The 2024 NBA Draft begins Wednesday night in Brooklyn, where the Boston Celtics own the 30th and final pick in the first round.
The Celtics are coming off an NBA Finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks for their 18th championship. It's unlikely that whoever they draft Wednesday -- assuming they keep the pick -- will play a meaningful role on next season's team (barring injuries, of course).
But that doesn't make the selection any less important for the C's. The league's new collective bargaining agreement will make it tough for high-spending teams like the Celtics to keep all of their best players long term. Therefore, it's more important than ever to hit on these mid-to-late first-round picks.
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Which players might the Celtics target at the end of Round 1?
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ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo unveiled their final 2024 NBA mock draft on Wednesday, and they project University of California wing Jaylon Tyson to go to Boston.
"Tyson has helped his standing in the pre-draft process with strong workouts showing his guard skills and versatility after an outstanding season at Cal," Givony and Woo wrote in their analysis. "At 6-foot-7 in shoes, he can play a variety of roles on or off the ball with his passing and budding shot-making prowess."
Tyson averaged career highs with 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game this season for Cal. He also shot 36 percent from 3-point range. His perimeter defense shows promise, too.
Lengthy, versatile wing players are super valuable in the modern NBA, and the Celtics have more of them than any team in the sport. Tyson, based on his skill set and physical profile, would be a good fit with the Celtics if they end up taking him. He'd also join a fellow Golden Bear on Boston's roster -- All-Star wing and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown was the Celtics' first-round pick (No. 3 overall) out of Cal in 2016.