BOSTON – While the details of Boston’s many Draft Night deals are still being worked out, it’s time to learn about the only player from the 2023 NBA Draft who is expected to join the team: Jordan Walsh, who was picked 38th overall.
But first, let’s talk about why the Celtics are likely to sign the 19-year-old wing.
Boston is expecting to make a lot of trades on draft night, starting with the huge three-team deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to the Bay State. In one of the deals that Boston wants to make, the Celtics will get the rights to Walsh, who was taken 38th overall.
The Knicks had the 35th overall pick at first, but they gave it to Washington along with Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala when they traded for Porzingis. Marcus Smart was traded from Boston to Memphis in return for the 25th overall pick and a first-round pick in 2024 (via Golden State). As part of the three-way deal, Memphis also sent Tyus Jones to Washington.
So far, that is the only trade the Celtics have made that is public. The other trades are still being worked out.
Boston got (i) the 31st pick and two future second-round picks from Detroit in exchange for the draft rights to the 25th pick (Marcus Sasser); (ii) the 34th and 39th picks from Charlotte in exchange for the draft rights to the 31st pick (James Nnaji); and (iii) the draft rights to the 38th pick (Jordan Walsh) and a future Dallas second-round pick from Sacramento in exchange for the draft rights to the
To put it more simply, the Celtics will get the following second-round picks once the deals are done:
• The No. 38 overall pick (Walsh)
• Dallas’ second-round pick in 2024
• The best of Detroit’s, Golden State’s, or Washington’s 2025 second-round picks
• The best 2026 second-round pick from Minnesota, New Orleans, New York, or Portland.
• The second-round pick for Atlanta in 2027
Now that all that confusion is over, let’s talk about number 38.
Walsh just finished his first year at the University of Arkansas, where he was known as a long, fast, and strong defender.
The Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations thinks that the 6-foot-7, Dallas-born player has a lot of room to grow.
“He’s a good prospect,” said Stevens after Thursday night’s Draft was over. “He’s not old. We don’t expect him to come in and set the world on fire in his first couple of months, Summer League or first year. His wingspan is 7 feet and 2 inches, which gives him a unique ability to swallow people up defending. Like, he really makes a mess with his arms, his energy, and the way he moves his feet.”
Walsh was on the Razorbacks’ great team last year, which also included Anthony Black, the No. 6 overall pick, and Nick Smith Jr., the No. 27 overall pick. All three only did one thing.
Walsh scored 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in his one season at Arkansas. He shot 43.3 percent from the field and 27.8 percent from long range. Even though shooting was seen as his weak spot, Stevens thinks that Walsh is a better shooter now than he was a few months ago, based on the two draft workouts he had with the Celtics.
Stevens said of Walsh’s hitting, “He just keeps getting better and better.” “I’ve always thought he had a good touch, but at times he looked unsure. So, I think he’ll get better at shooting over time and become an athlete who can finish and drive closeouts. But he’ll be ahead from the start on defense.”
The Celtics also got four future second-round picks, which were worth a lot more than Walsh. Now that the league’s finances are changing because of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, second-round picks are more valuable than ever. In deals between teams in the league over the past two weeks, we have seen just how much teams want them.
“We were happy with what we got out of Thursday night,” said Stevens. “We got more picks that can be used in many different ways, and we got a good player in Jordan.”
Walsh will likely play in the NBA Summer League in two weeks, along with last year’s second-round pick JD Davison and a number of other young, up-and-coming players.
