2025 NBA Draft Thread, Part 2 – Capture the Flagg

[redslastlaugh]

Celts worked out Auburn PF/C Johni Broome. Broome is the first big-man projected to be drafted that C's have worked out.

[return2glory]

I hope we keep picks 28 and 32.

Also hoping one the the following players falls to us at 28: Thomas Sorber, Rasheer Fleming, Danny Wolf, Cedric Coward or Walter Clayton Jr..

The other players I would like at 28 and/or 32 are Ryan Kalkbrenner, Ben Saraf, Adou Thiero, Maxime Raynaud and Johni Broome.

I don't want us to draft a guard this year, but if Walter Clayton or Ben Saraf are still on the board, I would consider taking them.

[Hal14]

Celts worked out Auburn PF/C Johni Broome. Broome is the first big-man projected to be drafted that C's have worked out.

Broome at 28..Lanier at 32..I wouldn't hate that..

[redslastlaugh]

Celts worked out Auburn PF/C Johni Broome. Broome is the first big-man projected to be drafted that C's have worked out.

Broome at 28..Lanier at 32..I wouldn't hate that..

ugghh ... Broome and Lanier, not on the top of my wish list, lol
ive been seeing more and more people making the case to move up and i'm starting to like the idea of moving players/picks to get to the 9-15 range.

[winsomme2]

Free to Read: Athletic's Sam Vecenie Draft Guide: TOP 100 Rankings, player profiles
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6414203/2025/06/10/nba-draft-guide-2025-top-100-prospects-cooper-flagg/

Top 20 at the website. Report downloadable with free password for entire report. Assume this report will go behind a paywall at some point. Right now, it is free to read.

Here are Vecenies's 28-40 rated prospects:

28. Ben Saraf
29. Hugo Gonzalez
30. Asa Newell
31. Maxime Raynaud
32. Kam Jones
33. Rasheer Fleming
34. Drake Powell
35. John Tonje
36. Tyrese Proctor
37. Alex Toohey
38. Sion James
39. Alijah Martin
40. Johni Broome

I like that section. Have just been starting to look at Martin. Insanely in depth PDF.

Dumb to pick at typos, but this cracked me up on Fleming: "Massive human. He's 6 feet 25 without shoes"

This is a pretty good verbiage to describe what I've been trying to say. Basically the combination of size, movement and versatility is the key in the game today.

As I’ve covered the draft and NBA as a whole, I’ve also started to adjust what I look for in players and the kinds of players who tend to be valuable to me as an evaluator. For instance, this year, you will not find a single player in my lottery who is under 6-foot-4 without shoes, with V.J. Edgecombe ending up as the smallest. In today’s NBA, it’s just exceptionally difficult to be small while providing value. Essentially, smaller lead creators need to either hit All-Star status or risk turning into bench players, as many of them are defensive liabilities. What I value is finding players who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend, all while doing so with positional size. Those are the guys in the modern NBA who have value. Can you achieve the responsibilities of your role on defense? Can you hit shots and force defenses to stay in rotation when you play off the ball? Can you create your own shot and threaten defenses? And can you process the game at a high enough level to make quick decisions, space the court off the ball and make high-level passing reads when you have the ball? Precious few players are going to achieve all of these tasks. But finding those skills is the baseline goal.

For me, i've decided this skill needs to get even more specific. Jrue, DWhite, JB, and JT all can obviously create their own shot. But when they really try to challenge a defense off the dribble, it just gets messy really fast.

We need some players IMO who are really hard to contain with the ball in their hands. So ball handling has become my target. I would love to have someone who is upper echelon. I've been watching Ryan Nembhard on the advice of some here. He definitely can get by defenders with ease but his size is concerning.

Walter Clayton is my binkie at the moment. I wouldn't say he's an elite ball handler but he's close, and I think on the right team he is going to be a real problem for opposing defenses. Jalen Brunson-esque.

[winsomme2]

Celts worked out Auburn PF/C Johni Broome. Broome is the first big-man projected to be drafted that C's have worked out.

Broome at 28..Lanier at 32..I wouldn't hate that..

ugghh ... Broome and Lanier, not on the top of my wish list, lol
ive been seeing more and more people making the case to move up and i'm starting to like the idea of moving players/picks to get to the 9-15 range.

I could go both ways on these guys too. They have some high high level skills that play well in the pros but also have question marks. I'll definitely trust Brad if he goes with them.

[Hal14]

Celts worked out Auburn PF/C Johni Broome. Broome is the first big-man projected to be drafted that C's have worked out.

Broome at 28..Lanier at 32..I wouldn't hate that..

ugghh ... Broome and Lanier, not on the top of my wish list, lol
ive been seeing more and more people making the case to move up and i'm starting to like the idea of moving players/picks to get to the 9-15 range.

I mean, Broome was the 2nd best player in all of college basketball last season. He's a good defender, he's tough, physical, rebounds the crap out of the ball. Good passer..has some shooting potential. He's strong as hell..older so more developed, less of a risky development project.

Lanier can shoot about as well as anyone in this draft. older so more developed, less of a risky development project. Could be a solid role player off the bench..come in, hit some 3's, space the floor, not mess anything else up too bad and come out..

[winsomme2]

Broome at 28..Lanier at 32..I wouldn't hate that..

ugghh ... Broome and Lanier, not on the top of my wish list, lol
ive been seeing more and more people making the case to move up and i'm starting to like the idea of moving players/picks to get to the 9-15 range.

I mean, Broome was the 2nd best player in all of college basketball last season. He's a good defender, he's tough, physical, rebounds the crap out of the ball. Good passer..has some shooting potential. He's strong as hell..older so more developed, less of a risky development project.

Lanier is can shoot about as well as anyone in this draft. older so more developed, less of a risky development project. Could be a solid role player off the bench..come in, hit some 3's, space the floor, not mess anything else up too bad and come out..

Is Jared Sullinger a good comp for Broome?

[ThePigeon]

ugghh ... Broome and Lanier, not on the top of my wish list, lol
ive been seeing more and more people making the case to move up and i'm starting to like the idea of moving players/picks to get to the 9-15 range.

I mean, Broome was the 2nd best player in all of college basketball last season. He's a good defender, he's tough, physical, rebounds the crap out of the ball. Good passer..has some shooting potential. He's strong as hell..older so more developed, less of a risky development project.

Lanier is can shoot about as well as anyone in this draft. older so more developed, less of a risky development project. Could be a solid role player off the bench..come in, hit some 3's, space the floor, not mess anything else up too bad and come out..

Is Jared Sullinger a good comp for Broome?

No, Broome is more mobile and have better basketball IQ IMO

[Celts17Pride]

ugghh ... Broome and Lanier, not on the top of my wish list, lol
ive been seeing more and more people making the case to move up and i'm starting to like the idea of moving players/picks to get to the 9-15 range.

I mean, Broome was the 2nd best player in all of college basketball last season. He's a good defender, he's tough, physical, rebounds the crap out of the ball. Good passer..has some shooting potential. He's strong as hell..older so more developed, less of a risky development project.

Lanier is can shoot about as well as anyone in this draft. older so more developed, less of a risky development project. Could be a solid role player off the bench..come in, hit some 3's, space the floor, not mess anything else up too bad and come out..

Is Jared Sullinger a good comp for Broome?

Broome reminds me of Carlos Boozer.

[playa-hater]

I like Clayton as a player. But Clayton and PP would have to play together a lot and that would make us really small and weak defensively. Not to mention rebounding. One reason why I want better positional height and length.

[redslastlaugh]

Nathan from noceilingsnba dropped his mock on twitter. Has Celtics taking Noah Penda/Alijah Martin

Read on Twitter

[165bows]

I like Clayton as a player. But Clayton and PP would have to play together a lot and that would make us really small and weak defensively. Not to mention rebounding. One reason why I want better positional height and length.

So according to the link dropped by our esteemed colleague in the off season moves thread the Celtics have been low key looking to get workouts with higher rated PGs than their draft slot.

Who do people like in that PG category? Unfortunately the two I like best outside the top of the lotto are both small guys, Jase Richardson and Walter Clayton. They just seem like more complete players outside of their size and how it impacts their defense. Willing to be sold on the other guys but they just seem like oddballs to me due to physicality or shooting or one thing or another.

https://rg.org/news/basketball/celtics-quietly-exploring-trade-up-options-2025-nba-draft

Edit: also explains the quiet workout list, might not be making it public for obvious discretionary reasons.

[Hal14]

I like Clayton as a player. But Clayton and PP would have to play together a lot and that would make us really small and weak defensively. Not to mention rebounding. One reason why I want better positional height and length.

So according to the link dropped by our esteemed colleague in the off season moves thread the Celtics have been low key looking to get workouts with higher rated PGs than their draft slot.

Who do people like in that PG category? Unfortunately the two I like best outside the top of the lotto are both small guys, Jase Richardson and Walter Clayton. They just seem like more complete players outside of their size and how it impacts their defense. Willing to be sold on the other guys but they just seem like oddballs to me due to physicality or shooting or one thing or another.

https://rg.org/news/basketball/celtics-quietly-exploring-trade-up-options-2025-nba-draft

Edit: also explains the quiet workout list, might not be making it public for obvious discretionary reasons.

Jase is not really a PG..more of a SG - he's kind like of a Norman Powell/CJ McCollum/Bradley Beal type and that's if he really hits.

Clayton is too similar to Pritchard. But maybe they like that because Pritchard has done very well here and obviously Brad, Joe, everyone in the org (Tatum too) loves Pritchard. So maybe they trade Jrue, move Pritchard into starting lineup and bring Clayton off the bench.

Clayton can really shoot it. Which obviously fits what our offensive system likes. I guess it wouldn't be that surprising if we traded up for him. I just don't know about playing Clayton and Pritchard together in the same lineup due to concerns with size/defense. Then again, Pritchard has developed into a respectable defender and a good rebounder..despite his size. And Clayton is about an inch taller and more athletic than Pritchard. So it could possibly work with them playing together..

But I don't know..I think if we move Jrue, we really have a void to fill there in terms of a guard who can really defend. This draft class doesn't have much of those types of guys..

Of course, we tried bringing in a young guard with the upside to be a really good defender but that didn't work out so great (Springer)..

[winsomme2]

I like Clayton as a player. But Clayton and PP would have to play together a lot and that would make us really small and weak defensively. Not to mention rebounding. One reason why I want better positional height and length.

I don’t disagree but I’d hate to pass on Clayton because of PP …who I also like.

If Clayton’s there I’d be very bummed if we passed on him. I think he has all star potential.

That said, my other guard binkie is Kobe Sanders. Definitely hoping Brad brings him in for a workout at the very least.

[redslastlaugh]

So according to the link dropped by our esteemed colleague in the off season moves thread the Celtics have been low key looking to get workouts with higher rated PGs than their draft slot.

Who do people like in that PG category?

Pardon my ignorance, but who is Grant Afseth and what is the outlet RG.org -- honestly, first time on the web I;ve come across either of these names.

As far as moving up for a PG. Dylan Harper obviously is expected to go 2. Jeremiah Fears expected 5-15. And then who else is there? Don't see Brad liking the overseas PGs Nolan Traore or Ben Saraf enough to trade up. Walter Clayton and Jase Richardson seem more like scoring guards in a PG's body, I like them both (Richardson much more so) but are they trade up worthy?

There is also Kasparus Jakucionis who does not really seem like a Stevens type of guard. I wouldnt be surprised if they are trying to move up. But I personally would expect they'd trade up for a wing, forward or center so I am not buying this rumor, esp coming from a site/reporter I've not even heard of. Cheers!

man, honestly, im ready for some offseason transactions to drop.... the lead up to this offseason dragging on interminably, lol

[redslastlaugh]

I mean, Broome was the 2nd best player in all of college basketball last season. He's a good defender, he's tough, physical, rebounds the crap out of the ball. Good passer..has some shooting potential. He's strong as hell..older so more developed, less of a risky development project.

Lanier can shoot about as well as anyone in this draft. older so more developed, less of a risky development project. Could be a solid role player off the bench..come in, hit some 3's, space the floor, not mess anything else up too bad and come out..

Broome seems undersized to really impact the paint in the NBA and not a good enough shooter to need to be guarded out on the floor. He's definitely a winner and has great intangibles but he seems like the Mateen Cleaves of big men.

For Lanier, he might be a good pro and deliver good value on a pick in the 30's but I dont like him for the Celtics. On our team, I think we need to take a guy with more playmaking chops than Lanier. We have so much shooting that it's getting to be a hinderance that we've become too one dimensional.

[Curmudgeon]

Who in this draft is better than Davison, who after all was the MVP of the G-League and is still only 22?

[Bill Lumbergh]

I mean, Broome was the 2nd best player in all of college basketball last season. He's a good defender, he's tough, physical, rebounds the crap out of the ball. Good passer..has some shooting potential. He's strong as hell..older so more developed, less of a risky development project.

Lanier is can shoot about as well as anyone in this draft. older so more developed, less of a risky development project. Could be a solid role player off the bench..come in, hit some 3's, space the floor, not mess anything else up too bad and come out..

Is Jared Sullinger a good comp for Broome?

Broome reminds me of Carlos Boozer.

Yeah, Boozer seems a reasonable comp. Also, to my eye, maybe a bit of WCJ with better offense (glass half full view.) Not sure about the defense, though.

[Bill Lumbergh]

Rafael Barlowe dropped a new mock today. Has us with Kalk at 28, followed by Raynaud and Konan-Noodlenoggin at 29 and 30. He has a strange draft in that his projections are far off consensus picks. Has has us taking Will Riley at 32. It was a free post on his substack.