The Boston Celtics don't have a treasure chest of draft assets entering the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
Boston traded its first-round pick at the NBA trade deadline in order to acquire Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs. It was a move that ultimately helped the Celtics continue their in-season turnaround and reach the NBA Finals before bowing out in Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors last week.
The Celtics currently have just one draft selection, No. 53 overall, entering the draft. While it might be difficult to predict where the lottery balls fall, we've came up with a list of five players the Celtics might target.
Anyway, away we go.
Collin Gillespie, G, Villanova
Gillespie, 22, capped off his five-year run with the Wildcats with three Big East titles and one National Championship. He is projected to be selected in the second round or go undrafted. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Gillespie is a knockdown shooter -- among the best the draft has to offer -- and is crafty off the dribble. He hit a career-best 41.5% of his 7.2 3-point attempts per game during the 2021-22 season while averaging 15.6 points with 3.2 assists.
Gillespie also showed glimpses of his ability as a playmaker, something president of basketball operations Brad Stevens acknowledged the Celtics will look to add. Gillespie, who has been linked to the Celtics, has the tools to fit as a backup point guard and his instincts on defense, though head coach Ime Udoka would look to further tap into them, could benefit Boston's biggest strength.
Jabari Walker, SF, Colorado
Walker, 19, possesses the athleticism and length that it takes to succeed in the NBA, though he's far better at scoring off the ball than he is creating for himself. Walker, who was named an All-Pac-12 selection last season with Colorado, averaged 14.6 points on 46% shooting from the field with 9.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists. Walker has been projected to go in the second round, but some recent draft workouts might hint a jump up the draft board. Walker offers plenty of upside for the Celtics given where they're currently slated with his decent shot-making ability and ability on the defensive end.
Jermaine Samuels, SF, Villanova
A homecoming of sorts. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound small forward from Franklin, Mass. possesses both size and athleticism and was named the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA South Regional during March Madness. Samuels, 23, who started 37 of Villanova's 38 games this season, led the Wildcats with 6.5 rebounds per contest and averaged 11.1 points, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.
He is a above average defender and while he's fine off the dribble, he's better off the ball on the offensive end. Samuels' projected draft range is anywhere from the second round to undrafted, while he isn't often floated on mock draft boards. Prior to a five-year career at Villanova, Samuels was considered among the nation's top small forwards while playing at The Rivers School in Weston.
Moussa Diabate, PF, Michigan
Diabate, 20, has been linked to the Celtics in a pair of NBA mock drafts. The international prospect, a native of Paris, France, is a lean 6-foot-10 and 215 pounds that projects as a second-round selection. He is ranked No. 68 overall on NBADraft.net's 100-player big board. While needing to further develop, Diabate offers the upside of a rim-running big man who presents as a lob threat on offense and shot blocker on defense. The Big Ten All-Freshman selection averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in just shy of 25 minutes per game for the Wolverines.
Yannick Nzosa, F/C, Unicaja Malaga
It's possible, perhaps very possible, the Celtics opt to go with a draft-and-stash player given how many young guys they have on the roster. Nzosa is among those that fit the bill, but there's many others in a similar position. Nzosa, 18, is a very good athlete while playing in some of the toughest international leagues. He projects anywhere from the second round to undrafted, but is ranked No. 78 overall on NBADraft.net's big board. Nzosa is both a solid rebounder and defender, including his ability as a shot-blocker with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, but is quite raw on the offensive end.
