The Boston Celtics are now in offseason mode after a brutal loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals. Their fantastic season is over and now they have to get to work tweaking the roster around Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Their attempt to ascend back to the top starts with the 2022 NBA Draft next week.

The Celtics only have the 53rd overall pick in this year's draft. They traded their first-rounder for Derrick White, which proved to be a phenomenal decision. Although they aren't entering the draft with any serious draft capital, teams across the league will be looking to make trades.

Before their run to the NBA Finals, the Celtics were infamous for their monster collection of draft picks. Their extra picks have been used and most have paid off. Five of their top seven players during their Finals run were drafted. Boston isn't devoid of draft picks but gone are the days where they can rely on swinging a big trade with draft picks aplenty to fall back on. It's time to truly sacrifice some of the future in order to maximize this window of opportunity.

It will take a trade of some sort for the Celtics to exit draft day with any noticeable upgrades. Fortunately, Boston has all of its first-rounders to offer in the near future. They can easily make a trade on draft day to land a solid young player or pick up a veteran.

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Celtics' biggest needs entering 2022 NBA Draft

2. A good playmaker

The Celtics' need for a great playmaker was exposed in the NBA Finals. Tatum led the series in turnovers but was also extremely prone to coughing up the ball. He can be a fine lead passer during the regular season but needs help later in the playoffs. Boston doesn't need a floor general who pounds the rock, though players with that tendency would be nice. They just need someone who can keep the ball moving and free up Tatum and Brown.

Boston could really use a reliable ball-handler and playmaker to lessen Tatum's burden. Finding someone that can handle the ball and break down the defense should also help the Celtics draw more fouls. They ranked 22nd in free-throw rate last season.

Trading higher in the second round of the NBA Draft for someone like Andrew Nembhard would be a solid move. The Gonzaga product is a big point guard that can swing passes around to teammates. With Boston's impressive collection of shooters, he could be a contributor right away.

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The Celtics could also look to trade for a player like Monte Morris or Ish Smith, both of whom make the right passes, avoid turnovers well and can shoot from deep. When Boston doesn't want to go big, having more players who can organize the offense for their star scorers would pay off.

 

1. Wing depth

The best thing the Celtics can find in the draft is more depth on the wings. The strength of their bench comes at the guard and big man spots. They have to find someone to give good minutes behind the Jays.

A veteran player who can defend is the most preferable type of wing for Boston to acquire. The Celtics could offer their first-rounder next year for Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards or Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets. Each of these wings can also bring value on offense (Kuzma with his scoring/playmaking and Gordon with his shooting).

If Boston is looking to try out a youngster to make a difference, they should look into Duke's Wendell Moore, who boasts shooting, defense and playmaking abilities. Kendall Brown, the uber-athletic forward out of Baylor, could also fit in a Celtics lineup that doesn't offer a lot of explosiveness.

Although the draft is not the greatest place for the Celtics to find value as they look to compete for another title, there are certain upgrades out there.