While nobody is complaining after Brad Stevens built a juggernaut roster that resulted in Banner No. 18, there was an interesting footnote in the Stevens era. Prior to the 2024 NBA Draft, Stevens had yet to make a first-round pick in his tenure as Celtics president of basketball operations.
That all changed Wednesday as the Celtics used their 30th pick to land Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman. The 6-foot-7 wing should fit right into the Celtics roster even if it’ll be difficult to crack the rotation at first on this loaded team. But the C’s also kept an eye on the future as the 23-year-old Scheierman should have a chance to develop behind the scenes as he does a lot of things well already.
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Of course, it’s not a big deal at all that the Celtics haven’t made a first-round pick in the Stevens tenure. Instead of using some of those mid-to-late round picks — where it’s more difficult to land an impact player — the front office instead elected to bolster the roster. That’s natural considering the C’s are in win-now mode with a talented star duo in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Those trades were also huge parts of why the Celtics landed the 2024 title. Right after Stevens took over, he brought back Al Horford from the Thunder in a deal that included the 2021 first-round pick. Then the C’s also landed Derrick White from the Spurs in a trade that sent out their 2022 first-round pick (along with a 2027 pick swap, which no one is complaining about now).
Finally, the Celtics’ 2023 first-round pick was included in the Malcolm Brogdon deal to Indiana. Brogdon ended up being a solid addition for the C’s as he earned Sixth Man of the Year honors. Plus, Brogdon was an important piece of the Jrue Holiday deal that went down just days before the start of training camp last season.
As Stevens mentioned Tuesday, it’ll be hard for any rookie to be a consistent member of the rotation. So any pick they make will also be with an eye on the future, where the Celtics hope they can eventually be a contributor down the line. While Scheierman looks like a guy who can play earlier than later, that’s the goal for the C’s now with this loaded roster.
