Two Recent Celtics Draft Picks Not Expected To Play In Summer League

The NBA’s Summer League would offer the Celtics another opportunity to evaluate prospects Yam Madar and Juhann Begarin, who they selected in the second round of the 2020 and 2021 drafts, respectively.

But those two draft-and-stash players reportedly won’t make their way to Las Vegas and represent the Celtics next month.

The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reported Monday that Madar and Begarin are both expect to forgo playing in Summer League this year due to commitments to their European teams.

Madar and Begarin have both suited up for the Celtics in the desert in previous years. Begarin played in the last two Summer League sessions after getting drafted No. 45 overall while Madar played in 2021 but didn’t participate last year.

Madar, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard, turned heads while playing for Partizan Belgrade this season. The 22-year-old earned the EuroLeague’s Rising Star award.

Begarin, who will turn 21 later this summer, also had a strong showing playing for Paris Basketball in France’s top league. The 6-foot-5 wing posted 11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game but is far from a polished outside shooter, knocking down a mere 27.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Both Madar and Begarin will continue their development overseas as the Celtics at some point will need to make a decision if they see either of them making what feels like an unlikely leap to the NBA this season.