Celtics Predicted To Draft 6-Foot-10 Forward Coming Off ACL Tear

Kentucky Wildcats forward Jayden Quaintance

Celtics Predicted To Draft 6-Foot-10 Forward Coming Off ACL Tear originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Celtics have just begun their playoff journey, but it’s never too early to start considering which players they could target during the 2026 NBA Draft.

Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor released a mock draft on Wednesday, suggesting that the Celtics will select Kentucky sophomore big man Jayden Quaintance with the 27th pick.

"Quaintance is going to get drafted based almost entirely on what he looked like before his knee exploded," O'Connor wrote. "As a freshman at Arizona State, he was blocking everything in sight, showing defensive instincts and mobility that players with his 6-10 frame aren't supposed to have, and he was 17 years old doing it. Then came the ACL, the meniscus, the fractured knee, the transfer to Kentucky, persistent swelling and a shutdown for the remainder of his sophomore season.

"Now teams have to make a decision after 28 games of great defense and eyesore offense. He might not fall this far. But if he does, it’d make perfect sense for the Celtics to scoop him up and hope he can stay healthy. If he does, he has the potential to be the steal of the draft."

The Celtics could be taking a significant gamble by drafting Quaintance, especially since he only played in four games last season due to his ACL tear. However, there’s a chance that Boston could also pull off a steal, as he didn’t showcase much game film this past season, which could cause teams to pass on him.