The Boston Celtics have been involved in just about every rumor imaginable since the start of the offseason, but they made their first major move on Tuesday night when they selected Houston Cougars forward Chris Cenac Jr. with the No. 27 overall pick. Now, the team will shift its attention to the second round, where it is armed with the No. 40 overall pick.
Boston has some big fish to fry this offseason, particularly when it comes to resolving the future of Jaylen Brown after his name popped up in the team’s trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. That’s a problem that the front office seems intent on dealing with down the line, though. First, it must finish its work in the draft, and it sounds like Brad Stevens and company have their eyes set on a star guard from Louisville.
Celtics Targeting Ryan Conwell with No. 40 Overall Pick
While the team hasn’t made any moves besides drafting Cenac, it’s been a hectic start to the offseason for the C’s. The team came very close to trading Brown to the Milwaukee Bucks for Antetokounmpo, only to get outbid by the Miami Heat for his services at the last second. Understandably, the team has some things to clean up after it failed to acquire Antetokounmpo.
The most important decision Boston now has to make revolves around whether or not it wants to continue building around Brown and Jayson Tatum. Even with Antetokounmpo off the board, the Celtics have reportedly continued listening to trade offers for Brown, and while there’s no guarantee he will get dealt, this shows that the team is open to moving him.
For now, though, all the C’s can do is focus on nailing their draft picks. Seeing Cenac, who was expected to be a top-20 selection, fall to them at the No. 27 overall pick was a big win, but now, the front office will see if it can nab another contributor in the second round. With that in mind, reports have emerged indicating the team is very interested in Louisville Cardinals guard Ryan Conwell, but it may face competition from several teams for his services.
“The Celtics are a team very interested in (Conwell), sources said,” NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints shared in a post on X. “Along with drawing interest from the Celtics, we are hearing the Nuggets and Rockets are two other teams with picks in the 30s with interest in Ryan Conwell. He is expected to be one of the first guards off the board in the second round tonight at this rate.”
Should the Celtics Draft Ryan Conwell?
GettyThe Celtics are reportedly hoping to draft Louisville guard Ryan Conwell
Conwell played for four different schools during his four years in college, but he enjoyed his best season this past year with Louisville. Conwell started all 34 games he played in, averaging 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 40.8% from the field. While he isn’t necessarily a skilled playmaker, Conwell is a prolific shooter, as he hit 34.5% of his threes last year, despite taking nearly 10 shots from behind the arc per game.
While Boston has shown some indication that it wants to adjust its offensive strategy, no team in the NBA shoots as many threes as it does. The team has enjoyed great success when developing a guy like Payton Pritchard in recent years, and it’s fair to wonder if Conwell could follow a similar path. Whether or not he falls to them is ultimately going to be the story here, but if Conwell is up for grabs when the C’s are on the clock, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them draft him.
Celtics Eyeing Louisville Guard in Second Round of 2026 NBA Draft