
Despite his relatively modest shooting percentages, his combination of size, playmaking, and international experience makes him an interesting prospect to monitor.
Avdalas has been on the books of Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos since 2021, having signed a five-year professional contract with the organization.
He also gained valuable experience through loan spells with Karditsa during the 2023-24 season and Peristeri in 2024-25.
During his time with Peristeri, Avdalas featured in 26 games across domestic competition and the Basketball Champions League, averaging 7.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.
His performances in Greece have earned him several individual accolades, including back-to-back Greek League Best Young Player awards in 2024 and 2025, and the league’s Most Improved Player honor in 2025.
He also earned Greek All-Star recognition in 2023 and won the Greek Super Cup in 2021.
Avdalas Faces Important Season to Strengthen NBA Draft Stock
With an entire collegiate season still ahead, Avdalas has plenty of time to strengthen his first-round credentials or potentially slip further down draft boards.
While Vecenie and Finkelstein have identified him as a potential late first-round selection, other prominent analysts currently view him as a second-round prospect.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman placed the 6-foot-8 wing at No. 36 in his early mock draft, while ESPN’s Jeremy Woo ranked him No. 53 among prospects.
The contrasting projections highlight the uncertainty surrounding Avdalas and the importance of his upcoming season with North Carolina.
Finkelstein believes the Greek prospect could eventually develop into a complementary role player at the NBA level, although questions remain about his shooting and defensive capabilities.
“He’s probably more of a connector in the NBA,” he said. “You have to be able to make open shots and defend to be a connector. How does that projection go? I think the jury’s going to be out for most of the year on it, but we’ll see.”
Finkelstein also suggested that Avdalas could ultimately bypass the 2027 NBA Draft and return to North Carolina for his junior season, depending on how his sophomore campaign unfolds.
For the Boston Celtics, the coming months will provide a clearer picture of which prospects could fall into its projected draft range.
Whether Avdalas strengthens his case as a first-round talent or other prospects emerge, the Celtics could once again find themselves evaluating several promising young players toward the end of the opening round.
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