Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens spoke of how important attacking the rim is during his exit interview in early May. His most recent draft pick might reflect that statement, as the Celtics selected forward Dillon Mitchell at No. 40 overall in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday (June 24) night.The 22-year-old lives in the paint and scored over 80 percent of his points there last season. He’s athletic, can drive the ball, and was one of the most prolific dunkers in college basketball. Unlike Boston’s first-round pick Chris Cenac Jr. — who is a one-and-done freshman out of Houston — Mitchell is a seasoned senior who played for three different colleges in four years.The Boston Celtics selected Dillon Mitchell with the No. 40 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.That was once a red flag in the NBA scouting world. It’s now commonplace due to the new NIL rules and how easy it is to hit the transfer portal. Mitchell began his college career with University of Texas and started almost every game he played in.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Florida native then transferred to the University of Cincinnati for the 2024-25 season before taking his final stop at St. John’s University in Queens. With the Red Storm, Mitchell was Third Team All-Big East and averaged 8.3 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 28.1 minutes per game.If there’s a downside to his game, it’s his outside shooting. The 6-foot-8 forward shot just 6.7 percent from deep in his senior year and rarely attempts 3-pointers. He also shot just under 50 percent from the free throw line, which is subpar to say the least for a guy who drives to the basket a lot.Barring any trades, Mitchell will be the last pick the Celtics make in the 2026 NBA Draft. They’ll now shift their focus to the rest of the roster and see if they can either trade star guard Jaylen Brown or convince him to stay once again.Listen to “Havlicek Stole the Pod” on:AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBlue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKpiTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics use No. 40 pick in second round on forward Dillon Mitchell Read More Feedzy
Boston Celtics draft forward Dillon Mitchell in the second round
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