Photo Of Hugo Gonzalez, Luka Doncic Resurfaces After Celtics Draft Decision
After enduring a slew of rumors throughout the day, the Boston Celtics ended up staying put at the No. 28 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. When they were finally up on the clock, the C’s selected Spanish guard Hugo Gonzalez with their pick.
Gonzalez is an intriguing prospect who fell to the Celtics at the backend of the first round. He’s been playing professionally in Spain with Real Madrid since 2022 when he was 16-years old, and while he played sparingly during his three seasons with their professional team, he flashed his potential on several occasions.
A 6-foot-7 guard, Gonzalez averaged 3.6 points, two rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game while shooting 38.2% from the field in 56 games between EuroLeague and Liga ACB play. Even though he played just 11.1 minutes per game, Gonzalez did enough to establish himself as a premier draft prospect this year.
If he can reach his full potential, one player who Gonzalez’s game seems very similar to is superstar Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic. In fact, the two have already met each other, as an old photo of them resurfaced on social media shortly after Gonzalez was picked by the C’s.
While Doncic has never played for Boston, fans in the area are quite familiar with him. Not only does he play for the Celtics biggest rival now, but he also was the leader of the Dallas Mavericks team the C’s took down in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Even though he battled injuries and was the subject of a stunning midseason trade, Doncic put together another standout campaign last year. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 45% from the field.
Doncic previously spent time playing for Real Madrid in Spain before landing in the NBA, and now, Gonzalez will be attempting to follow in his footsteps. He certainly isn’t the prospect Doncic was, but if Boston’s coaching staff can properly develop him, he could become a pillar in their backcourt for years to come.
For now, though, the Celtics front office will continue to retool their roster after trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis before the draft. Boston will be back on the clock early in the second round of the 2025 draft on Thursday night, as they have the No. 32 overall pick in the draft.