The Boston Celtics currently don't have a first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, but that could change -- which is why they did their due diligence in Chicago this week.
The seven-day NBA Draft Combine wrapped up Sunday in Chicago, where the nation's top prospects have been working out for and interviewing with teams to prepare for the NBA Draft on July 29.
The Celtics currently own one second-round pick (No. 45 overall) after trading their No. 16 overall selection to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Kemba Walker-Al Horford trade. So, unless they trade back into the first round, they probably won't have a shot at the nation's elite prospects.
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Still, Boston checked in with a potential top-14 selection in Gonzaga sharpshooter Corey Kispert, who said he interviewed with the Celtics at the Combine, per Forbes' Chris Grenham.
The 6-foot-7, 220 pound forward shot 52.9% from the floor and 44% from 3-point range for the Zags last season and is considered one of the best shooters in the draft. We had him going 15th to the Washington Wizards in our most recent mock draft, and he'll almost certainly be off the board in the first round.
The Celtics also interviewed a pair of surefire first-rounders in Florida State forward Scottie Barnes and Texas forward Kai Jones, per Grenham, while Auburn guard and potential late first-round pick Sharife Cooper apparently had a good workout with Boston.
Here's a rundown of the players who interviewed or worked out with the Celtics during NBA Draft Combine week, according to Grenham. We've included their place in our most recent NBA Mock Draft (first-round only) if applicable.
Player | Pick in Mock Draft |
Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State | No. 8 |
Kai Jones, F, Texas | No. 11 |
Corey Kispert, F, Gonzaga | No. 15 |
Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn | No. 23 |
Daishen Nix, G, G-League Ignite | |
Bones Hyland, G, VCU | |
Kofi Cockburn, C, Illinois | |
Matthew Hurt, F, Duke | |
Yves Pons, G, Tennessee | |
Sam Hauser, F, Virginia | |
Joe Wieskamp, G, Iowa | |
Trey Murphy III, G, Virginia | |
Jordan Hall, F, Texas A&M | |
Miles McBride, G, West Virginia | |
Balsa Koprivica, C, Florida State |
Boston Celtics
It's common for teams to work out or interview 10 to 20 players at the Combine, and the Celtics might not draft any of these prospects. But it's good to know who's on Boston's radar in case they make another move for additional draft capital in the next month.