Who could the Boston Celtics target in the 2025 NBA Draft?
Finding rookie talent capable of making an immediate impact is far from an exact science. Some players quickly acclimate to life as a professional, while for others, it takes multiple years. Nevertheless, the Celtics will likely feel confident in their scouting and talent evaluation departments as Brad Stevens finalizes his big board heading into draft night.
During a recent episode of the "First To The Floor" podcast, draft analyst Ben Pfeifer joined the show to dissect some of the options the Celtics have available to them heading into draft night. Pfeifer touched on potential sleepers, players that could fall, and of course, some potential can't-miss talent within the Celtics' draft range.
You can watch the full draft preview by clicking on the embedded video above.
Watch the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast on:
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Are Lakers buying out LeBron James? Explaining latest viral update on superstar's contract amid trade rumors
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Latest on possible 7-team trade
The market for the Warriors' restricted free agent is beginning to take shape. Meanwhile, teams are discussing a potential seven-team trade. Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images I've seen lots of outside speculation about the possibility of the Lakers receiving something for Dorian Finney-Smith in a hypothetical sign-and-trade. Unfortunately for LA, there doesn't seem to be any traction on that — and I don't anticipate this reality changing. The Rockets are in the process of turning the Kevin Durant trade into a seven-team deal, a move that seems increasingly likely to happen, league sources tell The Athletic . And the reason that deal would go down is, in part, so they could acquire Finney-Smith with a straight signing. Houston has only the midlevel exception to sign a player, which meant they had to turn either the Finney-Smith or Clint Capela agreement into a sign-and-trade. 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Like the City of Hoops, which is nestled in the State of Hockey, Alexander-Walker just put his head down and kept working amid all the sneers and dismissals, emerging as an inspirational symbol for basketball's renaissance in Minnesota. That is why a somber tone followed the excitement of last weekend, when the Timberwolves locked up two critical components of last season's run to the Western Conference finals by signing Julius Randle and Reid to long-term contracts totaling $225 million. As happy as Wolves fans were, especially for the folk hero that is Naz Reid, they knew that the moves came with a price. They knew that Alexander-Walker was going to have to go. For someone who spent a relatively small amount of time with the Timberwolves, Alexander-Walker leaves a lasting legacy. Read more here. GO FURTHER Nickeil Alexander-Walker was a true Timberwolves success story Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images We're a few days into free agency, and aside from the annual drawn-out saga of restricted free agents, we're basically done. Having prepped for recruiting dog-and-pony shows while working in an NBA front office, good riddance. But I think there's another key reason we aren't seeing as much of that game anymore: Players of that caliber just don't become unrestricted free agents, or if they do, it's a set piece that they'll rejoin their current team. One of the consequences of the more generous extension terms in the collective bargaining agreement is that it's in the interests of both players and teams to continue extending the contracts of most star and near-star players. As a result, both the market of unrestricted free agents and the number of teams with the salary-cap space to pursue them have rapidly diminished. All the action has moved to the trade market, and the hot part of the trade market isn't in summer; it's the deadline in February. In the last three years, that's when talent such as Jimmy Butler, Luka Dončić, De'Aaron Fox, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Mikal Bridges all changed teams, as well as countless starter-caliber players a rung or two below on the hierarchy. Once upon a time, teams made all their moves in June and July and then played out the season; the trade deadline was reserved for smaller tweaks. Occasionally, it works out that way, but much less often. 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Dumping Holiday and receiving two seconds was a minor miracle, and Boston can likely take back significant draft capital if deals emerge for mainstays like Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Jaylen Brown. Everything is on the table in a 'gap' year while Jayson Tatum rehabs a torn Achilles. Newcomers Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang shouldn't get too comfortable, and what would it take for you to drive off the lot with a lightly used Baylor Scheierman? The real challenge, perhaps, comes next summer. Having torn so much down, how can the Celtics quickly build it back up so they can thrive again with a healthy Tatum? For more, read my free agency winners and losers column. GO FURTHER Celtics depth chart: More changes coming, but where does the roster stand? Joshua Gateley / Getty Images This is an excerpt from The Bounce, The Athletic's daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. Let's run through some current tiers in the West. 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GO FURTHER Malik Beasley facing complaint from former agency amid gambling investigation Maddie Malhotra / Getty Images The Boston Celtics front office isn't done making moves. How can we be so sure? By all indications, Brad Stevens will at least get his team under the second apron — and as of late Wednesday night, the team was still above it by about $332,000. It wouldn't take much maneuvering to dip under that threshold, but it would take more work if Stevens is motivated by the prospect of escaping the luxury tax. With Jayson Tatum injured, it could be smart for the Celtics to get out of the luxury tax now and begin the process of resetting the repeater tax. They would need to stay out of the luxury tax for two straight seasons to do so. Whatever comes next, the Celtics' supporting cast already has been crushed this offseason. Over the last two weeks, they have said goodbye to three rotation players from last season and could soon lose a fourth in free agent Al Horford. 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(That extension, by the way, paid Nembhard two years and $56 million in new money; he's a good player, but this was roughly double what Nickeil Alexander-Walker got in free agency … for a guy they already had under contract.) Setting things up to be a tax team works better if your team is owned by Steve Ballmer as opposed to Herb Simon. We'll never know if the Pacers would have shelled out if Tyrese Haliburton hadn't been injured, but they've also never paid a cent of luxury tax in their history. The smart money was on that streak continuing. The Pacers, however, still have outs to survive this, particularly in the trade market. The first step is to turn Turner's departure into a sign-and-trade with Milwaukee, thereby generating a $24.5 million trade exception that they can use until next July. It likely will cost them a second-round pick, but it's worth it. 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There is no denying the price the Bucks have paid to get Myles Turner to Milwaukee, a price that will show up on their salary cap sheet for the next five seasons. But as far as Turner's game is concerned, that should be a nearly perfect fit. Not only does Turner have the skills that made Brook Lopez indispensable for seven seasons, but also Turner is younger and more athletic. He might not be the lead ballhandler (Milwaukee will need to continue to search for help in that department) the Bucks lost when Damian Lillard tore his left Achilles tendon in Game 4 of Milwaukee's first-round loss to the Pacers, but if deployed correctly, Turner will be able to do all the things — plus a few more — that made Lopez one of the team's most important players. And that could allow the Bucks to evolve moving forward. Read my detailed breakdown of the Bucks' new signing. GO FURTHER What does Myles Turner bring to the Bucks? Breaking down the fit on both ends of the floor Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images The Washington Wizards entered the mix in the last 24 hours, and the idea of Jonathan Kuminga as a possible fit in Washington's rebuild has gained real momentum, according to league sources. The Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets have also registered varying levels of interest in Kuminga, league sources said. This is a difficult market for restricted free agents. Kuminga isn't alone. The Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes and Cam Thomas situations also remain without resolution as free agency nears its fifth day. Kuminga and his agent, Aaron Turner, are in search of a situation where Kuminga will be a featured part of the core with the belief of the franchise and coaching staff behind him. That isn't something Kuminga has consistently felt in his four years with the Warriors and — holding a degree of agency for the first time in his professional career — he's in patient pursuit of a situation that matches his ambitions. That could mean the process drags deeper into July. Mike Brown verbally agreed to his head coaching contract with the Knicks last night and is expected to sign it early next week, a league source told The Athletic . Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images There's been increasing movement and conversation regarding Jonathan Kuminga, one of the most intriguing names remaining on the market. The Golden State Warriors, according to league sources, have been searching for a promising young player plus a first-round pick in return for Kuminga, should they ultimately choose to part with him in a sign-and-trade scenario. They extended the $7.9 million qualifying offer to the 22-year-old wing and maintain the ability to match any contract he signs. That gives them a level of leverage in a market devoid of significant cap space. They've drawn inbound calls in recent days, most notably from the Sacramento Kings, who floated an offer of Devin Carter, Dario Šarić and two second-round picks, league sources said. The Warriors have so far balked at what they felt was a buy-low attempt, league sources said. Read on for the latest Kuminga intel. GO FURTHER The latest on Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors and his restricted free agency Moe Wagner has agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal to return to the Orlando Magic, a league source confirmed to The Athletic . Wagner, who was on track to be an NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate before he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in December, will rejoin the team's big-man rotation of Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac when Wagner returns from his ACL rehab, which seems likely to occur sometime after the start of the regular season.I don't know how on earth the 76ers got Jabari Walker on a 2-way contract, but he is absolutely an NBA player and I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up in the Sixers' rotation. The fourth-year forward was a victim of a numbers game in the Blazers' frontcourt. But he rebounds, has some stretch capability and is still only 22 years old. My BORD$ formula had a value of $7.3 million on Walker. Meg Oliphant / Getty Images Jaxson Hayes has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Lakers, a league source confirms to The Athletic. During a 16-game stretch around the time of the Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis deal, Hayes was terrific. The Lakers went 14-2 and he averaged 8.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. Hayes struggled after a knee injury and, obviously, the playoffs were the playoffs. But with him and Deandre Ayton, the Lakers have two lob threats at center. The Lakers, as is, also believe in Maxi Kleber's value as a stretch big. He's recovering well from foot surgery last January and could give them another dimension in their center rotation. The Pelicans waiving guard Antonio Reeves only makes sense if they are stretching his money to add a player who makes roughly $5 million, with either their biannual exception or the rest of their nontaxpayer midlevel exception, and want to do it while staying below the luxury tax. Reeves was guaranteed $1.955 million for this coming season, and New Orleans would be just more than $5 million below the tax if his money were stretched. If so, waiving a second-year player who shot 39.5 percent from 3 as a rookie would be a continuation of the string of bizarre moves emanating from the Pelicans of late. Reeves instantly becomes a priority two-way target, if not a roster add for the minimum, especially for younger teams trying to build. Page 2 The market for the Warriors' restricted free agent is beginning to take shape. Meanwhile, teams are discussing a potential seven-team trade. Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images The Houston Rockets will sign center Clint Capela to a fully guaranteed three-year, $21.5 million contract, a league source told The Athletic. Al Bello / Getty Images Free agent center Luke Kornet will sign with the San Antonio Spurs on a four-year, $41 million deal, a team source confirmed. In signing Kevon Looney to a two-year, $16 million contract, per a league source, the Pelicans add a veteran big with championship experience to the bench. Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Center Kevon Looney will sign a two-year, $16 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, a league source said. Looney departs the Warriors after spending his first 10 seasons in the Bay Area. Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Free agent wing Bruce Brown will sign a one-year contract with the Denver Nuggets, a league source said. The deal is for the veteran's minimum, a team source said. Brown was a key member of Denver's 2023 championship team before departing that summer as a free agent. He now returns to Denver. Cam Johnson was widely expected to be traded at the deadline back in February, with the Nets reportedly seeking two first-round picks. This trade for Michael Porter Jr. is a great reminder of how there is nuance to how we talk about asset value and the trade market. There is a massive difference between a first-round pick in the near future from a playoff team than the Nuggets' 2032 first, when Nikola Jokic would be 37. It's apparent the Nets are stretching out their rebuild timeline by taking on the next three seasons of Porter Jr.'s deal, but it's worth it to have that Nuggets pick as a gem in their trade coffers. First-round picks are not homogenous and the Nets' patience trading Johnson paid off big time. Teams in the west aren't sitting idly by, resigned to an Oklahoma City dynasty. Love the Nuggets going for it by getting Cam Johnson while also getting some salary cap-luxury tax relief. It cost them a 2032 first-round pick, but guess what? The Joker isn't interested in asset management. Bringing Kevin Porter Jr. back for the 2025-26 season at an affordable rate (two years, $11 million, according to The Athletic's Fred Katz) was one of the moves that made the most sense for the Bucks this offseason. Porter is only 25 and gives the Bucks an upside play at point guard with Damian Lillard expected to miss most of the regular season as he recovers from surgery on a torn left Achilles tendon. In his first 16 games with the Bucks, Porter averaged 10.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 16.4 minutes per game. Once Lillard went down with the diagnosis of a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, Porter averaged 14.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in 24.7 minutes per game, as he took on a bigger role. In that larger role, Porter thrived and earned a place in Doc Rivers' playoff rotation. After some initial struggles in the postseason, Porter found his footing and played well in both Game 4 (23 points, five rebounds and six assists) and Game 5 (11 points, three rebounds and seven assists) against the Indiana Pacers In a second season with the Bucks, Porter should have plenty of opportunity on the ball. Getting to play with Giannis Antetokounmpo more consistently should be a huge help. In 541 possessions on the floor together — which was only about 270 minutes, a very small sample — the two-man combination of Antetokounmpo and Porter was plus-20.1 points per 100 possessions. They scored 125 points per 100 possessions and gave up just 104.9 points per 100 possessions. Per Cleaning the Glass, the offensive production was in the 97th percentile and the defensive production was in the 98th percentile. The Michael Porter for Cam Johnson trade is all about cap management for Denver. The Nuggets just turned a $40 million player into a $20 million player, and in doing so, they opened up millions in breathing room to spend on upgrading their dilapidated depth. Denver is now $9.7 million below the tax line, and I don't expect the Nuggets to go back above it due to the repeater penalty. However, the Nuggets have enough breathing room to use most of their nontaxpayer midlevel exception and could potentially use even more if they waive and stretch Dario Saric. Note that Johnson's salary included an extra $3.6 million that counts toward the tax aprons because of his unlikely incentives, but for the Nuggets, the bigger deal this season is likely to avoid the tax entirely because they are subject to the repeater penalty. Getty Images Interesting decision by the Nuggets to offload Michael Porter Jr. They will save $17.3 million in salary this upcoming season and 37 million altogether with that move, exchanging one sweet shooting wing for another. The downside is that they also lost a 2033 unprotected pick. Nikola Jokic will be 36 during the 2032-32 season, so it is a dicey move. Ty Jerome has agreed to a three-year, $28 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, league sources tell The Athletic. Jerome, a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in 2024-25, gives the Grizzlies an instant-offense option off their bench. He can also fill some of the shooting void Memphis lost after trading its top marksman, Desmond Bane, to the Orlando Magic earlier this offseason. A year ago, Jerome was fighting for a home on an NBA roster. Now, he has a long-term commitment from a winning team. Assuming a declining money deal for Santi Aldama starting at $18.8 million, the Grizzlies are $26 million below the tax line with two open roster spots. One of them will be filled with their $8.8 million room exception, but with the rest of Memphis float below the tax line, don't be shocked if the Grizzlies look to trades that take on additional money to get a better player in the door, perhaps in concert with one of the future firsts received from Orlando from Desmond Bane. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's $21.6 million expiring deal, in particular, seems like a prime candidate to be repackaged. The Denver Nuggets are trading Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson, team sources confirmed to The Athletic. ESPN was first to report news of the trade. Porter Jr. averaged 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game for Denver last season and was a part of the franchise's first title run in 2023. Johnson, meanwhile, averaged 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in just 57 games after dealing with a nagging ankle injury during the 2024-25 campaign. Read more here. GO FURTHER Nuggets trading Michael Porter Jr., first-round pick to Nets for Cam Johnson: Sources Free agent point guard Dennis Schröder has agreed to a contract with the Sacramento Kings, league sources tell The Athletic. The details of the deal are not yet known. Schröder's addition will give the Kings the lead ballhandler they knew they needed heading into the commencement of free agency. GO FURTHER Dennis Schröder agrees to deal with Kings, his 10th NBA team That two-year, $11 million deal for Paul Reed may be for the room exception; it depends on whether the Pistons decide to use cap room in the free agent market or operate as an "over-the-cap" team and use Bird Rights and the nontaxpayer midlevel exception. Rob Gray / Imagn Free agent big man Paul Reed has agreed to re-sign with the Detroit Pistons for two years and $11 million, a league source confirmed. ESPN was first to report. Getty Images Jake LaRavia's deal with the Lakers appears to be for the taxpayer midlevel exception (technically $11.7 million for two years), which would be unusual behavior for a team that is $15 million below the tax line ... unless something else is going on. Page 3
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Kentucky Basketball Reacts to First NBA Draft Class Under Mark Pope
Kentucky Basketball Reacts to First NBA Draft Class Under Mark Pope originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When it comes to turning college players into NBA stars, few schools do it quite like Kentucky. Just look around the league. You don't have to squint to spot a former Wildcat lighting it up on the biggest stage. Reigning MVP and champ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the perfect example of that Wildcat pipeline paying off. Advertisement But Kentucky's legacy isn't just about the past; it's alive and well under Mark Pope. This year's draft was his first shot at keeping that tradition going, and let's just say five new names heading to the league is one heck of a statement. The Wildcats took to X to flex their players who recently turned pro. 'NBA Class of 2025,' the caption read. Koby Brea was Kentucky's go-to shooter last season, and his smooth stroke is exactly what today's NBA teams love. The Phoenix Suns clearly thought so, too, that they snapped him up with the 41st pick in the second round, making him the highest-drafted Wildcat this year. He'll probably come off the bench at first but could carve out a nice role in their rotation. Advertisement Then there's Amari Williams, who went 46th overall to the Celtics. Boston needs some extra size, so he might get more minutes than people expect right out of the gate. As for the other guys, Lamont Butler didn't hear his name on draft night, but he landed a two-way deal with the Hawks, which means he'll bounce between the G-League and Atlanta's roster this year. Kentucky Wildcats guard Koby Brea (4) reacts after defeating the Illinois Fighting Illini in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Sieu-Imagn Images Andrew Carr and Jaxson Robinson also went undrafted but both picked up Exhibit 10 deals Carr with the Trail Blazers and Robinson with the Cavs. They'll probably spend most of their time with each team's G-League affiliate but have a chance to work their way up. Advertisement Related: Kentucky Gets a Bailout as Hogs Call Calipari This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
