With the draft over and free agency up ahead, the Celtics still look basically the same as last year
Just days from free agency and nearly seven weeks removed from their abrupt playoff elimination, the Celtics are no better or worse than they were when they were thumped in Game 7 by the 76ers.
Their roster additions began Tuesday when they selected Houston freshman Chris Cenac Jr., a potential cornerstone big man who could be years away from contributing. They finished the draft Wednesday by taking athletic St. John’s wing Dillon Mitchell in the second round.
Those two players could be part of the future core, but the 2026-27 Celtics are still far from a finished product and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has the next few weeks to enhance the roster and determine the fate of Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics’ draft strategy changed overnight, from the first to the second round. Cenac is a project whom they don’t expect much from next season while Mitchell could compete for minutes because of his athleticism and defensive prowess.
NBA free agency begins June 30 and the Celtics will have assets to pursue the starting center they’ve been seeking and could use their $27 million trade exception to acquire a point guard or more bench scoring. A decision on Brown will have to be made soon because he is such a significant part of the Celtics’ offense.
But Stevens has other issues to address. The Celtics need a lead guard — someone who can make the lives of Jayson Tatum and Brown easier because they both have been handling and creating too much in recent years. The days of Derrick White running point, playing distributor, knocking down threes and also being an All-NBA defender may be nearing their end.
Stevens said the Celtics are seeking size and athleticism, especially on the perimeter. The Celtics need better, more physical and athletic defenders. They need more players who can do multiple things. Perhaps in recent years, and because Stevens pared payroll to escape the second apron, the Celtics became more physically limited and one dimensional.
“I think you know we’ve been really lucky because our two guys [Tatum and Brown], are very good, and I think that’s the number one key if you’re going to have those big contracts is that they’re both excellent players that on any given night you know can put 40 on the board and carry you,” Stevens said. “Then with that you just have to be good around the edges of the roster that’s easier said than done, but I do think that it’s very doable. The key goes back to if you’re going to do it, you’ve got to do it on those guys, and those guys have been great.”
That was support for the Tatum-Brown pairing but of course, Brown could be sent out of Boston within days or signed to a two-year extension to stay. Stevens was supportive of Brown’s accomplishments late Tuesday when he addressed the media but wouldn’t go so far as to stay Brown would remain a Celtic long term.
What last year’s 56-win campaign did for the Celtics other than earn the No. 2 seed was create a developmental path for numerous players to contribute this season. The question is whether Stevens can rely on the likes of Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman to take steps forward and become consistent contributors off the bench. Second-year forward Hugo Gonzalez, who even flourished when thrown into Game 7 against the 76ers even though he played little in the series, appears ready for more responsibility.
But the roster needs upgrades. The Celtics need more shooters, more athletes, and more defenders. Players such as Anfernee Simons and Robert Williams are free agents that could welcome returns to Boston. And the trade market is beginning to heat up with reports that players such as LaMelo Ball of the Hornets could be available.
There could be a handful of Celtics targets that could fit into that $27.3 million exception, such as Trey Murphy, De’Andre Hunter, or Cameron Johnson. Stevens is unquestionably putting together packages and potential scenarios to acquire more talent. There was speculation he could pull off a draft-night deal to nab a lottery pick or a player ready to help immediately but he opted to stay put with Cenac at 27.
The draft would have been one way to boost the roster talent but it’s longer process. The Celtics want to win now, capitalizing on Tatum’s (and perhaps Brown’s) prime window after the disheartening loss to Philadelphia. There are going to be difficult decisions regarding potentially parting ways with players such as White, who has drawn interest from the Timberwolves, or Sam Hauser.
Stevens has made difficult calls over the years to move popular players for perhaps better fits and Brown may not be the only Celtic who could be traded in the next few weeks. This will be an eventful summer in Boston and it became even more engrossing when Stevens couldn’t pull off the deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo, leaving the organization open for scrutiny and speculation.
Because this is not an appealing free agent class, there could be several players who switch teams through trades and now Stevens has the assets, with the mid-level and trade exception, to make moves and bring the Celtics closer to championship contention. But so far, they are pretty much the same team as before.
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