Every successful NBA team has to find value on the margins. Considering the strict salary cap rules, every front office is tasked with finding undervalued players on team-friendly deals who contribute more than their salaries would indicate. This means that players on rookie-scale contracts, where they are under team control for multiple years, can be some of the best value deals in the league. This is especially the case for the Boston Celtics, who were one of the most expensive teams in NBA history last season.
The Celtics drafted Baylor Scheierman with the last pick of the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft with this in mind. They used their pick on a five-year college prospect who was 23 years old at the time. The hope was that the former Creighton star would come in and become an immediate contributor as an NBA-ready prospect.
Unless Baylor Scheierman Shows Serious Improvement, He Will Be Gone
Unfortunately, things haven't worked out that way for Scheierman so far. In the crowded Celtics rotation, Scheierman wasn't able to carve out a role for himself as a rookie. In his brief appearances, the ball didn't go in for the 6'6" guard, as he hit 35.5% from the field and 31.7% from three.
Scheierman's shooting struggles carried onto the Las Vegas Summer League, where he took 9.8 threes per game but only made 20.5% of them. The team let him explore studio space all summer, and while he showed intriguing flashes as a passer and playmaker, his scoring struggles doomed him.
The lack of scoring efficiency will likely be the end of Scheierman in Boston. While having playmaking ability is nice, if Scheierman wants to become a core piece of this team going forward, he needs to be able to shoot the ball. The Celtics will have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as their offensive engines in the long term, and Payton Pritchard and Derrick White are more than capable secondary playmakers. This leaves Scheierman the role of a floor-spacer and a three-and-D player. If he can't consistently do that, he will inevitably have to go elsewhere.
Scheierman has a track record in college and the G League of being a quality shooter. He needs to rediscover that form to have a chance to crack the rotation in the 2025-26 season. Otherwise, GM Brad Stevens, famous for his ruthless willingness to make trades, will almost certainly look for alternatives.