After a two-day draft, the Boston Celtics have their new rookies and are now preparing for Summer League in Las Vegas. The Celtics made one trade and selected three players — one in the first round and two in the second.
With the 28th pick in the first round, Boston selected Real Madrid’s Hugo González, with the expectation that he’ll come to Boston rather than follow the typical “draft-and-stash” route often used for international prospects.
I’ll admit, I was biased — I wanted Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to draft Rasheer Fleming, the forward out of my alma mater, Saint Joseph’s University. But Boston felt the 6-foot-6 González was the better fit. I wasn’t familiar with González before the draft, so I won’t pretend to be an expert on his game. But here’s what I do know:
His former club, Real Madrid, is one of the top teams in Europe, featuring a roster full of former NBA and top-level European talent. That’s also where Luka Dončić played before entering the NBA. I’m not saying González will be the next Dončić, but like Luka, he has logged meaningful minutes in a professional league at a young age.
González’s stats may not scream “first-round pick,” but considering his youth and the quality of his competition, there’s upside. From the video I’ve seen, one of his best traits is his off-ball cutting — something the Celtics ranked near the bottom of the league in last season. González is sneaky athletic; on some drives where you’d expect a layup, he surprises with a dunk.
It’ll be interesting to see how his development plays out, whether that’s in Boston or with the Maine Celtics in Portland.
Boston originally had the second pick in the second round, but the Phoenix Suns traded up to snag Rasheer Fleming — a player linked to the Celtics. Boston then traded the No. 32 pick to the Orlando Magic in exchange for picks No. 46 and No. 57, along with 2026 and 2027 second-rounders.
With the No. 46 pick, Boston selected Amari Williams, a 7-foot, 260-pound center from Kentucky. With Luke Kornet and Al Horford both unrestricted free agents and Kristaps Porziņģis recently traded to Atlanta, the Celtics needed to address their frontcourt depth. Williams fills a need.
He averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. There’s still room for growth in his game, but the Celtics have had success developing second-round talent in recent years. Summer League will be a key test for Williams to prove he can keep up with the NBA pace.
With their final pick, the Celtics selected Max Shulga from VCU at No. 57. A natural scorer, Shulga was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year last season after averaging 15 points per game and shooting 38.7% from 3-point range. At 6-foot-5, he’s a three-level scorer, and if he can consistently knock down threes and create as a playmaker, he could earn minutes over the course of the season.
There have been rumors that Sam Hauser could be involved in a trade. If that happens, Boston would need another floor spacer — potentially opening the door for Shulga.
The NBA offseason is still in its early stages, and it’s a safe bet that Brad Stevens isn’t done making moves.
