There’s been some chatter about the Boston Celtics potentially swinging a trade to move up into the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.
But who exactly are the defending Eastern Conference champions eyeing in Round 1?
Well, The Athletic’s Zach Harper reported Wednesday, citing sources, the Celtics are high on LSU forward Tari Eason.
According to Harper, Boston could look to dangle a young role player, like Payton Pritchard or Aaron Nesmith, to jump into the first round to select Eason.
Harper projected Eason to go No. 16 overall to the Atlanta Hawks in his most recent mock draft published Monday. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie on Tuesday projected Eason to be drafted 17th overall by the Houston Rockets.
Harper wrote: “Tari Eason is all over the place as a guy on the floor, and that makes him pretty hard to project. That can make him a real pain for the opponent, and that can make him a real pain for his own team at times. But he can play. He’s a fantastic defender who just needs to keep the fouling under control to make his impact felt.”
Vecenie wrote: “It’s tough to get a handle on where Eason will slot in on draft night. Teams are all over the map on him. Some really have some worries about his decision-making and his right-hand dominance while also being concerned about his shooting mechanics. Others look at how much of a playmaker he is on defense and believe he is tailor-made as a playmaker on that end who is switchable two through five and can create transition opportunities with his disruptiveness.”
Of course, Eason could go even higher, with Vecenie acknowledging he has a “lottery grade” on the 6-foot-8 forward.
Harper noted Wednesday it’s believed the Rockets love Eason at No. 17, if they keep the selection, so the Celtics ultimately might find it difficult to secure a pick high enough to draft the 21-year-old.
Nevertheless, there’s clearly some smoke surrounding the idea of Boston moving up the draft board. The Celtics currently own only one pick — the 53rd overall selection in Round 2 — after trading a first-rounder at the deadline in exchange for Derrick White.
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported Wednesday the Celtics appear willing to engage in conversations involving rotation players, like Pritchard and Grant Williams. And BR’s Grant Hughes speculated a trade involving Nesmith could make sense for Boston.
We’ll see what Brad Stevens and company have up their sleeves one week removed from losing to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
