The Boston Celtics traded away their first-round picks in three consecutive drafts before Wednesday night. Despite a loaded rotation and a pricy luxury tax bill looming, the team elected to stand pat at No. 30 and select Baylor Scheierman out of Creighton to close out the first night of the 2024 NBA draft.
Scheierman is about as seasoned as you could hope for from an NBA rookie, having played five seasons in college at South Dakota State and Creighton. He will turn 24 in September and profiles as a guy who should be able to contribute offensively right away. Scheierman can shoot, handle and pass the ball well as a lefty, and has showcased a good feel for the game during his time at Creighton.
Whether or not that’s enough to crack the Celtics’ rotation remains to be seen. In fact, it’s a long shot if you listen to General Manager Brad Stevens earlier this week.
“Specifically to this year, we got a lot of guys back,” Stevens said. “It’ll be hard for any draft pick to crack our rotation when healthy. And so, we’ll think about how we can best continue to invest in our young players and their development and growth. If we’re able to continue to move forward with this group, these guys are going to be on the court. This’ll be a good opportunity to bring in somebody who can help us down the road.”
In the second round with the 54th overall pick, the Celtics selected Gonzaga’s Anton Watson, a 6-foot-8, 228-pound forward. Watson earned All-West Coast Conference first-team honors in 2023-24 after averaging 14.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
It may not be a long road before Scheierman can offer this group some help. The Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis for at least the start of next season. The 6-foot-6 Scheierman is not a big, but he rebounds incredibly well for his size and could be an option to soak up some minutes while Boston is short-handed if he makes a strong impression in Summer League and training camp.
Scheierman will start out behind Sam Hauser on the wing depth chart. It’s fair to wonder whether he could be Hauser’s eventual replacement in Boston if the Celtics are priced out of retaining Hauser. Boston has interest in signing Hauser to an extension, but coming to terms on said deal is another matter. The Celtics have had Hauser on a bargain deal for his current contract ($6 million total over three years), so the sharpshooter will be looking for a sizable raise upon hitting free agency.
The Celtics could try to give him a new deal this year if they decline his cheap team option, but whether they can find common ground with Hauser’s camp on his market value remains to be seen. Hauser could just play out his deal and opt for free agency to set his market next summer.
Maintaining their core and retaining Hauser will be a very tall ask for the Celtics, given the looming tax penalties.
If Hauser isn’t open to a team-friendly deal, Scheierman is a potential cheaper option waiting in the wing. There won’t be much pressure on him to contribute out of the gate, but his presence could give the Celtics a little more leverage for any Hauser negotiations.
No matter what happens with Hauser, Scheierman looks like a good fit for Coach Joe Mazzulla’s system. How much his scoring ability translates at the NBA level remains to be seen, but the Celtics may not have to wait long to see what they have in the swingman.
Scheierman is also bringing more than just basketball skills to Boston. He was a quarterback at Aurora High School and helped lead his team to a Nebraska state football title in 2018. The skills between football and basketball are interchangeable, as he explained Thursday during his introductory press conference over Zoom.
“I think it plays a big part,” he said. “Obviously, the quarterback in football, you have to know everything that’s going on on the field. You have to know what routes your receivers are running, you have to know what the defense is. … It all happens so fast. And I think basketball is kind of the same thing in terms of my playmaking and my ability to see the court and anticipate things before it happens.
“And then, obviously, my ability to deliver the ball on time and on target,” Scheierman continued. “Me playing football definitely helped me continue to develop that on the basketball court, for sure.”
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