Refocusing the Boston Celtics Draft Strategy After Potential Targets Withdraw

Some of the players Boston was looking at are going back to school, so we turned to an expert to help us narrow down a new list of names

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) dribbles the ball against the St. John's Red Storm in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

1. The obvious name
2. Bigs With Other Skills
3. The rehabilitation project
4. The ‘hope everyone else makes a mistake’ guy
5. The most likely picks

Draft boards are being reworked now that the deadline to withdraw from next month's draft and go back to college has come and gone. A couple of names originally mentioned in the Boston Celtics sphere of possibilities are no longer options, including Milan Momcilovic, a 6-8 shooter from Iowa State and Illinois’ Andrej Stojakovic, son of Peja Stojakovic, who came to Boston for a workout. 

Now it’s time to re-focus the list, looking at the different possibilities at picks 27 and 40, with the help of draft expert Nathan Grubel, who appeared in the most recent Locked On Celtics podcast to discuss the draft.  You can listen to the whole show at the end of this story.

The obvious name

Tarris Reed Jr. (C, 6-10, 263, 7-4 wingspan)

I’ve brought him up before because he has an NBA body and is projected to be available in that end of the draft. The question is whether Boston wants to add another traditional big to the mix, or go a different direction. 

Bigs With Other Skills

Zuby Ejiofor (C/F, 6-7.5, 245 lbs, 7-2 wingspan)

He’s smaller, but he’s switchable and brings a little playmaking ability. 

"He's showing signs he's going to be able to space the floor a little bit,” Grubel said. “That really bodes well in the Celtics favor … I think Zuby is going to be able to shoot it. I know he's only 6 foot 9, but he has a 7 foot 2 wingspan. He's 245 pounds. He's not going to be bullied on the block by anyone... he provides you that defensive versatility, being able to cover multiple positions and switch that the Celtics are looking for within their defensive scheme."

He has worked out for the Celtics and he could be the type of player the Celtics invest some longer-term development hoping he can become a real contributor in a couple of seasons.

Baba Miller (PF, 6-10.5, 208 lbs, 7-2 wingspan)

Stop me if you’ve heard this opening line to a story before: A kid from Spain comes out of the Real Madrid program with an iffy jumper but a flair for making plays. 

"[He] was a combine riser out of Cincinnati,” Grubel said. “Versatile type of switchblade knife defender within that front court. … he was showcasing some of those more perimeter oriented, power forward type of skills. He has the fluidity, the mobility to cover a lot of ground. Can be a secondary, defensive playmaker for you, weak side shot blocker, thief in passing lanes, things of that nature."

There are mock drafts with him available in Boston’s area in the second round. He has already been in Boston for a workout. 

The rehabilitation project

Koa Peat (F/C, 6-7, 245, 6-11 wingspan)

“The jump shot is broken. I won't even try and put any other pleasantries to it,” Grubel said. “Any team that is going to take on drafting him this year will have the side project for likely multiple off seasons of having to rebuild his jump shot."

Experts are high enough on Peat that he’s still showing up in the first round of mock drafts because of his ability to otherwise be a strong two-way player who, if you squint, can be a small-ball five option. 

The Celtics have never shied away from a player because of a broken J. They know a player willing to put in the work can rebuild a jump shot.

“If you do come out on the other side with a workable jump shot, maybe not stellar, but workable, he has a lot of things in the toolbox that you can really point to and say that's going to work in the NBA,” Grubel said. “He's an incredibly physical player. He knows how to convert looks around the basket. He knows how to play team defense. He knows how to rebound the basketball. He can make some really good passes."

The ‘hope everyone else makes a mistake’ guy

Ebuka Okorie (G, 6-1, 186, 6-7 wingspan)

The New Hampshire kid has made a name for himself during the draft process. 

"If we were projecting this a few weeks ago before we got to the NBA draft combine, I would have said if he's going to be in the draft, he would be in that 25 to 35 range,” Grubel said. “After the combine, seeing him measure at 6-1.5, but with a 6-8.5 wingspan, all of a sudden you're lighting things up to the point where he has the measurements of a lot of these other “smaller guards” that we've seen find great success in the NBA.”

His jumper is suspect, though, and it’s the one thing keeping him from rising even further in the draft, which sadly means he’s probably played himself out of Boston’s range. The Celtics could have been a great spot for Okorie, not just because he’d be home, but because he’d have another small guard to teach him the one skill he lacks.

“Lock him in a gym with Payton Pritchard for two summers in a row,” Grubel said. “If he turns out shooting any close to what Payton can do, because that's the type of athletic comparison that I would love to make with someone like Okorie. Payton Pritchard, very sneaky, very underrated athlete, but quietly, like one of the best athletes on the entire Celtics team. That's the kind of speed and slipperiness and explosiveness that you would get from someone like Okorie.”

The most likely picks

Isaiah Evans (G, 6-5.5, 186, 6-9 wingspan)

“That's just someone who fits seamlessly with everything that Boston wants to do,” Grubel said. “He has an argument to be the best shooter in the draft."

One element we haven't considered is how the Celtics will start replacing some of the guys who will start aging out, starting with Derrick White, who is about to turn 32. 

The bottom line is that he only has a couple more years at peak White abilities, which is just enough time to develop another guard to step in and take his place. Evans isn’t allergic to defending, either, and we know adding a Dukie to the roster will go over well. 

“I do think there's a little bit more juice there in terms of the ball handling, some of the driving,” Grubel said. “He can get [threes] off movement, off the catch, he can create some of his own three point shots. That's a guy who I could very much see fitting within that Celtics organization."

Alex Karaban (F, 6-7, 225, 6-11 wingspan)

“You can trust him to make enough shots, you can trust him to rebound at his position and you can trust him to defend in different coverages and schemes because he's seen a lot,” Grubel said. “He's been in college for a bunch of years. He's played under Dan Hurley. He's been in a winning championship level environment. That's the type of player that I could absolutely see the Celtics taking at 27.”

Karaban has been in Boston for a workout, so he’s definitely under consideration. Some mocks have him slipping into the second round, so there's a chance he’s available for Boston at both spots, though I’m not really sure he’ll get all the way to 40. It might make him a little bit of a reach at 27, but honestly, I see everyone between picks 20-40 as very similar in terms of talent level. If they like him, they should take him at 27.