Six potential 2021 NBA draft prospects for the Boston Celtics

Now that the NCAA Tournament is over and gone, the shape of how the coming 2021 NBA draft is starting to come into view.

And with that growing clarity come a number of projections as to where the various teams around the league might be casting their gaze for their next cohort of rookies. To that end, we rounded up what a number of popular mock NBA drafts are suggesting the Boston Celtics could be considering come the end of this July. With a single first-round pick slated to go somewhere between the lottery and the low twenties, the franchise could pick up a helpful player in a particularly deep draft.

And while there’s a chance the Celtics simply ship off the pick in a deal to consolidate talent, it’s a lot less interesting of a draft analysis to write an article based off of that, so let’s take a look at who Boston might take if they keep the pick.

Rookie Wire - Cameron Thomas - guard - LSU

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Our sister site's composite pick for the Celtics, Thomas is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard out of LSU who can get to the free throw line but has struggled from deep with the Tigers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGRRzWJ6uAA He projects to shoot the rock from deep well with some work on his shot and confidence however, connecting from the stripe at 88.2%.

ESPN - Sharife Cooper - guard - Auburn

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ESPN tabs the 6-foot-1 point guard for Boston, whose intriguing playmaking (with 8.1 assists per game with the Tigers) a potential skill that would immediately help a Celtics roster hungry for ball movement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oqQ4Z7H53c His terrible 3-point shooting (22.8%) will likely improve with time, but it is a concern for the Georgia native.

Bleacher Report - Josh Giddey - Adelaide 36ers - point guard

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While his shot needs polish, it's coming around -- and a 6-foot-8 point guard averaging 7.5 assists and 8 rebounds per game is one of our favorites for the Celtics out of this draft class. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcdAFtzeWIw Bleacher Report having Boston take the Australian floor general makes all the sense in the world to us, even if the offense never quite materializes at an elite level.

Sports Illustrated - Davion Mitchell - combo guard - Baylor

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Sports Illustrated's choice for Boston, Mitchell's age should matter less to the Celtics than to some teams, though his 45.7% 3-point shooting is likely going to drop off considerably at the next level. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HmtdI85OCg But he moves the ball and defends well despite being a bit small to play the 2, and would be worth kicking the tires on as a potential backcourt prospect.

NBA Draft Room - Franz Wagner - forward - Michigan

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Able to a bit of everything, Wagner is probably going to rise out of Boston's range, though we'd love to see the capable swingman NBA Draft Room projects to the Celtics in green and white. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0YNktRZoBY&t=20s A solid defender who can protect the rim, rebound, and score in a variety of ways, Wagner's utility has seen his stock rise in recent weeks.

CBS Sports - Ayo Dosunmu - guard - Illinois

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY SportsOne of the more divisive prospects in the draft seen going anywhere from just outside of the lottery to into the second round, Dosunmu is a combo guard with size with the sort of passing chops the Celtics would love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBOdYGKZulY CBS Sports' first round choice for Boston, his turnover-prone game needs to be improved to succeed at the next level, but could be immediately helped by removing some of the more difficult passes he attempts on the regular. This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook! [lawrence-related id=48759,48757,48716,48702] [listicle id=48724]

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