The Boston Celtics got bounced in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers. That was bad enough. Even worse? The Sixers turned around and got swept by the Knicks in the second round. So yeah, the Celtics had a lot of time this offseason to stare at the ceiling and wonder what went wrong.
There was reportedly real talk about a blockbuster trade that would have sent Jaylen Brown to Milwaukee and brought Giannis Antetokounmpo to Boston. That fell apart when Miami made the Bucks a better offer. So instead of landing a superstar who could score inside, the Celtics went into the draft looking for help on the margins.
They came out with two picks. Neither one is likely to change the math against Joel Embiid or Jalen Brunson overnight.
First round, pick 27: Chris Cenac Jr., Houston
Cenac is a 6-11 big man who played one season at Houston and averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds. He’s 19 years old and weighs 240 pounds, which means he’s got room to fill out. The Celtics need somebody who can score around the rim and bother opposing bigs. Right now, Cenac is more of a long-term project than a ready-made solution.
His best trait might be how much he improved during his freshman year. He got more confident as the season went on and started playing with real aggression around the basket. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson told NBA.com that Cenac’s attitude never wavered. “He’s never had one ounce of bad body language,” Sampson said. “He’s never, ever been late. Chris is always one of the first ones there, last ones to leave.”
The problem is minutes. Boston already has Neemias Queta, Luke Garza and Nikola Vucevic in the front court. That group got eaten alive by Embiid in the playoffs. Counting on a rookie to step in and fix that is a stretch. Cenac might be good one day. But 2026-27 is probably not that day.
Grade: B
Second round, pick 40: Dillon Mitchell, St. John’s
Mitchell is a 6-7 wing who played lockdown defense for Rick Pitino at St. John’s. That’s going to be his ticket to playing time early on. He rebounds hard and runs the floor well. He’s quick enough to beat guys down the court and active enough to cause problems on defense.
But there’s a real question about his offense. Mitchell averaged 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds last season and shot 55.9% from the field. That sounds fine until you see he shot 49.4% from the free throw line. He was the fifth-leading scorer on his own team. The people who watch this stuff for a living aren’t convinced he’ll ever be a reliable shooter.
Still, defense and athleticism can get you on the floor as a rookie even if your jumper is shaky. Mitchell might carve out a role faster than Cenac, especially if the Celtics need somebody to chase wings and guards. His offense will have to catch up eventually, but the effort and tools are there.
Grade: B
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