After the Celtics acquired the No. 46 pick in a trade with the Orlando Magic that also included pick 57, they knew who they wanted to draft.
Boston selected Amari Williams out of Kentucky in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night. The 7-foot center averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season. Williams also had 10 double-doubles.
“He’s been one of the best passing big men in college for a long time,” vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren said after the conclusion of the draft. “He’s an elite rebounder, he’s a great guy, he had a wonderful career at Drexel, and then stepped it up another level at Kentucky. When you meet him, you’ll see he’s got just an enormous, enormous wingspan. And as you’ll see on the court, if you haven’t seen already, he’s got incredible vision. And those things are just key abilities in the modern NBA.”
Williams’ wingspan, for what it’s worth, is 7-foot-6.
Zarren noted that the plan for Williams is for him to be on a two-way contract. The Celtics currently have 13 players under contract for the 2025-26 season, including Hugo González, who Boston drafted in the first round on Wednesday night.
While some reports on Williams suggest he needs to work on his perimeter mobility, it’s his playmaking instincts that make him a good fit for the Celtics.
“Sometimes we play through big guys at the post,” Zarren said, “with the guys we have had on our roster, and Amari should fit into that pretty well.”