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

The Celtics are getting 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 professional Kevin O’Connor, of Yahoo Sports activities, joined Celtics podcast You Acquired Boston to debate 12 potential prospects who may be out there — and be chosen — at No. 28 and No. 32.

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

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton

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

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Kalkbrenner is a throwback 7-footer who owns the paint, swatting photographs together with his large wingspan and dunking every little thing 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 capturing abilities that trace at greater upside.”

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

Thomas Sorber, Georgetown

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

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

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

Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State

Class: Junior, age 22Position: BigMeasurements: 7’0, 243 lbs Comparisons: DeAndre JordanProjected 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: 18Position: BigMeasurements: 6’10, 230 lbsComparisons: Clint Capela, Nerlens Noel, Daniel GaffordProjected draft spot: 34 (Yahoo Sports activities), 30 (The Ringer)

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Berninger started taking part in basketball solely three years in the past, which makes him a uncooked venture, but in addition makes his pure abilities 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 huge man who’s as uncooked as sashimi.”

Drake Powell, North Carolina

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

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Powell has a chiseled body that he makes use of to barrel into defenders on the rim and to comprise 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 packing containers to be a 3-and-D function 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 23Position: Wing Measurements: 6’6, 203 lbs Comparisons: Justin Vacation, Moses Moody, Josh Hart, Khris Middleton, Desmond BaneProjected draft spot: 14 (The Ringer), 18 (Yahoo Sports activities)

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 every single place. However as a brilliant senior with solely Mountain West pedigree, he lacks expertise towards excessive stage competitors regardless of his age.”

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

Hugo Gonzalez, Spain

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

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

The Ringer description: “Excessive-energy wing whose function is someplace amid a haze of issues about his capturing and decision-making.”

Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s

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

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

The Ringer description: “Athletic, play-finishing 3-and-D huge man with a retrofuturistic model lifted immediately from NBA Dwell 06’s Create-a-Participant meeting line.”

Noah Penda, France

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

Yahoo Sports activities description: “Penda performs with a veteran’s thoughts and a profitable 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 recreation 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 23Position: Wing Measurements: 6’2, 210 lbsComparisons: 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 capturing, and restricted creation potential complicate his potential to carve out a specialised function.”

Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest

Class: Age 22Position: 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 may play a a lot bigger offensive function than his present projection.”

Adou Thiero, Arkansas

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

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 in a position to determine the shot then his size and flexibility would make him a traditional 3-and-D function participant.”

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