The Celtics were dealt a crushing loss to the Heat in Game 7 at home after coming back from down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In a season that felt like it was NBA Finals or bust, Boston had to go back to the drawing board to maximize its championship window around the superstar tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Ahead of the draft, the Celtics pulled off a shocking trade that sent franchise heartbeat Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies in a three-team deal with the Wizards to land Kristaps Porzingis.
That tipped off a series of moves Boston would make on draft night, pulling a Bill Belichick by continuously trading back into the second round before finally settling on one prospect.
NBA Draft Picks 2023: Live grades, results and analysis for every 1st Round selection
Who did the Celtics pick on draft night? The Sporting News takes a look below.
Celtics draft picks 2023: When does Boston pick?
The Celtics entered the 2023 NBA Draft with just one draft pick:
- Round 1, No. 25
The Celtics originally had the No. 35 pick in Thursday's draft but included it in the reported trade that will land them Kristaps Porzingis. In return, Boston received the No. 25 pick from Memphis.
MORE: Full details of Marcus Smart trade between Celtics, Wizards, & Grizzlies
Breaking down the Celtics 2023 NBA Draft
| Round | Pick | Selection |
| 2 | 38 | Jordan Walsh |
The Celtics were busy on draft night, pulling off four separate trades.
Boston selected Sasser with the No. 25 pick it received in the deal for Smart, but sent the upperclassman guard to the Pistons in exchange for the No. 31 pick and two future second-rounders.
Boston then flipped the No. 31 pick, Barcelona FC center James Nnaji, to the Hornets in exchange for picks Nos. 34 and 39, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.
The Celtics then traded the No. 34 pick to the Kings (who selected Xavier guard Colby Jones) for pick No. 38, followed by another move to send pick No. 39 to the Hawks for a future second-round pick.
So to break that down, Boston turned the No. 25 pick into pick No. 38, plus four future second-round picks.
Here are the four future second-rounders the Celtics added tonight:
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) June 23, 2023
2025 best of GSW, WAS, or DET. DET portion is top 55 protected.
2026 best of NYK, MIN, POR, NOLA
2024 DAL
2027 ATL
Celtics pick No. 38: Jordan Walsh, Arkansas
Boston elected to go young with its lone draft pick, selecting Arkansas freshman forward Jordan Walsh.
The 19-year-old is a physical and versatile defender, standing at 6-7, 205 lbs. with a 7-2 wingspan. His length makes him a suffocating on-ball defender, and his quick instincts allow him to jump passing lanes for steals and deflections. He plays with a high motor on both ends of the floor, crashing the glass and scoring off of cuts.
His swing skill will be his perimeter shooting. He struggled from beyond the arc during his only collegiate season, shooting just 27.8 percent from 3-point range. But he only had 72 attempts and his form doesn't show any major red flags.
Walsh will be a longer-term play for a Celtics team with championship aspirations, but I can see head coach Joe Mazzulla using him in certain moments for a spark of intensity on the defensive end.