The Boston Celtics are NBA champions after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. But while the players are enjoying the spoils of victory, the front office doesn't have too much time to celebrate because the 2024 NBA Draft is right around the corner.
The first round of the draft is next Wednesday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with the second round taking place the following afternoon.
Even though the Celtics have traded many draft picks in recent years, they still own their 2024 first-round selection, which is slotted at No. 30 overall.
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The chances of the Celtics getting a really good player with the last pick in Round 1 aren't great, but recent history has shown there is definitely value to be found in this part of the draft.
Here are some notable No. 30 overall picks in recent years:
- 2011: Jimmy Butler, Bulls
- 2014: Kyle Anderson, Spurs
- 2015: Kevon Looney, Warriors
- 2017: Josh Hart, Jazz (traded to Lakers)
- 2020: Desmond Bane, Celtics (traded to Grizzlies)
- 2022: Peyton Watson, Nuggets
It should also be noted that Celtics guard Derrick White was the No. 29 overall pick by the Spurs in the 2017 draft.
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One popular pick for the Celtics in recent expert mock drafts is Creighton shooting guard Baylor Scheierman. The 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard averaged a career-high 18.5 points on 38.1 percent 3-point shooting at Creighton last season. He played five years of college basketball -- three at South Dakota State and the last two for Creighton.
Scheierman doesn't have a high ceiling, but he's one of those veteran college players who could likely step in right away and play at the pro level. That's the kind of rookie contending teams typically target late in the first round.
Which players might the Celtics pursue with the final pick in the first round? Here's a roundup of predictions from recent expert mock drafts.
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, ESPN: Pacome Dadiet, SG/SF, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: Tyler Kolek, PG, Marquette
Kevin O'Connor, The Ringer: Terrence Shannon Jr., Wing, Illinois
Ricky O'Donnell, SB Nation: DaRon Holmes II, C, Dayton
Jeff Zillgitt and Scooby Axson, USA TODAY Sports: Baylor Scheierman, SG, Creighton
Krysten Peek, Yahoo! Sports: Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke
Kyle Boone, CBS Sports: Baylor Scheierman, SG, Creighton
Bryan Kalbrosky, For The Win: Baylor Scheierman, SG, Creighton
NBADraft.net: Baylor Scheierman, SG, Creighton