The Boston Celtics' primary focus is obviously the 2024 NBA Finals, and they have a chance to clinch their 18th championship Monday night in Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden.
But the franchise must also devote some resources to the offseason, which will be here pretty soon.
One of the marquee offseason events is the 2024 NBA Draft, and the Celtics still own their first-round pick. Scouting is an important part of the draft process, and according to longtime NBA reporter Adam Zagoria, the Celtics held pre-draft workouts with four players this past weekend.
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Virginia forward Ryan Dunn and Kentucky forward Justin Edwards are first-round caliber prospects. One or both could be available when the Celtics are on the clock, which would be No. 30 overall currently. Akron forward Enrique Freeman and Syracuse guard Judah Mintz are projected to be second-round picks.
The draft likely will become increasingly important for high-spending teams like the Celtics. Given the luxury tax penalties and second-apron restrictions in the current collective bargaining agreement, it will be crucial for contenders to acquire cost-effective, talented young players to surround their expensive veteran core. The draft is the best way to find these kinds of young players.
The Celtics have had some success in the back end of the first round in recent seasons. They selected Robert Williams III (No. 28, 2018), Grant Williams (No. 22, 2019) and Payton Pritchard (No. 26, 2020) in this portion of the draft since 2018.
This year's draft is scheduled for June 26 at the Barclays Center.
