Boston Celtics 2015 Draft Preview

Jun 23, 2015 - 4:03 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The second year of rebuilding in Boston brought a quicker return than expected. The Celtics snatched the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and that earned them a sweep at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The program accelerated in part because of the in-season Rajon Rondo trade. Boston didn't get a massive haul of players for the former All-Star, but turned the team over to Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas and Evan Turner. They immediately began winning.

The C's are littered with young talent at almost every position. They don't have that one true superstar and chances are he's not coming at No. 16 or No. 28, which was a pick acquired when they traded head coach Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Boston's roster is loaded with young guards and young bigs, so maybe a wing player would make sense. However, president Danny Ainge can probably afford to take the best player available. Arkansas' Bobby Portis is an interesting project. He's long and skilled. Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky could be there, or teammate Sam Dekker. Arizona's Stanley Johnson most likely won't be available at No. 16, but he'd be a great fit. Texas' Myles Turner might slide if concerns about his foot linger.

At 28, Boston will be taking a shot on a prospect. This isn't the deepest draft in NBA history, so a player like Syracuse's Chris McCullough, who missed time during his freshman year with a torn ACL, makes sense. Georgia State's R.J. Hunter won't slip that far, but maybe one of Louisville's sneaky-good prospects Montrezl Harrell, or Terry Rozier could be there.

Ainge has stockpiled plenty of draft picks in the future. The shrewd maneuvering has put Boston in great shape, although trading a first-round pick to rid themselves of Gerald Wallace's $10 million contract next season, is possible.

Players under contract: F Gerald Wallace; G Isaiah Thomas; G Avery Bradley; G Marcus Smart; F/G Evan Turner; C Kelly Olynyk; C Tyler Zeller; F James Young; F/C Jared Sullinger; G Phil Pressey; G Chris Babb

Free Agents: F Brandon Bass; F Jonas Jerebko; F Luigi Datome; F Jae Crowder

Draft History:

2014: Marcus Smart (6), James Young (17)

2013: Lucas Nogueira (16)

2012: Jared Sullinger (21), Fab Melo (22), Kris Joseph (51)

2011: MarShon Brooks (25), E'Twaun Moore (55)

2010: Avery Bradley (19), Luke Harangody (52)