BOSTON — The Celtics have their latest first-round pick, selecting Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr. at 27th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. It was clear the C’s could look to bolster their big man depth through the draft, and that’s what they did with Cenac.
Cenac figures to join a center rotation that already has Neemias Queta and Luka Garza. Queta is the projected starter after his breakout season. Of course, the Celtics could still add to their roster with free agency set for next week. How Cenac figures to be in the mix remains to be seen, but he’s officially with the C’s now.
Here are four things to know about Cenac, the Celtics’ newest first-round pick:
While college players are trending older in this current age, that isn’t the case for Cenac. He’s still just 19 and won’t turn 20 until next February. That means Cenac still has a lot of time to round out his game going forward. On the flip side, it also means he’s still a raw prospect coming out of Houston. Cenac was also rated as a five-star player coming out of high school and was nationally a top-10 prospect, per 247Sports.
The Celtics added some size with Cenac, who was measured at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. That should fit right in at the next level. He’ll likely need to add some muscle and weight considering the league’s physicality, but Cenac has time to grow into an NBA body. Just don’t expect Cenac to be an immediate starter quite yet.
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The skills and abilities are tantalizing, but Cenac is still raw. It also remains to be seen if Boston continues to add more size to its roster. Considering he was the 27th overall pick, it’s no surprise to see the Celtics go with an upside pick who won’t necessarily contribute from Day 1.
“There certainly probably is a lot of excitement and expectation from his, but we were sitting here last year and I didn’t think the guy that we drafted would play at all for us,” C’s president Brad Stevens said. “But you never know. Let’s see. We’ll see how they all come in and work and he’ll certainly have the opportunity like everybody else. But you’re behind when you’re 19 and you’re dealing with now men.”
Of Cenac’s skills that immediately stand out, rebounding is one of them. He was already grabbing boards consistently for the Cougars and should be a reliable guy on the defensive glass. Cenac also created consistent second-chance opportunities for the Cougars last season. Considering the emphasis C’s coach Joe Mazzulla puts on rebounding, that’s already a good sign for Cenac going forward.
“He’s just a good young player,” Stevens said. “Energetic. Plays hard. Excellent athlete. Long. Fits a position of need. Some things that we were a little short on this year from an athletic perspective, I think with his size and his length.
The Cougars haven’t made it to the top of college basketball under coach Kelvin Sampson, but his program still commands a ton of respect. Houston is consistently one of the toughest teams in the nation that plays a physical brand of basketball. Stevens was plenty happy to grab someone who was developed with that in mind. Cenac averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 37 games for Houston last season.
“When you play in the program he’s played for, he’s been taught well and been held to a high standard,” Stevens said. “I like that, and he will undoubtedly come here and be eager to jump into it. He’s a good worker, he’s a good person and he’s got a lot to learn. But we’re excited about starting that process with him.”
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