A guide to Thursday’s NBA Draft
Blockbuster trades often shake up the first round of the NBA Draft, but San Antonio, the proprietor of the first pick in 2023, has no interest in one this year. The Spurs are clinging to their No. 1 choice for one obvious reason: Victor Wembanyama.
The 7-foot-4-inch big man out of France promises to be the best draft talent since LeBron James, and the Spurs are hoping he will be their missing piece. Wembanyama makes the start of this year’s NBA Draft, set for Thursday, a no-brainer. Who is chosen after him remains to be seen. Charlotte holds pick No. 2, and Portland will select at No. 3.
The Celtics will likely have a slow night, as president of basketball operations Brad Stevens traded his firstround pick (along with five players) to the Pacers for Malcolm Brogdon in July 2022, leaving Boston with just a second-rounder this year (No. 35 overall).
Here is everything you need to know about the draft:
The basics
When: Thursday, 8 p.m., ESPN, ABC (first round only). Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn.
Format: There are two rounds, with 30 picks in the first round. There will be only 28 picks in the second round because the Bulls and 76ers forfeited their picks as a penalty for violating rules governing free agency discussions.
When do the Celtics pick?
The Celtics have just one pick — No. 35 — which they received from Portland. The pick had changed hands among Cleveland, Detroit, the Los Angeles Clippers, and Atlanta before it landed with the Trail Blazers. Boston acquired the pick in August 2021 as part of a three-team trade that sent Tristan Thompson to the Kings, Delon Wright to the Hawks, and Kris Dunn and Bruno Fernando to the Celtics.
First-round order
1. San Antonio; 2. Charlotte; 3. Portland; 4. Houston; 5. Detroit; 6. Orlando; 7. Indiana; 8. Washington; 9. Utah;
10. Dallas; 11. Orlando (from Chicago); 12. Oklahoma City; 13. Toronto; 14. New Orleans; 15. Atlanta; 16. Utah (from Minnesota); 17. LA Lakers; 18. Miami; 19. Golden State; 20. Houston (from LA Clippers); 21. Brooklyn (from Phoenix); 22. Brooklyn; 23. Portland (from New York); 24. Sacramento; 25. Memphis; 26. Indiana (from Cleveland); 27. Charlotte (from Denver via New York and Oklahoma City); 28. Utah (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn); 29. Indiana (from Boston); 30. LA Clippers (from Milwaukee via Houston).
Celtics’ past results at No. 35
The Celtics have had the 35th pick four times, but just once since the draft was shortened to two rounds in 1989. Boston selected Rade Zagorac (2016), Kevin Stacom (1974), Phil Hankinson (1973), and Connie McGuire (1963) at No. 35. Zagorac was traded away the day of the 2016 draft, Stacom played three seasons for Boston, Hankinson appeared in 31 games across two seasons, and McGuire did not appear in an NBA game.
With the first pick . . .
Scouts have been singing Wembanyama’s praises since well before many saw him play in Las Vegas on Oct. 5. Since then, he has become the obvious choice for San Antonio’s No. 1 selection. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has a history of developing talented big men, including Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and LaMarcus Aldridge, all of whom went either first or second in the draft. Wembanyama arguably has more offensive versatility than those three, which should fit in nicely with Popovich’s outside-the-box approach to offense. After Wembanyama goes off the board, here are other top players to watch:
R Scoot Henderson, PG
Age: 19 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 196 pounds
Henderson, a five-star recruit out of Marietta, Ga., spent two seasons with the G League Ignite, whom he led in points (17.6), assists (6.6), and steals (1.2) in 2022-23. Henderson boasts a unique ability to attack the basket and finish around the rim, and his 6-9 wingspan is one of the longest compared with height in this year’s draft class.
■ Amen Thompson, PG
Age: 20 | Height: 6-6 | Weight: 214 pounds
Thompson is projected to go in the top five and would be Overtime Elite’s first first-round pick — that is, if his twin brother, Ausar, doesn’t beat him to it. Amen shot 25 percent from 3-point range this season for Overtime Elite and has a high basketball IQ. He’s a creative playmaker, but he is turnover prone, averaging 3.2 per game this season.
■ Ausar Thompson, G/F
Age: 20 | Height: 6-6 | Weight: 218 pounds
Like his brother, Ausar has spent the last two seasons developing with Overtime Elite and has made significant progress in his scoring ability. He has room to grow in his ability to finish at the rim. His 7-foot wingspan makes him a defensive threat.
■ Brandon Miller, F
Age: 20 | Height: 6-9 | Weight: 201 pounds
The Alabama product was a first-team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year as a freshman this past season, leading his conference in points per game. A fivestar recruit, Miller shot 38.4 percent from 3-point range. He showed defensive promise on a team that finished in the top three in adjusted defensive efficiency. Miller is turnover prone, however, as he averaged more per game (2.2) than assists (2.1).
■ Cam Whitmore, F
Age: 18 | Height: 6-6 | Weight: 235 pounds
Whitmore is an explosive athlete and an above-the-rim finisher. His creative scoring turned heads throughout his freshman season at Villanova, but he has work to do on his playmaking (just 0.7 assists per game). He thrives in transition and can attack downhill, and his 34.3 percent shooting from 3-point range demonstrates a breadth of scoring ability.
Local players
Four New England players are available, with three coming from national champion Connecticut. Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson Jr., and Adama Sanogo represent the Huskies in this year’s class, and Kentucky’s Jacob Toppin (who formerly played for Rhode Island and Woodstock Academy) rounds out the list of locals.
Hawkins is the highest-graded of the four and is projected to go in the first round. The guard averaged 6.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in leading the Huskies to the NCAA title.
Notable New England players who entered their names into the draft pool but later withdrew them include T.J. Bickerstaff (Boston College), Quinten Post (Boston College), Clarence Daniels II (New Hampshire), Tristen Newton (UConn), Cormac Ryan (Milton Academy/Notre Dame), and Boo Buie (Gould Academy/Northwestern).