Celtics Eyeing Point Guard Prospects, Evaluating Trade-Up Scenarios
The Celtics are doing their due diligence on point guard prospects ahead of the 2025 NBA draft, as well as evaluating potential trade-up scenarios, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.org.
Boston currently controls the No. 28 pick in the first round and the No. 32 pick in the second round, giving the team some ammunition to potentially move up a few spots if there’s a specific prospect the front office likes in that range.
Of course, the ability to draft a player with that No. 32 pick and sign him to a rookie-minimum salary would benefit the cap-strapped Celtics as they look to reduce their payroll, so the club would have to weigh its options carefully if it considers a move up — packaging the No. 28 selection with a future pick or two while hanging onto No. 32 could also be an option, though that’s just my speculation.
As Afseth writes, the Celtics have “quietly evaluated” a number of point guards in this year’s draft class, conducting background work on those prospects and making an effort to bring them in for workouts. Adding a “rotation-level” guard on a rookie scale contract is viewed as a priority for a team that operated over the second tax apron this past season, Afseth adds, especially with Jrue Holiday considered a prime offseason trade candidate.
Among this year’s draft-eligible point guards, Dylan Harper, Jeremiah Fears, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Egor Demin are viewed as probable lottery picks. Nolan Traore is at No. 25 on ESPN’s big board, with Walter Clayton Jr. at No. 27 and Ben Saraf at No. 30. For what it’s worth, Traore was once considered a potential top-10 pick and was still in the lottery in ESPN’s mock drafts as of mid-March, but has fallen in the rankings this spring.
According to Afseth, Boston is one of a few teams with multiple picks in the first round or early second who are exploring the idea of trading up. The Thunder (Nos. 15, 24, and 44), Magic (Nos. 16, 25, 46, and 57), and Nets (Nos. 8, 19, 26, 27, and 36) are also “viewed as active in that market,” sources tell RG.org.
Western Notes: Kidd, Blazers, Kings, Nelson, Nuggets
Letting Jason Kidd go to the Knicks would be a terrible outcome for the Mavericks, according to Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News. There’s reportedly mutual interest between Kidd and the Knicks.
Under Kidd, Dallas has won five playoff series in four seasons. Cowlishaw also notes that Kyrie Irving likes Kidd and believes in him. In Cowlishaw’s viewpoint, the only way general manager Nico Harrison‘s vision for the current group will work is dependent on Anthony Davis staying healthy and Irving getting healthy and remaining happy. If Cooper Flagg then plays up to his draft status, the Mavs have a chance to secure a title in 2026/27 before the window of opportunity runs out for their aging stars.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Arthur Kaluma (Texas), Gabe Madsen (Utah), Chibuzo Agbo (USC), Alex Toohey (Sydney Kings), Jahmai Mashack (Tennessee) and Dylan Cardwell (Auburn) worked out for the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets. Toohey is the biggest name in the group, as the Australian forward is ranked No. 36 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
- Jeremy Roach (Baylor), Caleb Love (Arizona), Jaxson Robinson (Kentucky), John Tonje (Wisconsin), Great Osobor (Washington), CJ Huntley (Appalachian State) will work out for the Kings on Wednesday, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets. That group is headed by Tonje (19.6 PPG with the Badgers last season), a high-scoring guard who is ranked No. 42 by ESPN.
- Grant Nelson (Alabama) is expected to reschedule a workout with the Jazz, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Nelson, who worked out for the Nets on Tuesday, is currently rated 65th by ESPN.
- Though the Nuggets took the Thunder to a Game 7 in these playoffs, they can’t afford to run it back with the same group, Sean Keeler of the Denver Post opines. The bench is in serious need of upgrades, Keeler argues, as the Nuggets basically went six deep this season and that forced the starters to empty their tanks.
Atlantic Notes: Durant, Hauser, Nets, Sixers
The Raptors are considered by “numerous NBA figures” to be a potential suitor for Suns star Kevin Durant, Jake Fischer reports for The Stein Line (Substack link), especially if their well-documented interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t come to fruition.
Fischer writes that the pieces the Raptors have assembled would make for a more realistic trade package for Durant, who is not necessarily expected to receive an extension from the team that trades for him, than for Antetokounmpo. If the Bucks star reaches the market, the trade packages teams will put together could put the Raptors out of the running, but with Phoenix likely looking to stay competitive around Devin Booker, the Raptors’ collection of young veterans could prove enticing.
Fischer points to Raptors’ president Masai Ujiri‘s aggressiveness in trading for Kawhi Leonard in 2018, which led to a championship, though this version of the Raptors roster is much less ready to win now than that one was. That said, the team did pursue Durant in 2022, Fischer writes, and there’s a belief that the Raptors have some internal pressure to take real steps forward this coming season. That could lead to the team shopping RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, and others.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics are facing an offseason that will require some serious introspection to figure out which players should be retained until Jayson Tatum eventually returns from his torn Achilles, SI’s Chris Mannix said during an NBC Sports Boston appearance. The most likely player to be moved, according to Mannix, is backup wing Sam Hauser. Hauser, an excellent shooter and decent defender, is entering the first season of a four-year, $45MM contract extension, a deal that would cost the team significantly more in luxury tax penalties if he remains on the roster. Mannix adds that rookie Baylor Scheierman could be tapped to fill in Hauser’s role if coach Joe Mazzulla thinks Scheierman ready for it.
- After a down year, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer doesn’t rule out the Sixers attempting to move one of Joel Embiid or Paul George if the team’s struggles continue. However, those contracts are likely to be difficult to trade, given their size and length. Within the same mailbag, Pompey fields a question about the idea of drafting Khaman Maluach with the No. 3 pick, noting that going that route would be an indication that the 76ers have more concern about Embiid’s future than they’ve indicated to this point. Pompey doesn’t view it as a likely scenario.
- The Nets have conducted pre-draft workouts for Johni Broome (Auburn), Taelon Peter (Liberty University), and Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M), according to Nets Daily (via Twitter). While the latter two players are viewed as undrafted free agent targets, Broome is considered a likely late-first or second-round pick. The 6’10” SEC Player of the Year and All-American averaged 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game for Auburn during his senior year.
Eastern Notes: Giannis, Nets, Raptors, Spoelstra, Pistons, Magic
Team personnel around the NBA who have spoken recently to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) are expressing less confidence that Giannis Antetokounmpo will ask the Bucks to trade him this summer.
“He’s not that guy (to cause trouble),” one source told Lewis. “He’s going to complain, but he isn’t going to actually burn it to the ground and be the bad guy to leave.”
As Lewis details, it’s perhaps no coincidence that rumors about the Nets‘ interest in pursuing a second lottery pick have gained some traction lately, since that’s viewed as a more realistic move for Brooklyn than landing Antetokounmpo. Even if the Bucks star does become available, the Nets have fallen behind teams like San Antonio, Houston, and Toronto as betting favorites to land him, Lewis notes.
“Toronto has more than anyone to offer for Giannis,” one league source told The Post. “But I don’t think he’s being moved.”
If Giannis were available, the Raptors could make a strong bid for him by including former Rookie of the Year and All-Star Scottie Barnes in their package. Still, it’s debatable whether such a move would make sense for Toronto, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who notes that paying a significant price (Barnes, plus other players and picks) for Antetokounmpo wouldn’t necessarily put the Raptors in a better position to contend than recent iterations of the Bucks.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Since we published our most recent list of the NBA’s longest-tenured head coaches last August, four of the top six names on that list (Gregg Popovich, Michael Malone, Taylor Jenkins, and Tom Thibodeau) have been let go or, in Popovich’s case, stepped down. That leaves Erik Spoelstra of the Heat as the league’s longest-tenured head coach by a significant margin, and he doesn’t take that longevity for granted, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald details. “You have to have great ownership and stability from the front office,” Spoelstra said during the season. “… I’m truly grateful for that, because we’ve been able to work through some tough losses and tough seasons and I think we’ve gotten better from that.”
- Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) considers how the Pistons might be able to leverage certain teams’ cap and apron positions this offseason by pursuing players from those clubs. Sankofa identifies Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Grayson Allen, Isaac Okoro, and Sam Hauser as four wings whom Detroit could target in free agency or trades. Minnesota, Phoenix, and Boston are coming off second-apron seasons, while Cleveland is on track to exceed the second apron in 2025/26.
- The Magic unveiled a new logo and three new uniforms earlier this week, per a team press release. Orlando’s updated look can be found here.
Nets Notes: Draft Trades, Johnson, Fears, Bridges Deal
The Nets possess four first-round picks in this month’s draft, including the No. 8 overall selection. They are reportedly pursuing another top-10 pick, NetsDaily tweets.
According to NetsDaily, Brooklyn may try to move its second-highest pick at No. 19 and Cameron Johnson to the Raptors for the No. 9 pick or the Rockets at No. 10, taking back a “bad contract” in the process. However, both of those teams might be a little reluctant to move their picks before learning whether Milwaukee makes Giannis Antetokounmpo available, as Toronto and Houston are both regarded as potential landing spots for the Bucks’ superstar.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- The Nets are positioned to follow the blueprint that led the Pacers and Thunder to the Finals, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Both of those organizations chose to find young, defensive-minded players with rotations that go 10-deep, rather than stacking three superstars and fitting low-cost pieces around them.
- Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears is ranked No. 7 on ESPN’s big board and NetsDaily’s Lucas Kaplan takes a long look at whether Fears could be the Nets’ long-term solution at the point. Kaplan notes that Fears, 18, had a high usage rate for an Southeastern Conference team and many defenders couldn’t stay in front of him, often resorting to fouling him.
- In this year’s draft alone, the Nets acquired the Nos. 19, 26 and 36 picks from the Mikal Bridges trade. How they use those picks will help determine whether the Nets or Knicks wind up as the ultimate winner in the deal, according to another NetsDaily.com story.
And-Ones: European Prospects, Extension Candidates, Dynasties
As we outlined last month when we passed along the list of prospects invited to the NBA’s draft combine, a player who is invited to the combine and declines to attend without an excused absence becomes ineligible to be drafted.
Many of the prospects who were granted excused absences from the combine in Chicago were international players whose teams were still playing. According to Erik Slater of ClutchPoints (Twitter link), the NBA is holding pre-draft activities (measurements, drills, etc.) this week in Treviso, Italy for those players whose commitments overseas prevented them from traveling to Chicago.
That group, Slater says, includes Noa Essengue (who is playing in Germany), Joan Beringer (Slovenia), Nolan Traore (France), Ben Saraf (Germany), Hugo Gonzalez (Spain), Bogoljub Markovic (Serbia), and Noah Penda (France).
It’s unclear whether all of those players will be able to attend the event in Treviso, since some of their seasons still aren’t over. Essengue and Safar, for example, both play for Ratiopharm Ulm, which is currently competing in the semifinals of the Basketball Bundesliga playoffs in Germany. Game 2 of that series will be played on Wednesday.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- While the free agent class of 2025 isn’t particularly star-studded, there will be no shortage of veteran extension candidates to monitor this offseason, as Bobby Marks details for ESPN. Marks takes an in-depth look at which players seem likely to sign new deals in the coming months, including Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., and which players are longer shots for new contracts. That latter group includes players who would benefit financially from waiting, like Lakers guard Austin Reaves, and some who are unlikely to get an offer from their current team, such as Pelicans forward Zion Williamson.
- Is it bad for business that the NBA’s age of dynasties appears to be over? Tania Ganguli of The New York Times considers that topic in an in-depth story open to non-subscribers.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report proposes a complex three-team deal involving the Celtics, Mavericks, and Nets that would save Boston a projected $230MM+, fortify Dallas’ backcourt, and send a pair of draft assets to Brooklyn along with mostly expiring contracts.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Adjustments, Bridges, Offseason Priorities, Contracts
The Knicks fell two wins shy of the Finals. Their top player has no doubts they can make up that deficit next season. Jalen Brunson believes the core group will do whatever it takes to get over the hump, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes.
“The most confident. Overconfident. Seriously,” Brunson said of the team’s future. “There’s not an ounce of any type of doubt that I’m not confident with this group. We have a lot of guys who are on this team, and I feel like you guys always ask, ‘what do you work on whenever you come back?’ and stuff like that,. And from what I’ve seen, no one’s really out there posting themselves about the things that they do. We have a lot of guys that just genuinely want to work hard to be better, and I like that, and I appreciate my teammates and everything they do and everything they believe in.”
Brunson was appreciative of the character his teammates showed.
“I think the way this team progressed this year, for me it was fun,” he said. “There were a lot of people saying we couldn’t do a lot of things. A lot of negativity around what we were trying to accomplish and the way we put blinders on and went to work, that’s something I was proud of with this team. I’m proud of how we stayed the course.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- What steps should they take to achieve that Finals goal? Chris Herring of ESPN makes three suggestions — going with Mitchell Robinson as a starter on a regular basis with Josh Hart coming off the bench; improving the second unit and going with a deeper bench rotation; and finding ways to better utilize the partnership between Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
- Given the draft pick haul they received, the Nets are thus far the clear winners in last summer’s Mikal Bridges blockbuster trade, Brian Lewis of the New York Post opines. The early payoff will begin this month when the Nets utilize some of those draft picks but there’s plenty more to come. Meanwhile, Bridges flopped in the Eastern Conference Finals trying to guard Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, according to Lewis, who says the Knicks could still make the deal a win-win if they reach the Finals next year with Bridges — or in the future, if he signs an extension.
- Speaking of Bridges, potential extension talks between the two parties this summer are at or near the top of the team’s priority list, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Bridges could get more money if he waits until free agency next summer but he also looms as a tradable asset if he has an expiring contract. Extending Tom Thibodeau and deciding whether to sign any of their four unrestricted free agents are also on the offseason agenda, Bondy writes.
- In a related story, Braziller breaks down the contract status of each player heading into the offseason. New York’s top seven rotation players are under contract through at least next season.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sixers, Nets Draft
After acquiring Brandon Ingram at the February trade deadline, the Raptors are viewed by teams around the league as a candidate to make another major move this offseason, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (hat tip to RealGM).
“Toronto is one of those teams that is sitting there on the balls of its feet, which is interesting,” Windhorst said on the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link).
Eric Koreen of The Athletic added that the state of the Eastern Conference should push the Raptors to be slightly more aggressive, as the bottom of the conference is likely to be weak, especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo departs for the Western Conference.
However, Koreen adds that his instinct is that the core five Raptors, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, and Brandon Ingram, will likely remain with the team heading into next season.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- After a season that went much worse than expected, the Sixers are faced with a multitude of questions, writes Keith Pompey of The Inquirer. The first domino is the third overall pick in the 2025 draft. If they do use the No. 3 pick, don’t expect standout trade addition Quentin Grimes‘ impending free agency to impact the selection, says Pompey, who emphasizes the need to select the best player available. Pompey writes within the same story that another lackluster year from Philadelphia could spell the end of team president Daryl Morey‘s tenure as the lead decision-maker.
- Speaking of the third pick in the 2025 draft, count Sixers star Paul George as a firm believer in Ace Bailey, Pompey writes in a separate story. Pompey reports that George has hyped up the 6’9″ wing three different times leading into the offseason. Recently, George said, “If there was no Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey would have been an even bigger name that people would have been talking about in this draft. … I think he’s going to come into the league and make noise right away.” Carmelo Anthony and DeMarcus Cousins are two other former players who have raved about the shot-making wing, but others believe that the three-to-six or -seven range in the draft is basically interchangeable from a talent perspective.
- The Nets missed out on the Flagg sweepstakes, but they still have five picks in the top 36 of the 2025 draft. Collin Helwig of NetsDaily rounded up a list of players who have been confirmed to have worked out for the franchise, a list that doesn’t yet include Jeremiah Fears or Kon Knueppel. Colorado State’s Nique Clifford is the highest-ranked name known to have worked out for the team so far, along with Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier. Helwig notes that St. John’s Aaron Scott and Temple’s Steve Settle both worked out in Brooklyn, as did Wake Forest guard Hunter Sallis and West Virginia’s Javon Small. Finally, Helwig writes that international players Noa Essengue, Ben Saraf, and Hugo Gonzalez will not be working out for the team, as they finish their seasons overseas.
Draft Notes: Trail Blazers, Mock, Coward, Nets, More
The Trail Blazers hosted a pre-draft workout on Thursday with six high-level prospects, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (subscriber link).
Michigan State guard Jase Richardson (No. 14 on ESPN’s big board), Illinois wing Will Riley (No. 15), Georgia forward/center Asa Newell (No. 19), UConn wing Liam McNeeley (No. 21) and Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming (No. 28) are all potential first-round picks, while Chinese center Hansen Yang — a combine standout — is viewed as a possible second-rounder, coming in at No. 67 on ESPN’s list.
As Highkin notes, Portland currently controls one pick in June’s draft, No. 11 overall. The team’s previous workouts mainly focused on less heralded players, but some of today’s group could be in contention for the lottery selection.
Richardson, who says he emulates Mike Conley, is out to prove he can orchestrate an NBA offense.
“There are a lot of questions about what position I can play at the next level,” Richardson said. “Playing at Michigan State, I was a two, because coach [Tom Izzo] wanted me to score. But I want to show teams I’m a point guard and I can facilitate.”
In addition to Portland’s front office and coaches, three players on the current roster — Scoot Henderson, Justin Minaya and Jabari Walker — also attended Thursday’s workout. According to Highkin, Newell thinks he’d fit in well with the Blazers.
“They like to [push] the pace a lot with Scoot and [Donovan] Clingan,” Newell said. “He cleans up anything down low. I think I’d be a plug-and-play player.”
Here are a few more notes related to June’s draft:
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report updated his mock draft following Wednesday’s deadline for early entrants to withdraw in order to their NCAA eligibility. Wasserman, who has the Trail Blazers selecting Newell at No. 11, says Washington State forward Cedric Coward appears to be one of the big winners of the pre-draft process, with one scout comparing his rise to that of Jalen Williams, who went No. 12 overall in 2022. Coward goes No. 14 to San Antonio in Wasserman’s mock.
- Freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford was voted by four of his peers as the “most underrated” prospect in the 2025 class, according to ESPN, but he wound up withdrawing and returning to Auburn prior to yesterday’s deadline. Arizona forward Carter Bryant (three votes) and North Carolina guard/forward Drake Powell (two) also received multiple votes. “Carter Bryant is super underrated,” Newell told ESPN. “I just feel like his game translates to the NBA really well. He’s got the size, he’s got the touch, he’s got the 3-point ability. And seeing him, he can definitely be a versatile defender.”
- The Nets held a pre-draft workout on Thursday with six prospects, including Colorado State wing Nique Clifford and Tennessee guards Chaz Lanier and Jahmai Mashack, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post (via Twitter). According to Lewis, the Nets — who control a league-high five picks (all in the top 35) — also have an upcoming workout scheduled with Duke wing Kon Knueppel (Twitter link). Knueppell (No. 8 on ESPN’s board) and Clifford (No. 24) are projected first-round picks, while sharpshooter Lanier (No. 40) is viewed as a second-rounder.
Latest On Jonathan Kuminga
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is set to hit restricted free agency this summer after an up-and-down fourth season in Golden State. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic details, Kuminga’s future with the Warriors is uncertain due a number of factors.
League sources tell Slater that Kuminga still views himself as a future All-Star and is trying to find a home where he can have an expansive offensive role to showcase his abilities. The 22 year-old forward had a rocky playoff run, having been outside of the rotation for most of the first-round series against Houston, only to have a featured role in the second-round series vs. Minnesota after Stephen Curry sustained a hamstring strain.
Kuminga was an effective and efficient scorer (24.3 PPG on .554/.389/.720 shooting) in those four games against a strong defense, Slater notes, giving some credence to the notion that the former lottery pick could put up big individual numbers under the right conditions. And despite some differences of opinion in how Kuminga sees — and values — himself and the way the team has wanted him to play, none of the differences between the involved parties are “irreconcilable,” according to Slater’s sources.
However, Kuminga may not be able to achieve his individual goals playing for the Warriors, who are trying to build out a championship roster around Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. The “cleanest path” forward might be finding a sign-and-trade that could work for both the Warriors and Kuminga, Slater writes.
As Slater observes, head coach Steve Kerr has long hoped Kuminga would become a Shawn Marion-type player — someone who can excel without the ball, defend multiple positions, and rebound at a high level. But Kuminga is more of a ball-dominant scorer who is inconsistent in other areas, making his on-court fit in Kerr’s system an awkward one at times.
While the Nets are not currently expected to give Kuminga an offer sheet, Brooklyn may be open to the idea of multi-team sign-and-trade scenarios this offseason as a means to maximize its cap space, league sources tell Slater. That could give the Warriors, Kuminga, Nets and interested suitors a mutually beneficial way of finding something they’re all seeking.
The problem with a potential sign-and-trade, Slater explains, is that Kuminga will be subject to base year compensation rules, and the Warriors would be hard-capped at the first apron if they take back more than 50% of Kuminga’s starting salary. While everyone involved is “expected to explore all options,” due to the aforementioned restrictions, Warriors sources have been dropping hints to Slater that the “most obvious and prudent path” might be simply re-signing Kuminga.
Going that route would give Golden State more time to assess Kuminga’s fit, and the base-year restrictions would be removed in that scenario in January, when Kuminga would theoretically become trade-eligible.
Owner Joe Lacob is known to be a big fan of Kuminga’s and told the young forward to stay open-minded about a potential return, according to Slater, who hears Kuminga “hasn’t slammed the door shut” on that possibility. The Warriors have final say due to Kuminga being a RFA, but Slater suggests Kuminga might not be thrilled with a reunion unless certain circumstances change.