The Celtics have been reluctant to upgrade their center position over the last two years and it’s cost them to the point that it needs to be addressed this time around, as I don’t believe Boston can endure another season of Al Horford and Rob Williams as the main big men for this team.
A player to keep in mind is Tristan Vukcevic out of Serbia. He’s a 7-foot tall center who can handle the ball well for a guy his size and can shoot it from all over the court.
In 2022-23, Vukcevic averaged 8.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and one assist per game with 58/40/80 shooting splits while playing 14.9 minutes per game in 22 games this past season with Partizan Mozzart Bet.
Throughout his pre-draft process, Vukcevic finished with the seventh-fastest shuttle run (3.16 seconds) at the combine in May.
Vukcevic adds the missing element Boston has been searching for years to find and it could be in a 20-year-old from Serbia. He’s not a finished product by any means, however, he is a young player worth spending the time into developing.
The 7-footer just signed a contract with his current club of Partizan Belgrade, part of the ABA and EuroLeague. Vukcevic already expressed interest in joining the NBA and would have to negotiate a buyout of some sort with his current team.
Although Vukcevic is Serbian, he was born in Italy while his father, Dusan Vukcevic, played basketball professionally for Montepaschi Siena.
As his status rises, so will his draft stock, so don’t be surprised if Vukcevic is drafted before Boston’s on the clock at No. 35.
If the Celtics pass on him at No. 35 and he ends up not being drafted (which isn’t likely), expect Boston to call him as soon as the draft concludes to sign him to an undrafted free agent contract.
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