Celtics Select UCLA Prospect At No. 35 In NBA Mock Draft

The Boston Celtics had a few heavy-hitting questions to address after their early playoff exit in the Eastern Conference finals this past season.

With the C’s transitioned to offseason mode, they’ve already begun. Several members of head coach Joe Mazzulla’s staff bailed on Boston, leaving the door open for the Celtics to hire Sam Cassell and Charles Lee, however, there’s still draft night.

Boston currently holds the No. 35 overall selection in this year’s draft, which the Celtics could potentially use to snag UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., which Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer suggested during his latest NBA mock draft.

“Jacquez would become an instant fan favorite as a glute guy with playmaking feel and hard-nosed defense,” O’Connor wrote. “It’s unclear if Boston will keep this pick, though.”

Jacquez, 22, is a strong off-ball defender whose greatest value comes in his hard-nosed hustle playstyle. The 6-foot-6 prospect averaged 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 31.7% from beyond the arc for the Bruins, and has an adept ability at reading opposing rotations.

His skill set is among one of the most interesting when compared to fellow members of Jacquez’s draft class. His versatility places him as a mixture of both a guard and a forward, plus through some strong mid-range shooting — knocking down 40.6% of off-dribble 2s through his four-year college run — makes Jazquez an overall efficient scorer, making up for his biggest setback: 3-point shooting.

There’s no question that these attributes, if transferred over to the pro level, could make Jacquez a valuable member of Boston’s reserve unit, especially with uncertainly surrounding current Celtics role players Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard.

The NBA draft is set for June 22 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

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