BOSTON — One of the stars of the 2019 NCAA Tournament reportedly is headed to the Boston Celtics.
With the 33rd pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Purdue product Carsen Edwards. The 6-foot-1 shooting guard reportedly will be sent to the Celtics as part of a chain of first-round trades that later resulted in Aron Baynes being sent to the Phoenix Suns.
You might remember Edwards for his performance against Virginia in the Elite Eight. The sharp-shooting guard dropped a whopping 42 points on 10-of-19 shooting from deep in Purdue’s loss to the eventual national champions.
Take a look:
The Celtics just drafted a certified bucket getter in Carsen Edwards pic.twitter.com/2WusY5teIC
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 21, 2019
Edwards isn’t a natural point guard, and he’s too small to be a shooting guard. He works hard on defense, but his lack of size is a problem. That being said, the Celtics know better than anyone that diminutive guards can succeed in the NBA, so long as they’re willing to put the work in.
The Texas native averaged 24.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Boilermakers last season. Edwards shot 39.4 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from beyond the arc.
The Celtics also drafted Indiana forward Romeo Langford with the No. 14 pick and Tennessee forward Grant Williams with the No. 22 pick. Langford is a highly talented wing with some shot concerns, while Williams is a smart, tenacious big man who isn’t a fan of Kyrie Irving’s flat-Earth beliefs.
