2026 NBA Draft (Part I)

[return2glory]

Man this board is dry right now, especially when the few left are talking about a draft before our season has even started.

Boston isn't tanking. I kind of wish they were this season. That will only happen if they sit out Brown and White a ton of games and trade Simmons for next to nothing in return.

I'm caught in between a tanking season and rooting for this team to overachieve. I feel like Pritchard and Queta should have strong seasons. So will Simmons, if he is here. Garza, Baylor and Minott might have break out seasons. Boucher was a big, low key pick up.

[Patsfan1081]

I'm starting to be a little higher on Condon now.

He looks good in these pre draft workout vids. Looks bouncy and quick off the floor..also the 3 ball looks good. Of course no one is guarding him so you don't weight it super heavily, but still.

Watch on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lOWJ2n29CTk

Also measured 6'11" barefoot at the combine, which means he's a legit 7'0" in shoes. All season at Florida he was listed as 6'11". So being an inch taller helps.

If we're picking in like the 15-25 range, I'd take a long, hard look at Condon. Certainly watching him closely this season for a Florida team defending their title.

Condon and Gruenloh are both intriguing to me as centers who can potentially catch lobs, pass and shoot 3's on offense..and block shots and switch a little bit on D.

I have Gruenloh ranked slightly higher, mainly because he's over a year younger. But Condon appears to be a little more athletic..not a huge gap between them as prospects imo..

Is he wearing a bro?

[Hal14]

Here's where my big board is at as of now:

Read on Twitter

The only bigs I have in the top 20 as of now:

Boozer (1)
Quaintance (7)
Cenac (9)
Toombs (15)

I like Toombs and how he could fit here. We like bigs who can pass. He's an excellent passer. We like bigs who can defend. He's a good defender. Not an elite one but a good one with the potential (he's very young, just 18) to be a very good one.

We like bigs who can shoot. He can kind of shoot. There's definite upside for him to become more of a shooter over time as well (very good FT%, very good touch on shots within 15 feet). And he showed flashes of hitting 3's in HS..

He's tough, physical. Has some flashes of defending out on the perimeter..

There's a world where we get a pick in like the 17-22 range..I could see Toombs being on the board and I could also see him being a future starting big here..his HS coach was Jermaine O'Neal, who played for the Celtics late in his career. And you have to think learning from a big man like O'Neal will help Toombs become a better player.

[return2glory]

This is the Boston Celtics forum right? Why is a 2026 draft a sticky thread? We are in September. This is a disrespectable to what this team stands for.
We can do better.

[redslastlaugh]

what? it is a sticky for discussion about the Celtics draft possibilities over the course of this season. We just finished the Eurobasket tourney, we have college season coming up next month, we have trades going in with teams trading picks and so forth...

This is the Celtics forum and this is the thread for discussion of Celtics draft prospects and strategies. what's disrespectful about that?

above this is a sticky for OT discussion of Movies, Music and Television, what does that have to do with the Boston Celtics? ... but we allow it because we're just fans having fun and discussion and hanging out, lol

This is the Boston Celtics forum right? Why is a 2026 draft a sticky thread? We are in September. This is a disrespectable to what this team stands for.
We can do better.

[Larry_Russell]

Feels like the top 7 in this draft is higher than the top end of the past decade plus of draftclasses.

I just continue to dream of a 2026 lineup of

White/Pritchard
Brown/Hugo or Baylor
Dybantsa/Minto or Walsh
Tatum/ Hasuer
??/Queta

[Smart2Nesmith43]

This is the Boston Celtics forum right? Why is a 2026 draft a sticky thread? We are in September. This is a disrespectable to what this team stands for.
We can do better.

It's a lot less disrespectful to talk about whom the Celtics might add to their team than who they might substract. Perhaps we should unsticky the transactions thread as well

[return2glory]

what? it is a sticky for discussion about the Celtics draft possibilities over the course of this season. We just finished the Eurobasket tourney, we have college season coming up next month, we have trades going in with teams trading picks and so forth...

This is the Celtics forum and this is the thread for discussion of Celtics draft prospects and strategies. what's disrespectful about that?

above this is a sticky for OT discussion of Movies, Music and Television, what does that have to do with the Boston Celtics? ... but we allow it because we're just fans having fun and discussion and hanging out, lol

This is the Boston Celtics forum right? Why is a 2026 draft a sticky thread? We are in September. This is a disrespectable to what this team stands for.
We can do better.

We are sticking a draft that's not going to happen for another 9 months. That's not sticky worthy. This isn't the Sacramento Kings forum or Utah Jazz, who seem to be in a lottery team almost every year.

Our number 1 pick last year was drafted # 28th overall and who will probably not see any minutes this season, at least probably not until the 2nd half.
Why focus on the draft for 2026 when we are 9 months away is my point. I love draft time, during a month or two leading up to the draft.
It's not like we have 2 picks in the lottery for 2026 and this thread should be a sticky thread. I guess it's a very slow off season.

[brackdan70]

what? it is a sticky for discussion about the Celtics draft possibilities over the course of this season. We just finished the Eurobasket tourney, we have college season coming up next month, we have trades going in with teams trading picks and so forth...

This is the Celtics forum and this is the thread for discussion of Celtics draft prospects and strategies. what's disrespectful about that?

above this is a sticky for OT discussion of Movies, Music and Television, what does that have to do with the Boston Celtics? ... but we allow it because we're just fans having fun and discussion and hanging out, lol

This is the Boston Celtics forum right? Why is a 2026 draft a sticky thread? We are in September. This is a disrespectable to what this team stands for.
We can do better.

We are sticking a draft that's not going to happen for another 9 months. That's not sticky worthy. This isn't the Sacramento Kings forum or Utah Jazz, who seem to be in a lottery team almost every year.

Our number 1 pick last year was drafted # 28th overall and who will probably not see any minutes this season, at least probably not until the 2nd half.
Why focus on the draft for 2026 when we are 9 months away is my point. I love draft time, during a month or two leading up to the draft.
It's not like we have 2 picks in the lottery for 2026 and this thread should be a sticky thread. I guess it's a very slow off season.

Think of all the individual threads we’d have if there was no sticky. It more about discussing and evaluating prospects.

[2Mas]

This is the Boston Celtics forum right? Why is a 2026 draft a sticky thread? We are in September. This is a disrespectable to what this team stands for.
We can do better.

Sure. Winnings 44 games, signing Simons to a long term deal & being a first round out is way more respectable than a 1 yr tank resetting our cap & roster for a last effort, multi yr contending push with the Jays.

[Curmudgeon]

Anyone know anything about the big kid Luigi Sligo (7-4) from Italy who is projected to go in the second round? He's being heavily recruited by the likes of Indiana and Duke.

[Hal14]

Anyone know anything about the big kid Luigi Sligo (7-4) from Italy who is projected to go in the second round? He's being heavily recruited by the likes of Indiana and Duke.

I don't think he's that good.

He's a project.

I mean, maybe in a couple years he ends up being decent but not yet.

Not someone I would take in the 2026 draft until mid to late 2nd round, at the earliest.

Long way to go till June's draft, though..things can change.

[Curmudgeon]

But has anyone actually seen him play? Seen film of him play?
Well, if he signs up for a U.S. college program, we'll find out.

[Hal14]

But has anyone actually seen him play? Seen film of him play?
Well, if he signs up for a U.S. college program, we'll find out.

Yes..what I just posted is based on watching his film.

He played for the Milan U18 team last season..there's a few full games on youtube.

[Hal14]

Seems like these 8 guys are a notch above the rest right now:

Rank Player
1 Darryn Peterson
2 Cameron Boozer
3 AJ Dybantsa
4 Nate Ament
5 Tounde Yessoufou
6 Mikel Brown Jr
7 Jayden Quaintance
8 Caleb Wilson

Unfortunately, we'll probably be too good to get 1 of them.

So hopefully Brad and company can find a hidden gem later in the 1st round..

[Hal14]

Here's my updated draft big board:

Read on Twitter

[redslastlaugh]

Sergio de Larrea is the highest of the guys from last cycle who withdrew
Philon pretty high too -- but we've established Brad has a seeming weight minimum for guards so don't know if Labaron Philon would make the weight

edit: looking more deeply at your board, I sure hope Magoon Gwath has a strong season, he could rise a lot imo from where you have him at 70 here and I would think C's could be interested if he shows some stuff. I've heard Gwath comped to a young Chris Boucher with a little Robert Williams

Here's my updated draft big board:

Read on Twitter

[Hal14]

I did a mock draft and picked Patrick Ngongba (high feel big) and Isaiah Evans (sharp shooting wing) for the Celtics:

https://bustingbrackets.com/early-2026-nba-mock-draft-before-the-new-college-season-begins-basketball

[Hal14]

No more sticky

[brackdan70]

Seems like now that we are assured a lotto pick we should sticky again