The Boston Celtics will need another offensive spark off the bench next season.
The team’s leading scorer, Jayson Tatum, is expected to miss most (or all) of next season as he recovers from Achilles surgery. If the Celtics try to get under the second apron of the luxury tax, it might result in a couple of veterans being traded. Sam Hauser and Jrue Holiday could have good value on the trade market.
Someone who can score and has plenty of experience at the college level would be a good fit for the Celtics with the No. 28 pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
One player who checks off those boxes is Walter Clayton Jr. The Florida guard led the Gators to a national title this past season. He averaged 18.3 points per game and shot 38.6 percent from 3-point range. He was a four-year college player — two years at Iona and two at Florida — so he’s a little more polished than some of the one-and-done prospects.
Clayton’s ability to create his own shot from anywhere on the floor would be valuable in Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla’s system. He doesn’t have a ton of size and isn’t an elite defensive player, but he plays physical and doesn’t back down from a challenge.
Which other players should the Celtics target at the end of the first round?
Here’s a roundup of expert predictions from recent NBA mock drafts.
“The Celtics have some big needs to address in the wake of Jayson Tatum‘s season-ending Achilles injury, but they can’t have any real expectation to address them in the draft, certainly not this late in the first round.
“Finding a combo forward such as Penda, who’s capable of soaking up minutes, hopefully gaining some experience and perhaps emerging as capable of adding value in a year from now, would be a major win. Penda’s versatility and strong feel for the game played an important role in carving out a strong role in the French first division. He is an intelligent passer who slides all over the court on defense and plays a mature style of basketball for a 20-year-old.”
“The Celtics hit a home run selecting Payton Pritchard at No. 26 in the first round in 2020, and could see value in developing another scoring-oriented reserve guard in Clayton.
“With Boston likely to roster its draft picks as it considers changes to the team moving forward, Clayton might be useful right away as a bench option who can pinch hit for its other guards or step in if the Celtics make trades. His shooting, explosiveness and toughness give him a chance to succeed in a role long term.”
“The combine proved that Fleming is a little taller than 6-8 (barefoot) with a wingspan a little better than 7-5. Those measurements are great for somebody who also shot 39% from 3 on 4.5 attempts per game as a 20 year-old, and that’s among the reasons Fleming should go in the lottery despite mostly operating off of the national radar in three seasons at Saint Joseph’s.”
Rasheer Fleming shot 39 percent from 3-point range as a junior, and Chris Forsberg says if teams think his three-ball can translate to the NBA, he will be a good pick in the draft.
“Confidence in Walter Clayton Jr. surged after his 34-point performance against Auburn. His fearlessness and clutch shotmaking have scouts beginning to look past concerns about his size and buy into his potential as a scoring guard.
“Clayton shot extremely well during drills at the NBA combine, reinforcing the belief that, despite standing just 6’3″, his shooting ability and toughness could make him a valuable bench spark at the next level.”
“The Celtics have recently had some success developing frontcourt players—Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, Neemias Queta—and Raynaud could be the next one. If he were a big who needed to learn to play through defenders’ chests and assert himself in the fray, I’d worry about him finding his way in the more physical NBA. But Raynaud was highly active both inside and outside the arc for Stanford this past season. If Boston found a way to sculpt a shot chart that smartly balances his ability to body a defender near the rim and pop out for a 3, Raynaud could become a contributor.”
