Thirty players heard their names called on night one of the 2025 NBA draft. ESPN’s draft analyst, Jonathan Givony, shared his thoughts on the Celtics’ first-round selection. 

With the 28th pick, Boston selected Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez. Hours before he was drafted by the Celtics, Gonzalez won a Spanish League Championship with Barcelona. Jonathan Givony said he loves this pick by the Boston Celtics. He said the team “got one of the biggest steals in the draft.” Hugo Gonzalez should transition smoothly to his time with the Celtics.

Hugo Gonzalez is ready for whatever role Boston asks him to play

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony says “the Boston Celtics got one of the biggest steals of the Draft here in my view,” with their selection of Hugo Gonzalez at No. 28.

Givony described Gonzalez as having strong court vision, as a tremendous athlete, as having a high-motor, and says he…

— Marc D’Amico (@Marc_DAmico) June 26, 2025

On Wednesday night, the Celtics had one first-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Boston had to patiently wait for the 28th pick to make their selection. Senior NBA writer Taylor Snow reported that Brad Stevens and the Celtics front office got their guy in Hugo Gonzalez. The 19-year-old has been on Steven’s radar for years now. He loves how hard Hugo Gonzalez plays and his competitive nature on the court. Stevens said Gonzalez has “all the intangibles of a winning basketball player.”

Additionally, Stevens mentioned how Hugo Gonzalez has been a rotational player for Barcelona. Most first-round picks come into the league as one of the stars on their team. That’s not the case with Gonzalez. He’s played with other professionals in Spain and has had to earn his playing time. Gonzalez is comfortable with coming off the bench and playing whatever role the team needs. That’s the type of player the Celtics love to draft.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony mentioned Denver’s Christian Braun and Miami’s Jaime Jacquez as pro comparisons for Hugo Gonzalez. Givoney mentioned how Gonzalez is a “tremendous athlete” who plays with intensity every time he steps on the court. That’s why the draft analyst views Hugo Gonzalez as “one of the biggest steals in the draft.”

Often, young international players selected in the middle to late first round stay overseas for a few more years to grow. Brad Stevens will not be doing that with Hugo Gonzalez. He said the 19-year-old will join the team full-time for the 2025-26 season. Boston traded Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this offseason. That could open up more minutes and a bigger role for the rookie. Hugo Gonzalez has the potential to be a high-level role player for the Celtics.

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