There were trade rumors aplenty on Tuesday, June 23, for the Boston Celtics, yet they held firm and kept the No. 27 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, using it to select power forward Chris Cenac Jr. out of Houston University.
The first-round pick is just 19 years old and stands tall at 6-foot-11. The former five-star recruit committed to play for the Houston Cougars in 2024 and averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in his freshman season spanning from 2025 to 2026. Despite his youth, he started nearly every game for the Cougars and declared for the draft in early April. He joins a long list of Celtics big men hailing from Louisiana, featuring the legendary Bill Russell, the great Robert Parish, and fan-favorite center Robert Williams III.
Cenac Jr. made a name for himself with his rebounding, as he was a double-double machine for the Coogs and used his length and athleticism to corral boards on both ends of the floor. He's not the most efficient scorer, shooting under 49 percent from the floor and averaging a little less than one 3-point make per outing.
His defensive statistics aren't remarkable either, but he has the strength and versatility to help the Celtics as a power forward or a stretch five. And if there's one thing Boston lacked during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, it was size. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid punished the C's when it mattered most and that ended up costing Boston the first round.
How Cenac Jr. fits in with his fellow Celtics bigs — including Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and Amari Williams — remains to be seen. Perhaps he'll spend some time in Portland, Maine with the G League Celtics.
The first-round pick is just 19 years old and stands tall at 6-foot-11. The former five-star recruit committed to play for the Houston Cougars in 2024 and averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in his freshman season spanning from 2025 to 2026. Despite his youth, he started nearly every game for the Cougars and declared for the draft in early April. He joins a long list of Celtics big men hailing from Louisiana, featuring the legendary Bill Russell, the great Robert Parish, and fan-favorite center Robert Williams III.
Cenac Jr. made a name for himself with his rebounding, as he was a double-double machine for the Coogs and used his length and athleticism to corral boards on both ends of the floor. He's not the most efficient scorer, shooting under 49 percent from the floor and averaging a little less than one 3-point make per outing.
His defensive statistics aren't remarkable either, but he has the strength and versatility to help the Celtics as a power forward or a stretch five. And if there's one thing Boston lacked during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, it was size. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid punished the C's when it mattered most and that ended up costing Boston the first round.
How Cenac Jr. fits in with his fellow Celtics bigs — including Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and Amari Williams — remains to be seen. Perhaps he'll spend some time in Portland, Maine with the G League Celtics.
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