Every asset matters to the Boston Celtics as the NBA landscape around them grows more competitive.

With the 2026 NBA Draft approaching, Boston owns picks No. 27 and 40. Both selections, if used, are key opportunities to find low-cost contributors to complement their supermax-contract stars.

The Celtics have several roster questions to address this offseason, with frontcourt depth at the top of the list. Their two most notable pre-draft workouts suggest they are doing their homework on the position.

St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor and UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. are among the most productive big men in this year’s class. As size, physicality, and versatility continue to shape postseason success around the league, both prospects possess traits that could make them intriguing developmental targets for Boston.

Zuby Ejiofor

2025-26 stats: 16.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.1 BPG, 1.2 SPG, 53.6% FG, 30.5% 3PT, 71.8% FT

Offense

Ejiofor earned Big East Player of the Year honors for a reason. His impact on the Red Storm was boundless, leading them in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks.

Posting up was Ejiofor’s primary offensive game. He got to the middle of the floor, dissected defenses, and made smart reads. His bully ball can still be used to exploit mismatches, but he’ll need to adjust to a faster-paced connective role rather than a post-centric big.

Ejiofor has already shown capabilities as a downhill scorer. While infrequent, he took other bigs off the dribble occasionally — which Reed experienced firsthand during their matchup in the Big East Championship Game, where Ejiofor drove past him for a sweeping lefty layup.

Ejiofor’s jump shot isn’t deadly, but it was enough to draw defenders out occasionally, and he succeeded in attacking closeouts.

His flashes of putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim are an encouraging sign that he can become a reliable scorer out of pick-and-roll situations where he’s going downhill with momentum.

Ejiofor’s feel for the game is further evidenced in his assist numbers. His 23.0% assist rate ranked fifth among all non-guards in Division I last season. However, much of his top-assist production came from catching the ball in the middle of the floor and then making decisions.

Similar to his scoring, Ejiofor’s ability to make quick reads as a roller could prove crucial for his NBA career. If he can translate his feel and decisiveness into pick-and-roll situations, he could become an effective connective piece who keeps the ball moving while providing rim pressure.

Defense

Ejiofor’s defensive playmaking skills and nonstop motor helped fuel Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors. He finished fourth in Division I in total blocks (79), with 43 steals to complement.

His playmaking was best as a helper, often from the paint, but he can also disrupt the offense on the perimeter. He has a good feel for passing lanes, which he can track down with his 7-foot-1 reach, and can stay with ball-handlers reasonably well for a big man.

His 14.7% defensive rebounding leaves a lot to be desired. Measuring at 6-foot-7.5 without shoes at the combine, Ejiofor is at risk of falling into tweener territory — not big enough to be a true NBA center, but not quite mobile enough to keep up with quick guards and forwards along the perimeter.

Why Should the Celtics Draft Him?

Ejiofor’s motor is reminiscent of what made Boston’s wings so special during the 2025-26 regular season. Getting that type of crashing and disruption from a 245-pound big would give the Celtics another energy punch, and a potential haymaker at that.

With proper development as a short-roll decision maker, and ideally as a jump shooter, Ejiofor could provide Boston with an interesting option as a connective, floor-stretching power forward.

Boston didn’t have the personnel last season to run double-big lineups. Their centers weren’t fluid enough on the perimeter to hold up defensively. As long as Ejiofor’s defensive playmaking translates, he could earn opportunities to build trust on the perimeter, even if he’s not a traditional stopper.

Ejiofor could give the Celtics a high-IQ, motor-driven big man who provides energy and connective playmaking — an archetype that would mesh well with the identity they built last season.

Tarris Reed Jr.

2025-26 stats: 14.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.0 BPG, 0.9 SPG, 60.7% FG, 0.0% 3PT, 61.7% FT

Offense

Reed is a low-to-the-ground bruiser who wins off size, strength, and good positioning.

Reed led the Huskies in scoring off the back of his interior scoring. He lived around the rim, ranking in the 95th percentile for field goal attempts at the rim per 100 possessions.

Much of his scoring came from post-ups and putbacks. He can push defenders of all sizes around, including potential lottery pick Aday Mara, who stands at 7-foot-3, in the National Championship Game.

Reed led the Big East in field goal percentage in large part because most of his looks came from short distances. His scoring touch was spotty at times, which didn’t hurt him in college because he could easily clean up his misses, but he will need to improve at the next level. Whichever team him shouldn’t expect much scoring outside of the paint.

Reed’s scoring may be rim-dependent, but he steps outside as a screener and passer. He can hit backdoor cutters and has moments of short-roll passing, although the sample size is limited. As a wide body, Reed should become a devastating screener if properly utilized.

Defense

Reed is a strong defender inside the arc. He won battles against the likes of Ejiofor, Mara, and Cameron Boozer during UConn’s trip to the National Championship Game.

Similar to his offensive play style, Reed’s defensive impact is rooted in his ability to get into good positions and win through leverage. Reed ranked eighth in block rate in Division I last season (8.4%). He’s not a vertically explosive athlete, but he plays straight up to contest shots without fouling — a skill he developed throughout the 2026 season.

Reed moves his feet well within the arc, though his size can make it difficult for him to navigate tight spaces. He’s likely destined for drop coverage, which puts a ceiling on his defensive upside, but is something that can be worked around. As he calibrates to mirror NBA speed, if he can stay disciplined and provide occasional disruption, his floor as a paint anchor should be high.

Why Should the Celtics Draft Him?

Reed epitomizes grown-man strength. He is 264 pounds, and he knows how to use it. That strength, paired with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, gives him the physical tools to thrive in Celtics University.

NBA physicality shouldn’t be an issue for him. Reed can hold his own on the highest stage. The question teams will be asking is: In what role?

Offensive spacing may be tricky with inconsistent finishing and no threat of a jumper. Teams may be best suited to utilize Reed as an off-ball screener who roams near the paint. In college, while he wasn’t a downhill pick-and-roll scorer, he was good about finding open spaces in areas he could work from.

Reed showed the ability to punish smaller defenders in college. As he smooths out his touch and understanding of where to get his looks, he could develop gravity as a screener and interior force — even if it doesn’t come with the same post-up rate that he used in college.

The Celtics lost in the playoffs because they couldn’t handle the 76ers’ physicality. The 270-pound Joel Embiid pushed every Celtics defensive assignment around.

Reed would be the heaviest player on the Celtics’ current roster. Putting Embiid-stopper expectations on him would be unfair, but his density paired with a 7-foot-4 wingspan should make it tough for even the best post scorers to get to their spots.

How They Compare

The pair of First Team All-Big East forces saw one another three times in the 2025-26 season. They exchanged heavy blows as they starred in a set of games NBA scouts have certainly done their due diligence on.

Ejiofor and Reed’s averages in their three matchups during the 2025-26 season

The biggest lesson from their matchups is that Ejiofor will have a hard time holding ground inside against players as big as Reed. Reed single-handedly kept the Huskies in the Big East Championship game with his interior scoring, including a 13-point second half where he bodied Ejiofor a few times.

However, Reed forcing his way to the paint every possession by way of backdown will not be the game plan in the NBA. Ejiofor has stronger self-creation skills and could reach the restricted area in more versatile ways.

Drafting Reed would be a bet on physical tools, size, and interior presence. Selecting Ejiofor would signal confidence in versatility, motor, and feel for the game.

Both prospects were highly productive players for elite Big East programs and possess traits that could translate to the next level. The decision ultimately comes down to what Boston values more: Reed’s overwhelming physical profile or Ejiofor’s more versatile skill set.

The post Celtics Eyeing Pair of Frontcourt Prospects Ahead of 2026 NBA Draft appeared first on The Lead.

Jayson Tatum Explains How New Celtics Owners Have 'Different Energy' originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Celtics have endured many changes over the last two years, both on and off the court.

On the court, the Celtics have already moved on from much of their 2024 championship core, parting ways with Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Luke Kornet.

Off the court, the franchise was sold to a new ownership group led by Bill Chisholm, a very wealthy die-hard Celtics fan.

Ownership changes can affect the entire organization, and Jayson Tatum has already noticed a difference.

Jayson Tatum on new owner Bill Chisholm:

“Bill and his wife they’ve brought a different energy… He has the mindset that he wants to push this thing forward. And you know hopefully very soon we get another crack at winning a championship.” pic.twitter.com/WlLq3h895K

— jb (@lockedupjb) June 11, 2026

"Bill and his wife, they’ve brought a different energy with the way that they interact with fans and the crowd during games. How excited they are, it's really cool to see," Tatum told Front Office Sports this week. "His passion for the game, he truly is a fan."

That's been evident during Chisholm's tenure, as his passion has been on full display. He attends most home games and can often be seen sitting courtside, getting fired up when the team is playing well.

Passionate ownership is often committed to winning, and that appears to be the case with Chisholm. Hopefully the Celtics can reward him with a championship soon.

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Jayson Tatum is like millions of NBA fans around the world. He’s enjoying the finals action and gets to watch it inside his home. The Boston Celtics star opened up about who he wants to win this year between the New York Knicks or San Antonio Spurs.

He made it clear that he neither roots for or against any of the finalists. Tatum added that he’s not hurt at all seeing the Knicks in the Finals as he has a championship under his belt.

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“I’m not rooting for anybody, I’m also not rooting against anybody,” Tatum said. “I think it does help that I’ve won a championships already, so helps me sleep a little better at night.”

Tatum and the Celtics won the title in 2024. They defeated the Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks 4-1 to capture the franchise’s first championship since 2008. He suffered a ruptured Achilles in 2025 but returned to action after only 10 months.

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics’ 2025-26 season

Tatum debuted in the 2025-26 season on March 6. He helped Boston secure the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 56-26 record. However, the Philadelphia 76ers upset them in seven games in the opening round.

The six-time All-Star forward played in 16 regular-season games. Tatum recorded averages of 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals. He will aim to play even better next season and lead the Celtics back to the top.