12 prime Celtics draft prospects, from Ryan Kalkbrenner to Hunter Sallis

The Celtics are coming into an offseason of uncertainty. Because it at present stands, the 2024 NBA champions have the No. 28 and No. 32 picks within the upcoming NBA Draft, which is slated for June twenty fifth.

Longtime draft skilled Kevin O’Connor, of Yahoo Sports activities, joined Celtics podcast You Obtained Boston to debate 12 potential prospects who is perhaps out there — and be chosen — at No. 28 and No. 32.

For those who’re simply starting to wade into the draft world and wish to study extra about these prospects, I like to recommend exploring the 2 draft guides I reference all through this text: Kevin O’Connor’s Massive Board on Yahoo Sports activities and The Ringer’s Massive Board.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton

Class: Senior, age 23
Place: Massive
Measurements: 7’1, 257 lbs
Comparability: Jakob Poetl, Walker Kessler, Luke Kornet
Projected draft spot: 29 (Yahoo Sports activities), 35 (The Ringer)

Photograph by Michael Hickey/Getty Photographs

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Kalkbrenner is a throwback 7-footer who owns the paint, swatting pictures together with his large wingspan and dunking every part in sight. It’s a bit unusual that he isn’t a greater rebounder. However as a brilliant senior, he’s additionally developed some sneaky passing and taking pictures abilities that trace at increased upside.”

The Ringer description: “Colossal massive and inside presence on each ends.”

Thomas Sorber, Georgetown

Class: Freshman, age 19
Place: Massive
Measurements: 6’10, 253 lbs
Comparisons: Jonas Valunciunas, Jusuf Nukic, Kevon Looney, Trayce-Jackson Davis
Projected draft spot: 21 (Yahoo Sports activities), 16 (The Ringer)

Photograph by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Sorber has a brick-house body and the throwback skill-set to match with sturdy screens, soft-touch finishes, and gritty drop-coverage instincts. However to be greater than a job participant, he must faucet into the flashes he reveals as a shooter whereas additionally enhancing his perimeter protection.”

The Ringer description: “Disciplined two-way massive man who wins with physicality and processes the sport at 1.25-time velocity.”

Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State

Class: Junior, age 22
Place: Massive
Measurements: 7’0, 243 lbs
Comparisons: DeAndre Jordan
Projected draft spot: 33 (Yahoo Sports activities)

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Konan Niederhauser is an elite athlete who lives above the rim as a finisher and shot blocker, and he shows some intriguing upside as a 7-foot shot creator. However he wants to enhance his fundamentals to make all of it click on.”

Joan Berninger, France

Class: 18
Place: Massive
Measurements: 6’10, 230 lbs
Comparisons: Clint Capela, Nerlens Noel, Daniel Gafford
Projected draft spot: 34 (Yahoo Sports activities), 30 (The Ringer)

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Berninger started enjoying basketball solely three years in the past, which makes him a uncooked challenge, but additionally makes his pure skills all of the extra spectacular. He’s a middle however has the quickness of a guard, giving him immense defensive versatility to construct on for years to return.”

The Ringer description: “Instinctive, bodily gifted massive man who’s as uncooked as sashimi.”

Drake Powell, North Carolina

Class: Freshman, age 19
Place: Wing
Measurements: 6’5, 200 lbs
Comparisons: Mikal Bridges, Isaac Okoro, Taurean Prince, Terance Mann
Projected draft spot: 16 (Yahoo Sports activities), 21 (The Ringer)

Benny Sieu-Imagn Photographs

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Powell has a chiseled body that he makes use of to barrel into defenders on the rim and to include opponents when he’s on protection. He’s a switch-everything defender who performs with a excessive motor, and if his spot-up jumper interprets, he checks all of the containers to be a 3-and-D position participant at a minimal.”

The Ringer description: “Lean and imply two-way wing with the instruments to be switchy on protection and swishy when spacing the ground.”

Nique Clifford, Colorado State

Class: Junior, age 23
Place: Wing
Measurements: 6’6, 203 lbs
Comparisons: Justin Vacation, Moses Moody, Josh Hart, Khris Middleton, Desmond Bane
Projected draft spot: 14 (The Ringer), 18 (Yahoo Sports activities)

Photograph by Steph Chambers/Getty Photographs

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Clifford is a tough-as-nails wing who does all of it. He defends a number of positions, crashes the boards, and scores from in all places. However as a brilliant senior with solely Mountain West pedigree, he lacks expertise towards excessive degree competitors regardless of his age.”

The Ringer description: “Mature, well-rounded wing with a really perfect bodily body for the trendy NBA sport.”

Hugo Gonzalez, Spain

Class: Age 19
Measurements: 6’6, 205 lbs
Place: Wing
Comparisons: Josh Inexperienced, Nikola Djurisic
Projected draft spot: 23 (Yahoo Sports activities), 45 (The Ringer)

Photograph by Sara Gordon/Actual Madrid through Getty Photographs

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Gonzalez is a high-motor wing with nice defensive instruments and a slashing fashion on offense. If his jumper and deal with develop, he might be a flexible two-way starter. However he barely even performed off the bench abroad.”

The Ringer description: “Excessive-energy wing whose position is someplace amid a haze of considerations about his taking pictures and decision-making.”

Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s

Class: Junior, age 20
Measurements: 6’9, 232 lbs
Place: Wing
Comparisons: Larry Nance Jr., Brandon Bass
Projected draft spot: 25 (Yahoo Sports activities), 23 (The Ringer)

Photograph by G Fiume/Getty Photographs

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Fleming is a hustler who drains spot-up jumpers and brings vitality on protection, swatting pictures and snagging boards. However he has some actual warts as a ball-handler with a scarcity of expertise towards high-level competitors, so groups must really feel actual assured his position participant skill-set will translate.”

The Ringer description: “Athletic, play-finishing 3-and-D massive man with a retrofuturistic fashion lifted instantly from NBA Reside 06’s Create-a-Participant meeting line.”

Noah Penda, France

Class: Age 20
Measurements: 6’8, 225 lbs
Place: Wing
Comparisons: Naji Marshall, Nicolas Batum
Projected draft spot: 17 (The Ringer), 31 (Yahoo Sports activities)

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Penda performs with a veteran’s thoughts and a successful mentality, providing connective playmaking, switchable protection, and high-level really feel. He’ll want to enhance his jumper to stay long-term, however his unselfish sport and defensive utility give him a robust basis.”

The Ringer description: “Instinctive, big-bodied defender with all of the glue-guy abilities to remain on the ground as he hones his offensive repertoire.”

Alijah Martin, Florida

Class: Senior, age 23
Place: Wing
Measurements: 6’2, 210 lbs
Comparisons: De’Anthony Melton, Derrick Jones Jr.
Projected draft spot: 40 (Yahoo Sports activities)

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Martin is a hyper-athletic, high-energy guard who performs greater than his dimension and impacts the sport together with his toughness, rebounding, and defensive grit. However his positional tweener standing, streaky taking pictures, and restricted creation skill complicate his skill to carve out a specialised position.”

Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest

Class: Age 22
Place: Guard
Measurements: 6’5, 181 lbs
Comparisons: Donte DiVincenzo
Projected draft spot: 38 (Yahoo Sports activities)

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Sallis is a poised, environment friendly scorer with physique management, defensive tenacity, and the passing really feel to trace at extra upside. If the jumper proves actual, he might play a a lot bigger offensive position than his present projection.”

Adou Thiero, Arkansas

Class: Junior, age 21
Place: Wing
Measurements: 6’6, 218 lbs
Comparisons: Toumani Camara, Haywood Highsmith, Torrey Craig
Projected draft spot: 35 (Yahoo Sports activities), 34 (The Ringer)

Photograph by Wesley Hitt/Getty Photographs

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Thiero is a slasher with a jacked body and an explosive first step, however he has extreme limitations on offense as a shooter. If he’s ready to determine the shot then his size and flexibility would make him a basic 3-and-D position participant.”

The Ringer description: “Switchable ahead who’s perpetually shot out of a cannon and is ready to sprinkle worth throughout the stat sheet.”