Boston grabs Arkansas wing Walsh at No. 38
Team stockpiles future 2nd-rounders with moves
BOSTON — After a slew of trades and maneuvering around the draft board to stockpile future picks, Brad Stevens and the Celtics ultimately moved back into the second round and selected Arkansas wing Jordan Walsh with the No. 38 overall pick in Thursday night’s NBA draft.
The19-year-oldwalshspentoneseason with the Razorbacks and helped a talented team that had three selections in Thursday’s draft reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. At 6-foot-7, 205 pounds, Walsh is a physically gifted and explosive athlete. He possesses a 7-foot-2 wing span and projects as a versatile defender at the next level. However, he is a major work in progress offensively after shooting just 27.8 percent from 3-point range in his lone college season.
Walsh averaged 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for Arkansas last season.
The Celtics originally held the No. 35 selection in this draft before they made their stunning trade that sent Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies, which netted them two firstround picks, including Memphis’ No. 25 selection in Thursday’s draft. Then Stevens channeled his inner Bill Belichick with a series of trades to bolster his future assets. With Boston on the clock, they traded the pick to the Pistons. They drafted Houston guard Marcus Sasser for them, then sent him to Detroit in exchange for the No. 31 pick and two future second-round picks.
Then, on the clock for the No. 31 pick, the Celtics traded back again and swapped the selection with the Hornets for the Nos. 34 and 39 selections.
Stevens wasn’t done. Instead of drafting at No. 34, the Celtics took Xavier wing Colby Jones and sent him to the Kings for the No. 38 pick and a future second-rounder. Then, after selecting Walsh, they drafted Washington State center Mouhamed Gueye with the No. 39 pick and traded him to Atlanta for another second-round pick.
The Atlanta Hawks confirmed an agreement Friday to acquire the NBA draft rights to Washington State center Mouhamed Gueye from the Boston Celtics.
The Hawks will send a future secondround pick to the Celtics.
The Celtics drafted Gueye with the No. 39 overall pick in the second round on Thursday night before reaching the agreement to trade the rights to Gueye to Atlanta.