Who Is Chris Cenac Jr.? Why Celtics Picked Houston Forward at 2026 NBA Draft originally appeared on NESN.
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The Boston Celtics added a new name to the roster on Tuesday night, selecting Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. with the No. 27 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Cenac Jr. represents a massive value grab late in the first round, sliding to No. 27 despite flashing the raw physical traits of a lottery selection. Standing 6-foot-11 with a massive 7-foot-5 wingspan, the freshman forward/center gives Boston a highly intriguing, long-term developmental project.
MORE:Celtics NBA Draft Picks 2026
While a loaded roster means minutes will have to be earned from day one, Cenac Jr. has the defensive tools and complementary skill set to carve out a definitive role in Boston.
Get to know the new Celtics rookie who will soon be rocking the green and white.
Why did the Celtics select Chris Cenac Jr.?
The Celtics opted to select Cenac Jr. with the No. 27 pick, giving Joe Mazzulla a pick with plenty of upside to add to their frontcourt.
Cenac Jr. was a consensus five-star prospect and the No. 1 ranked center in the Class of 2025, and though his stats did not jump off the stat sheet at Houston, there are plenty of reasons for fans to be optimistic.
Outside the stats, Cenac Jr. played for one of the best cultures in college basketball, with Kevin Sampson at Houston. The Cougars were the top defensive team in America, with a defensive rating of over 90 when Cenac Jr. was on the court, and he will add plenty of that end for Boston.
On the other side, he is not only a presence inside, shooting 48.5% from the field.
Celtics new draft pick Chris Cenac Jr:
– 6’11 (7’5 wing span)
– 9.5 PPG
– 7.9 RPG
– 34 3FG%Elite dimensions and a floor spacer. pic.twitter.com/veKOnuzwop
— CelticsUnite (@CelticsUnite18) June 24, 2026
That raw potential makes Cenac Jr. the perfect clay for Mazzulla’s development system. Since taking over the Celtics’ bench, Mazzulla has built a reputation for maximizing role players and integrating young talent.
Stepping into a culture that mirrors the defensive intensity he just left at Houston, Cenac Jr. will be given the structural freedom to refine his perimeter game and develop his 7-foot-5 wingspan at a manageable pace behind an established veteran frontcourt.
Though he occasionally struggled with foul trouble and efficiency under Sampson at Houston, playing in one of the nation’s most grueling, defense-first collegiate cultures perfectly prepared him for the physical demands of the next level.
For a team that doesn’t need immediate, heavy rotation minutes from a rookie, Boston is the perfect landing spot for Cenac Jr. to refine his high-ceiling toolkit without the pressure of a rushed timeline.
How Chris Cenac Jr. impacts Celtics’ lineup?
Cenac Jr. adds to a Celtics frontcourt that has plenty of room for development. Boston’s frontcourt was rotational through the second half of the 2025-26 season, with Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Nikola Vucevic splitting minutes. The hope is Cenac Jr. will be the starting big before long.
While Boston has wings in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, it lacks a real rim runner, and Cenac Jr. can provide this.
Cenac’s elite physical tools — specifically his 7-foot-5 wingspan and explosive verticality — give the Celtics a dynamic structural dimension they drastically lacked last season. While Boston’s primary offensive actions flow through their premier wing engines, having a high-flying vertical threat forces opposing rim protectors to look different ways.
If he is able to develop right, Cenac Jr. can turn into a real threat on the offensive side of the court, while the floor he already gives is defensive tenacity instilled by one of the best coaches in college basketball and the intangibles to succeed in the NBA. Despite playing just under 25 minutes per game at Houston, he led the Cougars in rebounding with 7.9 boards a night, proving he isn’t afraid to initiate contact and box out older, more physical frontcourt players.
An emotional Chris Cenac Jr. walked the draft stage wiping tears after being selected by the Boston Celtics with the No. 27 pick.
He was one of two invitees left. pic.twitter.com/jd3AfwG0XI
— Cougar Sports (@cougarsportsone) June 24, 2026
In Mazzulla’s scheme, which often demands big men to switch out onto smaller guards on the perimeter, Cenac’s multi-directional fluidity and lateral quickness give him the tools to succeed. He’ll immediately contribute to the Celtics with the hope of blossoming into a superstar.
Chris Cenac Jr. college stats
While Cenac Jr. was not Houston’s flashiest player, he still had a productive year in his one season for the Cougars.
| Stat | 2025–26 Value |
| Games Played (GP) | 37 |
| Games Started (GS) | 36 |
| Minutes Per Game (MPG) | 24.8 |
| Points Per Game (PPG) | 9.5 |
| Rebounds Per Game (RPG) | 7.9 |
| Assists Per Game (APG) | 0.7 |
| Steals Per Game (SPG) | 0.8 |
| Blocks Per Game (BPG) | 0.5 |
| Field Goal Percentage (FG%) | 48.5% |
| Three-Point Percentage (3PT%) | 33.3% |
| Free Throw Percentage (FT%) | 62.1% |
