Celtics
Boston was reportedly prepared to take Fleming before the Suns traded up to take him one pick ahead of the Celtics.
Rasheer Fleming was reportedly Boston's preferred target at No. 32 overall. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
The Boston Celtics reportedly had their sights set on one skilled forward with their second-round pick. But after the Phoenix Suns moved a spot ahead and took Rahseer Fleming No. 31 overall, Boston elected to trade down.
ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania reported during the draft that the Celtics were ready to take Fleming before the Suns traded up to get him. Moments later, it was announced that Boston traded pick No. 32 to the Orlando Magic in exchange for picks 46 and 57, as well as a second-round pick in 2027.
Fleming is a 6-foot-8 forward with an even more massive 7-foot-5-inch wingspan. He spent three years in the NCAA developing his offensive arsenal, and averaged 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in 2024 at St. Joseph’s.
Reporting for night two of the NBA draft on the team that planned to select Saint Joseph's Rasheer Fleming before the Phoenix Suns jumped to acquire No. 31: pic.twitter.com/MPlDu6bzb4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2025
The Celtics don’t have many true bigs on their roster currently. Neemias Queta is the only center under contract, and outside of Jayson Tatum, Boston’s biggest bodied forwards are all 6-foot-7 or shorter.
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Given the state of the Celtics roster heading into the 2025-26 season, Fleming would likely have seen minutes immediately in Boston, forgoing the team’s usual strategy of easing its rookies into the NBA through time with the G League.
Other players on the board could have filled the Celtics’ need for wing and center depth, but Brad Stevens sought out an extra second-round pick in this year’s draft over one of the seven-footers or big forwards available at No. 32.
Question marks still persist regarding Boston’s lineup to start 2025, especially if the team has to make another move in order to retain a pending free agent in Al Horford. However, after missing on Fleming early in the round, the Celtics will need a little more luck at the end of the round if they still hope to land a player who can make an impact in 2025.
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Of course, Boston still has first-round selection Hugo Gonzalez at its disposal, and his path to make the roster will be even easier without having to compete for minutes with a forward like Fleming.
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