BOSTON, Mass. — Though it’s been overshadowed in these parts by the deluge of rumors surrounding Jaylen Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo and a handful of other Boston Celtics players and reported C’s targets, the 2026 NBA Draft is nearly here.
This year’s draft — considered one of the strongest in recent memory — will take place this Tuesday and Wednesday in Brooklyn.
Here are six draft prospects who could make sense for Boston, which currently owns the 27th overall pick in Round 1 and No. 40 overall in Round 2:
Tarris Reed Jr., center, UConn
Reed isn’t the tallest or most explosive big man, and he’s not much of a shooter. But he’s rock solid at 6-foot-9, 264 pounds, moves well for his size and is a beast on the glass, as he showed during UConn’s run to the national championship game. Reed averaged 13.5 rebounds per game in the NCAA tournament — including 27 in one game against Furman — plus 19.5 points and 1.5 blocks.
Viewed by most draft analysts as a likely NBA backup, the former Huskies standout would add some interior muscle to Boston’s frontcourt. Former UConn teammate Alex Karaban — a four-year starter and two-time national champion in Storrs — could be on the Celtics’ radar, too, if they’re in the market for a sharp-shooting, glue-guy wing.
Henri Veesaar, center, North Carolina
The Celtics tried to add a floor-stretching big man with their unsuccessful midseason trade for Nikola Vucevic. They could try again with a prospect like Veesaar, an Estonian 7-footer who averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game during his lone season at UNC while shooting 42.6% from 3-point range. Veesaar also was an effective interior scorer for the Tar Heels.
The concerns: Like Vucevic, Veesaar is shaky at the defensive end, and he could struggle to handle the physicality of the NBA until he adds bulk to his 227-pound frame.
Allen Graves, forward, Santa Clara
Calling a player an “analytics darling,” as most of Graves’ scouting reports do, implies that his contributions weren’t always easily noticeable. And Graves is an unusual prospect to evaluate. He came off the bench this season as a redshirt freshman on a decent Santa Clara team, and numbers dipped against stronger competition. But it’s easy to see why the 19-year-old’s skill set might appeal to the Celtics’ shot-callers.
Graves is a defensive playmaker, a high-level offensive rebounder and a smart decision-maker who rarely turns the ball over and shoots it effectively. He made 41.3% of his threes in college and registered a staggering 4.9 steals per 100 possessions.
Meleek Thomas, guard, Arkansas
If the Celtics want to add more scoring punch to their backcourt — which they lost when they traded sixth man Anfernee Simons for Vucevic at the trade deadline — they could do a lot worse than Thomas, who can shoot the lights out and plays with a distinct fearlessness. He shot 41.6% from three this season (on 5.3 attempts per game) while playing alongside projected top-10 pick Darius Acuff Jr.
Concerns about Thomas’ defense, vision and shot selection hurt his draft stock, but he’s one of the better pure shooters in this class. Scouting reports from Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin O’Connor and The Athletic’s John Hollinger both compared him to Simons, who improved his much-maligned defense during his half-season with Boston.
Joshua Jefferson, forward, Iowa State
Far from the flashiest player, Jefferson has the skills to thrive in a “connector” role: great passing ability, strong court vision, savvy basketball IQ, effective rebounding and defensive versatility.
His ceiling is limited, considering he’s an older prospect (22) and not a plus athlete, but draft experts regard him as a high-floor option who would add value to most NBA benches.
Jayden Quaintance, forward, Kentucky
Quaintance could be long gone by the time the Celtics pick — The Ringer’s big board has him pegged as the 10th-best prospect in this draft — depending on how teams view the risk/reward of his injury history. The 18-year-old tore his ACL last February and appeared in just four games for Kentucky this season. But when healthy, he’s shown elite defensive potential with his length, athleticism and instincts.
The most common NBA comp for Quaintance is a player Celtics fans know well: Robert Williams III, the stifling former C’s big man who’s struggled to stay on the floor throughout his career.
