The Boston Celtics have the 30th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In their updated mock draft, experts Jonathon Givony and Jeremy Woo, see Boston landing 23-year-old versatile forward Kevin McCullar Jr. out of Kansas.

After declaring for the NBA Draft in 2022 and entering the transfer portal, maintaining his college eligibility, McCullar spent the last two years at Kansas where he polished his game, using his time wisely in becoming a great and impactful player.

In 2023-24, McCullar (6-foot-7) averaged 18.3 points per game (team-high) on 45.4 percent shooting overall with 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals in 26 games this season.

McCullar is extremely smooth and efficient from inside the arc and in the paint, averaging 50.4 percent during his college career. Where he struggles on offense is from behind the arc (30.9 percent) but he’s able to shoot it with full confidence and sometimes they do drop in.

I watched McCullar first play this past season in December against UConn, a game hosted by the Jayhawks. He scored 21-points on 6-of-10 shooting, including going 3-of-4 from behind the arc, and grabbed five rebounds and made an assist.

In that game, I learned that McCullar is also fearless with the ball in his hands. I watched him drive and attack the 7-foot-2 UConn center Donovan Clingan and McCullar made the shot.

Here’s some of his highlights from that game against UConn:

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ESPN NBA Draft experts Jonathon Givony and Jeremy Woo suggest that McCullar has grown to be an NBA player and not a two-way player as the season progressed and during his pre-draft workouts.

Givony and Woo project the Celtics drafting McCullar 30th overall.

The Celtics likely have many different ideas as to what to do with the 30th overall pick. In last year’s Draft, we saw GM Brad Stevens make four trades and only select one player 37th overall in Jordan Walsh.

With Boston being a second apron team and will have roster limitations to manage when it comes to building and adding pieces to what is already a championship caliber team.

That said, hitting on the right players in the draft is more essential than ever. I think McCullar could be a great addition for Boston as depth behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but he’ll need to improve his 3-point shooting, which can happen for any player in Boston.

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Photo Credit: Jamie Squire, Getty Images