The Boston Celtics will have the 54th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Given their incredible talent and depth, whoever they select in the second round will likely spend the upcoming season with the Maine Celtics on a two-way deal. Still, the Celtics have developed a clear pipeline between their G-League affiliate and their first team.
This season’s roster boasts three Maine Celtics graduates. Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta began their Celtics careers on two-way contracts. According to Jonathan Wasserman’s latest mock draft for Bleacher Report, Coleman Hawkins could be the next addition to the Maine Celtics, where he will look to emulate some of the aforementioned talents.
“Coleman Hawkins was having a strong NCAA tournament until Illinois ran into Connecticut,” Wasserman wrote. “While scouts have their reservations, he has their attention with a shoot-dribble-pass skill set that creates a valuable stretch-playmaking 4 archetype.”
Hawkins has played 35 games for Illinois this season. He’s averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field and 36.9% from 3-point range. As with any contending team, carving a path to the primary roster would be incredibly difficult. However, Boston has shown a willingness to reward players who operate professionally and consistently improve their games.
An under-discussed aspect of Brad Steven's POBO tenure so far is that the Celtics have created a clear pipeline between Maine and the primary roster.
Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta are all members of the 15th-man roster that began thier Celtics careers as two-way…
— Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) April 24, 2024
Of course, Stevens could decide to flip the pick on draft night. He’s shown a willingness to kick the draft can down the road in recent years, and given the Celtics’ current roster depth, that may be the smartest decision and one that would be fair to whoever they would potentially select.
Listen to the “Green With Envy” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DoLhYK
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Oj4dhD
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3K8Mbv
