Celtics Draft Chris Cenac Jr. As Jaylen Brown Uncertainty Continues

BOSTON — The Celtics didn’t land Giannis Antetokounmpo, resolve any uncertainty regarding Jaylen Brown’s future, but they did appear to add an intriguing former No. 1 high school center by drafting Chris Senac Jr. from Houston during Tuesday’s NBA Draft. Boston stood pat at the No. 27 overall pick, a past sign that definitively liked a player over other comparable options in the first round, or trading back.

“He’s got a lot to learn, he’s got a long way to go, he’s got a lot of room to grow,” Brad Stevens said. “But when you’re that age, and you are that ballyhooed coming out of high school, and then you go and you play for coach Sampson, and he does not let you off the hook for one mistake over the whole year. In everything that we’ve learned about Chris and everything that coach has told me, is that he was pretty hard on him, and he was on him, and all he did was come to work. I think that that’s a really impressive quality for a young guy. When I watched him play live, several times this year, he didn’t always play well. But I never walked out of the gym thinking he didn’t play hard, and he didn’t really, really go after it. I think that’s a pretty good place to start.”

Cenac averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 24.8 minutes each night, shooting 48.5% from the field and 33.3% from three on 2.4 attempts. He played on the perimeter for Houston, limiting his block output (0.5 BPG) and giving an uneven picture of what he’ll play like in the NBA. Evaluators expressed concern about his limited output around the rim for a seven-footer, willingness to launch jump shots and play with a loose handle. Still, with more refinement and strength, he could emerge as a dominant physical force in the front court.

That won’t pan out immediately, Stevens even admitted on Tuesday night, citing Cenac’s age (19) and the Celtics’ aspirations to remain competitive going forward. He mostly fielded questions about the failed Antetokounmpo pursuit, Brown’s future and Boston’s other offseason needs that the team will address in the coming weeks. No rookie would shift that outlook significantly, but the Celtics decided to controversially stand by young players Baylor Scheierman, Hugo González and their future assortment of draft picks. Stevens wouldn’t address what led to Boston falling short in its pursuit, but did leave the door open to various outcomes for Brown, who remains in Boston for now.

“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said. “The one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate. Great person to be around. Whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires or before, there’s a lot to celebrate. We have a great relationship and an open relationship where we talk about everything. But I don’t want to predict the future. But I look at it as, ‘This is our team.’”

Stevens also wouldn’t address the prospect of extending Brown on July 26, when he can add two years and $142 million to the $183 million over the next three seasons he already committed to. Brown mostly stayed silent on the developments in recent weeks as reports roared that the Celtics continued to field trade calls for Brown. No indication emerged that any traction developed on draft night, and it remains unclear why both Milwaukee reportedly passed on the prospect of building around Brown, or re-routing him, alongside no third team emerging in Antetokounmpo negotiations.

Whether the Celtics have real interest in moving Brown, aside from their Antetokounmpo pursuit, his trade value appears up for debate even after a career season with his next free agency not arriving until 2029. His age, relatively poor analytical stats compared to his volume output and super max salary could be complicating efforts to find a suitable return for this moment. It remains unclear why, despite reporting indicating it as a possibility, that there doesn’t seem to be more momentum toward Brown simply returning to the Celtics with three years left on his contract. Brown hasn’t demanded a trade, according to a ClutchPoints report.

So have the Celtics and Brown mutually agreed that this is the end, for whatever reason? Has Boston strategically decided to get ahead on similar decisions in coming years to recover the most value now? Despite Brian Windhorst’s indication that a bidding war could break out for Brown after he didn’t move for Antetokounmpo, the Celtics didn’t trade him for a top pick on draft night, saw the Timberwolves trade for LaMelo Ball after discussing a deal for Brown and early indications that Houston, Charlotte, Cleveland, the Clippers and Atlanta aren’t interested.

Add in the champion Knicks, runner-up Spurs, a Denver team reportedly assessing ways to pursue him, Minnesota, the Lakers after signing Austin Reaves, injured Golden State, expensive Philadelphia, Miami and Milwaukee, alongside rebuilding Chicago, Indiana and Washington, then the options become slim. Could Brooklyn with Michael Porter Jr., Portland with Milwaukee’s future draft picks, or the oft-cited Pelicans and Trey Murphy III revive hope for a deal? That’s who I have my eye on as July looms. Multiple reports have pointed toward the Pistons preferring to keep Jalen Duren, but he could force their hand on that.

So I return to the big question. Why? Why are we discussing names of this caliber for a player that just finished sixth in MVP and Second Team All-NBA. A former Finals MVP who’s still ascending upward? Why does his exit, as Windhorst outlined on ESPN this week, seem inevitable?

“We had a couple of meetings at the end of May, also before he went overseas … 10 days ago,” Stevens said. “Spent a lot of time, just the two of us, sitting down together … in regular touch with his agent over the last couple of days. With all the rumor mill and name being splashed all over the place, that’s not easy, but we certainly wanted to be as proactive and up-front with that as possible. I thought we had really candid, good conversations.”