Morning Sports Update
Boston has had success before picking at No. 27.
The NBA 2026 Draft Lottery in Chicago on Sunday, May 10. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
May 11, 2026 | 10:55 AM
2 minutes to read
Celtics draft picks list: The NBA Lottery was held on Sunday, allowing the league to finalize its 2026 draft order.
While Celtics fans might not care as much (especially in the wake of the playoff defeat against the 76ers), Boston currently holds two picks in this year’s draft.
Since the NBA draft order is determined by lottery for the 14 non-playoff spots and inverse arrangement of the regular season standings for everyone else, the Celtics know which picks they’ll have even as the playoffs continue.
Here are the Celtics’ 2026 draft picks:
- First round: 27th overall
- Second round: 40th overall
Boston’s second-round pick is from Milwaukee via Orlando due to previous trades, while the team’s own second rounder is in the hands of Atlanta.
The Celtics have had success picking 27th before. Then president of basketball operations Danny Ainge took Robert Williams with that pick in the 2018 draft. More recently, Boston has found success near the end of the first round with players like Payton Pritchard (26th overall in 2020) and Hugo Gonzalez (28th overall in 2025).
Trivia: What Basketball Hall of Famer was selected with the 27th actual pick by the Celtics in the 1964 NBA Draft out of Providence? (The first two picks of the draft that year were “territorial picks,” so this player is also listed as the 25th overall pick in certain records).
(Answer at the bottom.)
Hint: He played in the NBA for only two seasons (winning titles with the Celtics in both years). He made the Hall of Fame because of his longtime coaching role, which he did at one college from 1972-1999.
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox lost to the Rays 4-1 on Sunday. Boston begins a three-game series against the Phillies at home starting Tuesday at 6:45 p.m.
Legacy FC are on the road on Tuesday to play the Orlando Pride at 7 p.m.
And the Revolution will host Nashville SC on Wednesday at Gillette Stadium at 7:30 p.m. It will be a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.
More from Boston.com:
From the weekend: In case you missed it, Revolution winger Luca Langoni scored one of the goals of the season in New England’s latest comeback win.
LUCA LANGONI CURLS IT THROUGH THE WINDOW AND TO THE FAR POST 🤯@NERevolution level the game in style! pic.twitter.com/me3vZUCKIb
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 10, 2026
On this day: In 1946, the Braves played a baseball game at night for the first time in Boston history. More than 37,000 showed at the “Allston orchard” to see the Giants prevail 5-1, dazzled by the 768 bulbs (and more than 112,000 volts of electricity).
Daily highlight: In one of world soccer’s great rivalries, Daizen Maeda’s bicycle kick (his second goal of the day) sealed Celtic’s 3-1 win over Rangers. This fan’s angle is also worth a watch.
Trivia answer: John Thompson
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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