At the NBA draft, Boston Celtics drafted power forward Jordan Mickey with the 33rd pick in the second round. They drafted him hoping to get a steal in the second round, and Mickey now has one less thing to worry about and that is his rookie contract after the team announced today that Mickey has agreed on a four-year deal, worth $5 million. This is the highest paid contract for a second rounder in NBA history.
In eight games in the Summer League, Mickey has averaged 12.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. For a second-round pick, that is an impressive start to a career so far. Scouts have him as a steal of a player, as a lot of scouts have said he was the best prospect in the Vegas league. If this is all right about him and he can bring some momentum to the league, Boston will be having a good forward for the next five-plus years.
There is a lot to like about Mickey from what we seen from him in the Summer League. He is a good scorer, and he knows how to get to the basket and is also a good rebounder. He can potentially become 20-point, 10-rebound per night type of player for Boston in the future. That is more than enough, if he can keep up the potential that everyone has hyped him up to be.
When training camp and preseason start, Mickey has to work his way onto the Celtics rotation, but it will not be easy. Boston already has a crowded frontcourt with players like Jared Sullinger, Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, and many more. So he will have to work hard to earn his spot on the roster in his rookie season in the league.
On the Boston side of things, they are signing a high profile second-round pick to a long term deal. The price might be a little steep, but if he can play with the hype that he has on him, the money will not be a problem, and it will be a steal for Boston. We will all have to wait and see what happens when he hits the court when the regular season starts up in October.