The Celtics should target Kentucky's sharpshooter in the NBA Draft

The Boston Celtics hold the 28th and 32nd picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. Brad Stevens will likely seek talent that fits into Joe Mazzulla's perimeter-based system. 

Finding a potential sharpshooter may be near the top of Stevens' priorities heading into draft night. Sam Hauser is reportedly available on the trade market. Therefore, finding a cost-controlled replacement would be the ideal outcome.

That's where Koby Brea comes in. The Kentucky shooter is a five-year collegiate product, having spent four years with Dayton before moving to the Wildcats. Therefore, he's a polished talent, having played 149 college games in his career. 

Brea has shot the three-ball at a 43.4 percent clip during his collegiate tenure, making an average of 2.1 threes on an average of 4.9 attempts. In his final season at Dayton, he averaged 3.0 makes on 6.1 attempts (49.8 percent). He can score off the catch, both via movement or stationary, and has shown an ability to pull-up off the bounce, too. 

According to Synergy, 66 of Brea's 99 spot-up shots for Kentucky came without a dribble taking place. He shot an effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of 63.5 percent on those looks. He also took 14 shots when driving left and 13 shots when driving right after catching on the spot-up, so he clearly has comfort attacking off both hands.

Brea also ran the pick-and-roll on 18.6 percent of his total offensive possessions for Kentucky, which could appeal to a Boston team designed around multi-skilled scorers. 

In a recent mock draft from expert Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, Brea was projected to land with the Golden State Warriors with the 41st pick. That means he should be on the board when the Celtics are selecting, either in the first or second round. 

Given his elite shooting talent and the way Boston likes to play, Brea projects as a logical addition. He could help provide competition for sophomore Baylor Scheierman while potentially plugging a gap if Hauser is moved this summer. Furthermore, Stevens has shown a preference for longer-tenured college talent. 

Brea makes a ton of sense for the Celtics in the upcoming draft. If Boston is picking for fit, it shouldn't need to look anywhere else.