How the NBA Draft Lottery impacted Celtics' lone 2023 selection
How the NBA Draft Lottery impacted the Celtics' lone 2023 pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The San Antonio Spurs' gain Tuesday night came at the Boston Celtics' expense. Kind of.
The Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and the right to select generational talent Victor Wembanyama. While Boston doesn't have a first-round pick after sending it to the Indiana Pacers in the Malcolm Brogdon trade, the team's second-round pick was contingent on the results of the lottery.
The Celtics owned the Houston Rockets' second-round pick with a top-32 protection, meaning if the Rockets' second-rounder was No. 32 or higher, it would go to Indiana instead of Boston. That's exactly what happened: Since San Antonio (No. 1) finished ahead of Houston (No. 4) in the first-round lottery, the teams flip-flopped picks in Round 2, with the Rockets landing the No. 32 pick and the Spurs landing No. 33.
Celtics Talk Podcast: Can Jimmy Butler and the Heat push Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
If Houston had landed at No. 33, that pick would have gone to Boston. But the Celtics only dropped a couple spots: They'll pick 35th overall in a selection conveyed from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Believe it or not, No. 35 will be Brad Stevens' highest draft pick since he took over as president of basketball operations in June 2021. The Celtics have only made two picks in two drafts under Stevens -- Juhann Begarin at No. 45 in 2021 and J.D. Davison at No. 53 in 2022 -- with Stevens trading first-rounders in three consecutive years to acquire Al Horford, Derrick White and Brogdon.
There could be some intriguing prospects near the top of the second round who can be signed on non-guaranteed contracts. That's a future discussion, however, as the Celtics are gearing up to face the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. Tip-off for Game 1 is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with NBC Sports Boston's coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
