2025 NBA Draft Thread, part 1 – Capture the Flagg

[Hal14]

IMO, drafting Rico last year with the plan of development was an indication that the bench will be a target for moves this offseason. I think he developed well enough that he can slide into a rotational role for sure.

I see this draft as a continuation of that.

2nd apron is 207mil for 25/26

I just don't see the core 6 being broken up (unless AL decided to hang em' up) if they're going for the dynasty. B*lls to the wall with the core and hope the bench can pick up some slack.

That's not gonna happen. Just moving bench pieces wouldn't save us enough money to get under the 2nd apron.

Wyc said it himself, no one is gonna stay over the 2nd apron for more than 2 years. We were 2nd apron 23-24 and in 24-25. So we're getting under it this summer, which is what Shams report the other day was hinting at.

KP, Jrue, Hauser. Possibly JB, possibly white. honestly, the only one who is staying no matter what is Tatum. There will be changes.

As for the draft, if our highest pick is 28..chances are, we're not getting anyone who will be good enough to contribute in year 1..unless it's just for spot minutes here and there late in the season after G league during the 1st half of the season, like we did with Scheierman. Hauser spent all of year 1 in the G league.

Last time we had a rookie in the rotation consistently was Pritchard but that was a Celtics team that was in the play-in and had lots of injuries in the backcourt..Kemba in particular.

I think we're moreso just going to look for someone in the draft who can be a future piece (might play a little as a rookie but hopefully be a contributor in year 2/3/4), either a guard/wing/big. We're bringing in a guard for a workout tomorrow..

[Hal14]

My feeling on Broome is that he probably can step right in and play, but is his high floor-low Ceiling the player I want first and foremost? No, but won't cry about it either.

I agree that he's high floor, low ceiling. If we look at the top 30 or so bigs in the league and even extend to to like top 40, Broome would be older when drafted than pretty much all of them.

Pretty much the whole list would be guys who were age 18-20 when drafted. Then you've got Walker Kessler who was 21.

For really old guys it's mainly just Kornet, Edey, Jay Huff, Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

That's the main drawback with Broome.

Not to disagree/invalidate what you are saying, but the combo of the extra covid year Sr and NIL money likely has some influence there. Especially guys in that category of elite college but not lotto talent NBA players.

That's fair..and why I do still see Broome as a late 1st round pick caliber guy.

[neno]

Semi serious draft question
Do you prefer?
Nba with draft then free agency
NFL free agency then draft
Or craziness both start on same day?

[djFan71]

Wyc said it himself, no one is gonna stay over the 2nd apron for more than 2 years. We were 2nd apron 23-24 and in 24-25. So we're getting under it this summer, which is what Shams report the other day was hinting at.

Oh dang, I forgot we were over in 23-24 as well. I was thinking it was just tax line and this/next year were our 2 2nd apron years.

Didn't some of the penalties not start that first year? Does 23-24 still count towards freezing the pick, etc, if we are in next year?

EDIT: AI says yes.

Yes, being in the NBA's second apron during the 2023-2024 season will count towards the multi-year penalties. Specifically, if a team is in the second apron for three out of any five consecutive seasons, starting with the 2023-24 season, their upcoming first-round draft pick will be moved to the end of the first round

So 2nd apron next year = pick frozen.

[Hal14]

Wyc said it himself, no one is gonna stay over the 2nd apron for more than 2 years. We were 2nd apron 23-24 and in 24-25. So we're getting under it this summer, which is what Shams report the other day was hinting at.

Oh dang, I forgot we were over in 23-24 as well. I was thinking it was just tax line and this/next year were our 2 2nd apron years.

Didn't some of the penalties not start that first year? Does 23-24 still count towards freezing the pick, etc, if we are in next year?

EDIT: AI says yes.

Yes, being in the NBA's second apron during the 2023-2024 season will count towards the multi-year penalties. Specifically, if a team is in the second apron for three out of any five consecutive seasons, starting with the 2023-24 season, their upcoming first-round draft pick will be moved to the end of the first round

So 2nd apron next year = pick frozen.

Yeah..which is why Shams was saying the other day that changes are coming this summer for us.

It'll be an interesting offseason.

I just really hope we go back to back this year, so then it won't sting nearly as much when we lose key guys this summer.

[playa-hater]

Semi serious draft question
Do you prefer?
Nba with draft then free agency
NFL free agency then draft
Or craziness both start on same day?

Good question. Draft and then FA with no more than 48 hours apart. Not sure if that is good for the NBA but I just can't wait that long.

[djFan71]

Wyc said it himself, no one is gonna stay over the 2nd apron for more than 2 years. We were 2nd apron 23-24 and in 24-25. So we're getting under it this summer, which is what Shams report the other day was hinting at.

Oh dang, I forgot we were over in 23-24 as well. I was thinking it was just tax line and this/next year were our 2 2nd apron years.

Didn't some of the penalties not start that first year? Does 23-24 still count towards freezing the pick, etc, if we are in next year?

EDIT: AI says yes.

Yes, being in the NBA's second apron during the 2023-2024 season will count towards the multi-year penalties. Specifically, if a team is in the second apron for three out of any five consecutive seasons, starting with the 2023-24 season, their upcoming first-round draft pick will be moved to the end of the first round

So 2nd apron next year = pick frozen.

Yeah..which is why Shams was saying the other day that changes are coming this summer for us.

It'll be an interesting offseason.

I just really hope we go back to back this year, so then it won't sting nearly as much when we lose key guys this summer.

Actually, now AI is tellinge me:

"For the 2023–24 season, only the first apron penalties applied. The more stringent second apron penalties, including draft pick restrictions, began at the conclusion of the 2023–24 regular season"

I'll try to find the real source later

[Hal14]

The tall guy who's not Dirk is Raynaud. Looks like he's in good shape.

Read on Twitter

That must be huge (literally) if you're Raynaud and have a guy like Dirk teaching you stuff while working out ahead of the draft.

Good move by his trainer to arrange that..

[Smart2Nesmith43]

The tall guy who's not Dirk is Raynaud. Looks like he's in good shape.

Read on Twitter

That must be huge (literally) if you're Raynaud and have a guy like Dirk teaching you stuff while working out ahead of the draft.

Good move by his trainer to arrange that..

Definitely a step up from when he was forced to play some random French dudes in 2v2 :

Watch on YouTube

[djFan71]

The tall guy who's not Dirk is Raynaud. Looks like he's in good shape.

Read on Twitter

That must be huge (literally) if you're Raynaud and have a guy like Dirk teaching you stuff while working out ahead of the draft.

Good move by his trainer to arrange that..

Definitely a step up from when he was forced to play some random French dudes in 2v2 :

Watch on YouTube

Is Sexy Pants the 4th? Full disclosure, I only watched 4s before deciding to just ask.

[Smart2Nesmith43]

The tall guy who's not Dirk is Raynaud. Looks like he's in good shape.

Read on Twitter

That must be huge (literally) if you're Raynaud and have a guy like Dirk teaching you stuff while working out ahead of the draft.

Good move by his trainer to arrange that..

Definitely a step up from when he was forced to play some random French dudes in 2v2 :

Watch on YouTube

Is Sexy Pants the 4th? Full disclosure, I watched 4s before deciding to just ask.

Yes.

[djFan71]

Spoiler:

Oh dang, I forgot we were over in 23-24 as well. I was thinking it was just tax line and this/next year were our 2 2nd apron years.

Didn't some of the penalties not start that first year? Does 23-24 still count towards freezing the pick, etc, if we are in next year?

EDIT: AI says yes.



So 2nd apron next year = pick frozen.

Yeah..which is why Shams was saying the other day that changes are coming this summer for us.

It'll be an interesting offseason.

I just really hope we go back to back this year, so then it won't sting nearly as much when we lose key guys this summer.

Actually, now AI is tellinge me:

"For the 2023–24 season, only the first apron penalties applied. The more stringent second apron penalties, including draft pick restrictions, began at the conclusion of the 2023–24 regular season"

I'll try to find the real source later

OK, this was bugging me. So I read actual articles.

I think our 2032 pick will be frozen at the end of this year since we've been over apron 2 years in a row. We can't trade it.
But, we'd have to stay above the 2nd apron in 2 of the next 4 years for it to be lowered to end of the round.
If we stay above the 2nd apron in 26, but aren't in the following 3 years, we're good and the pick won't be affected.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/04/running-list-of-changes-in-nbas-new-collective-bargaining-agreement.html

They won’t be able to trade away their first-round pick that’s seven years away, beginning in 2024/25. If the team remains above the second apron in two of the next four seasons, that draft pick that was frozen for trade purposes will fall to the end of the first round. If they stay under the second apron for three of the next four seasons, the pick would become unfrozen.

https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2024/10/22/nbas-second-apron-changes-team-building-for-owners/

For example, if Phoenix finished the 2024-25 regular season over the second apron, their 2032 first-round draft pick will be frozen, and unable to be dealt. However, if the Suns finish the 2025-26, 2026-27, and 2027-28 seasons under the second apron limit, their 2032 first-round pick would be unfrozen and the team could use it in a transaction.

If that's all true, we don't HAVE to get out of the 2nd apron next year.
But do have to the following year, unless we say screw that $ and screw dem picks!

[redslastlaugh]

Wyc said it himself, no one is gonna stay over the 2nd apron for more than 2 years. We were 2nd apron 23-24 and in 24-25. So we're getting under it this summer, which is what Shams report the other day was hinting at.

As for the draft, if our highest pick is 28..chances are, we're not getting anyone who will be good enough to contribute in year 1..unless it's just for spot minutes here and there late in the season after G league during the 1st half of the season, like we did with Scheierman. Hauser spent all of year 1 in the G league.

Yea, and you wonder if the team is expecting that we'll use our #28 + #32 to grease the skids on a salary dump trade. Was noticeable in the Vecenie mock that Sam explained the fit for most players picked by most teams, but for us had us select two smallish guards with the writeup just being how this is the expected range for the player with no Boston specific notes about how the player fits with the team.

One really big difference between Brad and Danny is that Danny really loved making picks and Brad has barely picked. We only have 3 rotation players who we picked in the draft (JB, JT, PP) and those were Ainge's picks. I just don't think the front office really looks at rookies picked in 30s or later as necessarily very valuable. Or at least, they have to pay their dues and work their way up playing time.

It was funny that youtube video where Baylor Scheierman was asked what Mazzulla was like and he said Joe told him, "we don't like freshman," which is just a pretty blunt encapsulation of the present view on rookies.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HT0RTqhJ1mo

So if we are gonna need to use draft capital move off big money, I doon' think using picks for that purpose will really trouble Brad Stevens that much. Maybe we're not going to be making both picks at #28 and #32 ... or maybe we're not gonna make either pick. Who knows. I just hope we win another chip

[165bows]

Wyc said it himself, no one is gonna stay over the 2nd apron for more than 2 years. We were 2nd apron 23-24 and in 24-25. So we're getting under it this summer, which is what Shams report the other day was hinting at.

As for the draft, if our highest pick is 28..chances are, we're not getting anyone who will be good enough to contribute in year 1..unless it's just for spot minutes here and there late in the season after G league during the 1st half of the season, like we did with Scheierman. Hauser spent all of year 1 in the G league.

Yea, and you wonder if the team is expecting that we'll use our #28 + #32 to grease the skids on a salary dump trade. Was noticeable in the Vecenie mock that Sam explained the fit for most players picked by most teams, but for us had us select two smallish guards with the writeup just being how this is the expected range for the player with no Boston specific notes about how the player fits with the team.

One really big difference between Brad and Danny is that Danny really loved making picks and Brad has barely picked. We only have 3 rotation players who we picked in the draft (JB, JT, PP) and those were Ainge's picks. I just don't think the front office really looks at rookies picked in 30s or later as necessarily very valuable. Or at least, they have to pay their dues and work their way up playing time.

It was funny that youtube video where Baylor Scheierman was asked what Mazzulla was like and he said Joe told him, "we don't like freshman," which is just a pretty blunt encapsulation of the present view on rookies.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HT0RTqhJ1mo

So if we are gonna need to use draft capital move off big money, I doon' think using picks for that purpose will really trouble Brad Stevens that much. Maybe we're not going to be making both picks at #28 and #32 ... or maybe we're not gonna make either pick. Who knows. I just hope we win another chip

They def act like they don’t love rookies lol.

Looking back on it they’ve had a strategy of targeting guys in that last year before FA (KP, Jrue, White might have had two years). In other words I think they’ve gotten these guys cheap because the player wanted to come here is my assumption so I wonder if there is someone else on that list we haven’t thought of.

All that said they probably will need to backfill w some older rookies like Scheierman last year.

[phincsfan]

They def act like they don’t love rookies lol.

Looking back on it they’ve had a strategy of targeting guys in that last year before FA (KP, Jrue, White might have had two years). In other words I think they’ve gotten these guys cheap because the player wanted to come here is my assumption so I wonder if there is someone else on that list we haven’t thought of.

All that said they probably will need to backfill w some older rookies like Scheierman last year.

This year could be different.

They have a better pick than #30 at #28 and having #32 could entice a move for a rookie they may be targeting.

[165bows]

They def act like they don’t love rookies lol.

Looking back on it they’ve had a strategy of targeting guys in that last year before FA (KP, Jrue, White might have had two years). In other words I think they’ve gotten these guys cheap because the player wanted to come here is my assumption so I wonder if there is someone else on that list we haven’t thought of.

All that said they probably will need to backfill w some older rookies like Scheierman last year.

This year could be different.

They have a better pick than #30 at #28 and having #32 could entice a move for a rookie they may be targeting.

Way more likely they move 28 back and take the guy they like anyway for a cheaper 2nd round salary imo.

Ie if they don’t love rookies why would they like more expensive rookies.

[Dogen]

CBS Sports mock has Clayton Jr. going to Spurs in lotto at #14: https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2025-nba-mock-draft-cooper-flagg-khaman-maluach-kon-knueppel-give-duke-three-freshmen-in-top-six-selections/

That's pretty high, but that's a nice fit for the Spurs. I could also see Orlando snagging him in the first round to add some needed shooting.

Celtics are tagged to Philon at #28. Not that it really means anything, but Vecenie makes that association too. Philon definitely worth bringing in for a workout to see how that shot looks. He's a guy that has enough length that you can put him on the floor with Payton, giving us a defender with ability to handle and distribute the ball. Just needs to fill out a bit and work on the three ball.

[keevsnick1]

Wyc said it himself, no one is gonna stay over the 2nd apron for more than 2 years. We were 2nd apron 23-24 and in 24-25. So we're getting under it this summer, which is what Shams report the other day was hinting at.

Oh dang, I forgot we were over in 23-24 as well. I was thinking it was just tax line and this/next year were our 2 2nd apron years.

Didn't some of the penalties not start that first year? Does 23-24 still count towards freezing the pick, etc, if we are in next year?

EDIT: AI says yes.

Yes, being in the NBA's second apron during the 2023-2024 season will count towards the multi-year penalties. Specifically, if a team is in the second apron for three out of any five consecutive seasons, starting with the 2023-24 season, their upcoming first-round draft pick will be moved to the end of the first round

So 2nd apron next year = pick frozen.

Yeah..which is why Shams was saying the other day that changes are coming this summer for us.

It'll be an interesting offseason.

I just really hope we go back to back this year, so then it won't sting nearly as much when we lose key guys this summer.

AI is wrong. 23-24 does not factor into the draft pick penalties or draft picks being forzen. That starts with this season, 24-25.

Draft picks are frozen based solely on being in the 2nd apron. Being in the second apron this year 24-25 freezes the Celtics 2032 first rounder, preventing it from being traded. Being in the 2nd apron next year (25-26) freezes the Celtics 2033 first round, preventing it from being traded. However if they are then out of the 2nd apron for three straight years (26-27, 27-28, 28-29) then the 32' and 33' firsts would be unfrozen and NOT sent to the end of the first round. So the only downsides to being over the 2nd apron in 25-26 are a frozen draft pick and a high luxury tax.

[djFan71]

Oh dang, I forgot we were over in 23-24 as well. I was thinking it was just tax line and this/next year were our 2 2nd apron years.

Didn't some of the penalties not start that first year? Does 23-24 still count towards freezing the pick, etc, if we are in next year?

EDIT: AI says yes.



So 2nd apron next year = pick frozen.

Yeah..which is why Shams was saying the other day that changes are coming this summer for us.

It'll be an interesting offseason.

I just really hope we go back to back this year, so then it won't sting nearly as much when we lose key guys this summer.

AI is wrong. 23-24 does not factor into the draft pick penalties or draft picks being forzen. That starts with this season, 24-25.

Draft picks are frozen based solely on being in the 2nd apron. Being in the second apron this year 24-25 freezes the Celtics 2032 first rounder, preventing it from being traded. Being in the 2nd apron next year (25-26) freezes the Celtics 2033 first round, preventing it from being traded. However if they are then out of the 2nd apron for three straight years (26-27, 27-28, 28-29) then the 32' and 33' firsts would be unfrozen and NOT sent to the end of the first round. So the only downsides to being over the 2nd apron in 25-26 are a frozen draft pick and a high luxury tax.

Thanks, yeah. I got there eventually in a later post.

[djFan71]

Budget JoJo. I just skimmed, but any time you got that size/wingspan, I get interested, lol.
At 6’7.75” in shoes, 7-foot-4 wingspan.

https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/obinna-anochili-killen-scouting-report