Celtics Draft Vanderbilt Forward Aaron Nesmith With 14th Overall Pick

BOSTON (CBS) -- There was no trading up for the Boston Celtics in the 2020 NBA Draft (at least not yet), as Danny Ainge made use of the 14th overall pick Wednesday night. With that selection, the Celtics drafted Vanderbilt forward Aaron Nesmith.

The 6-foot-6 small forward will certainly add some shooting to the Boston bench, touted as the best shooter in this year's draft. He hit 50 percent of his shots from the floor and 52 percent of his three-point attempts as a sophomore for the Commodores.

His three-point shooting led the nation in 2020, though Nesmith only played in 14 games, undergoing season-ending foot surgery in late January. Nesmith averaged 23 points per game last season, and 14.7 points per game over his two years at Vanderbilt.

While there were rumors of Danny Ainge trying to use his three first-round picks to move up to the Top 10, he ended up filling an important need with Nesmith. The kid will add some scoring punch off the Boston bench, something the team sorely missed throughout last season.

The Celtics had two other first-round picks on Wednesday night, drafting Oregon point guard Payton Pritchard at No. 26 and trading the 30th overall pick to Memphis for two future second-round picks.

In:
• Boston Celtics
• NBA Draft
• NBA