The Boston Celtics find themselves in an unusual position. They were one of the favorites to win the NBA championship just a few weeks ago. Now their best player is out for at least the majority of next season, and they have one year to reset the deck. One interesting way the team can build for the future is with the first-round Celtics draft pick for this season. 

ESPN’s draft experts, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released their updated 2025 NBA Mock Draft, and the Celtics have the 28th overall pick. 

They predicted that with their first-round pick, the Celtics should draft Drake Powell, a freshman out of North Carolina. 

Powell is the perfect prospect for the Celtics to test out during their season without Jayson Tatum. Powell is an athletic wing with the potential to become a two-way beast. Sound familiar?

While not a lottery prospect like Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Powell is of a similar mold. 

He has a lot of raw athletic talent, but needs to refine his offensive game. The Celtics have made two All-NBA players out of similar prospects. 

Most importantly, the Celtics would have a whole season to figure out exactly what Powell can be. If Tatum weren’t out, they probably would pick an older, more proven draft pick. Because of their unfortunate circumstances, they have a lot more runway to develop a more raw talent. 

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If Powell ends up developing during the Celtics' down year, he could become a real weapon for them down the line. 

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