Younger and cheaper. Younger and cheaper. Well, it was cheaper at least. The Celtics offloaded Kristaps Porzingis for Georges Niang and a second-round pick. While Niang plays in the frontcourt, he doesn't sniff the skill set the Celtics had on their roster last year. With the draft on the horizon, it seems like this can't be Brad Stevens' last move if he wants to remain competitive next season.
The Celtics have continued to focus on the backcourt in their pre-draft workouts despite serious concerns with depth at the center position. Leaving only unproven Neemias Queta on the roster to play the 5 is a recipe for disaster. Unless the Celtics can return Luke Kornet and Al Horford, it's unlikely help is on the way via free agency. That means they must turn to the draft.
Rumors that the Celtics may be looking to move up in the draft started early on June 24, and then Steve Bulpett via Heavy.com attached a name to the rumor. If true, the Celtics are again targeting a guard with their draft pick, Illinois' Kasparas Jakucionis, and continuing to leave fans puzzled about the state of the frontcourt.
If the Celtics hold tight and keep their pick at 28, they project to have a few options at center. Joan Beringer, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Yanic Niederhauser, Maxime Raynaud, and Hansen Yang all fall in the late 20 to 30 range on draft boards. If none of those names inspire a great deal of hope, it's because they have largely unremarkable NBA comparisons via NBADraft.net. The most exciting player comp belongs to Raynaud, who projects to none other than Boston's own Luke Kornet.
It's a rather uninspiring comparison. Brad Stevens may need to make some magic this week to bring in a player who can start alongside Jaylen Brown and company and shore up the frontcourt. If the Celtics are looking to get into the lottery, they'd be much better served targeting a center.
The Celtics Should Trade Up for Georgetown's Thomas Sorber
Let's just start with the player comparison: Vin Baker or Roy Hibbert. That's better. While they may not be household names today, both Baker and Hibbert landed themselves on All-Star teams and put up solid stats throughout their career. If Sorber has a similar career, the draft day trade would be a success.
In thinking about how Sorber may fit on the Celtics, he would immediately add some much-needed rebounding support and be a defensive anchor after producing 2 blocks a game at Georgetown. If Sorber is the only other big added to the roster, there’s a good chance he starts. If the Celtics bring back Al Horford, the two would play off each other's strengths.
Sorber can produce offensively, but has a limited shooting range at this point in his development. It would be expected that a lot of his scoring would come off 2nd chance points, at least initially. Being young in his development, Sorber still has some weight to put on his frame to become an elite rebounder, but he has enough of a basketball IQ to position himself well to make an impact on the boards and defensively. As Sorber develops, he should develop a more consistent shot outside the paint to contribute more on offense.
If the Celtics walk away from the draft still having selected at 28 and passed on going to get Sorber, it would be a huge mistake. Sorber can contribute this year in a meaningful way and would be ready to step into a larger role in 2026-27 when the Celtics will be back at full strength. Selecting a project big man or upperclassman guard doesn't seem like it will push the Celtics' rotation forward in a meaningful way.
Brad Stevens is going to have to get creative on draft night if he expects to add a real piece to the rotation. How the Celtics could get into the lottery is yet to be seen but they have options after an eventful start to the offseason. Sorber is the right piece to add to the Celtics, it remains to be seen if Stevens and the front office agree.