![\"Boston](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1398474681-e1773344610407.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Boston Celtics’ Brad Stevens prior to a game against the Miami Heat in May 2022<\/p>\n
The Boston Celtics<\/a> have shown little sign of slowing down, and with Jayson Tatum<\/a> back from a long-term injury, they increasingly look like a team capable of chasing a second championship in three seasons.<\/p>\n Boston currently sits second in the Eastern Conference with a 43-22 record and trails the first-place Detroit Pistons<\/a> by just 3.5 games after Detroit\u2019s recent stumble.<\/p>\n While the immediate focus remains on playoff positioning and the pursuit of the top seed in the East, attention has also begun to quietly turn towards what could be an important offseason for the franchise.<\/p>\n Boston Celtics Balancing Title Ambitions With Future Planning<\/p>\n With Jaylen Brown<\/a>, Tatum and Derrick White<\/a> already occupying significant portions of Boston\u2019s long-term payroll<\/a>, the team\u2019s financial flexibility could tighten in the coming years, particularly if Nikola Vucevic<\/a> returns in unrestricted free agency.<\/p>\n That financial outlook places added importance<\/a> on the 2026 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n For a team determined to remain a contender year after year, the draft provides a reliable way to add affordable talent without compromising roster flexibility.<\/p>\n Boston retains control of its future draft capital and is currently projected to select towards the back end of the first-round.<\/p>\n In his latest mock draft, ESPN analyst Jeremy Woo<\/a> projected the Celtics selecting Duke center Patrick Ngongba II with the 26th overall pick.<\/p>\n Ngongba, a 6-foot-11 big man, is averaging<\/a> 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 blocks through 29 games this season while shooting an efficient 60.2% from the field.<\/p>\n \u201cScouts are divided on Ngongba: He has intrinsic strengths that make him well-suited as a modern center, as a plus passer and interior defender. But he\u2019s also a below-average run-jump athlete who needs to get more out of his frame (6-11),\u201d Woo wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cHis defensive instincts and feel for the game could give him utility, but some scouts feel he\u2019s not ready for NBA<\/a> physicality and would benefit from more time in college.\u201d<\/p>\n Ngongba is currently set to miss<\/a> the ACC tournament due to right foot soreness, and it remains unclear whether he will return in time for the NCAA tournament.<\/p>\n Patrick Ngongba II Emerging as Intriguing Draft Prospect<\/p>\n Ngongba saw limited minutes during his freshman season in 2024-25 but has taken on a larger role following the departure of former Duke center Khaman Maluach<\/a>, who was selected 10th in the 2025 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n The 20-year-old has gradually grown into a more prominent contributor in Duke\u2019s rotation this season.<\/p>\n His season-high<\/a> stands at 17 points, a mark he has reached twice, most recently during a January win over Southern Methodist.<\/p>\n Earlier in December, Ngongba delivered one of his most complete performances of the season against Florida, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds, five assists and five blocks.<\/p>\n Woo noted that Ngongba\u2019s performances through March, if he returns to action, could significantly influence his draft position with \u201ca number of more league-ready centers potentially available in this 20-40 range.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the Duke big man\u2019s long-term potential has kept him firmly in late first-round discussions, with some earlier mock drafts projecting him in the middle of the round.<\/p>\n \u201cNgongba has turned into a weirdly polarizing player for scouts, with some very strongly appreciating his well-rounded game on both ends and thinking it will translate exceedingly well,\u201d The Athletic\u2019s Sam Vecenie<\/a> recently wrote.<\/p>\n While late first-round picks always carry some risk, the Boston Celtics\u2019 recent draft history suggests the organization is comfortable finding value in that range.<\/p>\n Selections such as Payton Pritchard<\/a>, Baylor Scheierman<\/a> and Hugo Gonzalez<\/a> in recent years have demonstrated the front office\u2019s ability to identify productive contributors<\/a> outside the lottery.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMatt Evans<\/a> is a sports journalist from the United Kingdom, based in Paris, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA and wider global sport. More about Matt Evans<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Celtics\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Boston Celtics’ Brad Stevens prior to a game against the Miami Heat in May 2022 The Boston…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":657699,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[7,6,12],"class_list":["post-657698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba-draft","tag-basketball","tag-nba","tag-nba-draft"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116226684630204925","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=657698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657698\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/657699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=657698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=657698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=657698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}