Celtics Breakout Candidates: Can Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman Make Leap This Season? originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Celtics are entering a new era in 2026-27. Jaylen Brown’s departure leaves Boston’s roster with an All-Star shaped void. And although high-profile talents like Paul George, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard will be expected to do some heavy-lifting for Joe Mazzulla’s side, the Celtics will have all-hands on deck as they look to return to prominence.
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Mazzulla has shown a willingness to put faith in youngsters in the past. He is expected to go back to the well this season, with former first-rounders tipped to see an uptick in minutes in lieu of Brown’s departure.
Jayson Tatum will anchor Boston’s efforts as it attempts to scale up the Eastern Conference standings and compete for a title. Who will join him on the podium of Beantown excellence in 2026-27? Here’s a look at a few players who could be poised to make major contributions this season — and beyond.
MORE: Jayson Tatum Sends Message to Payton Pritchard After Celtics Guard Gets Paid
Celtics Breakout Candidates
Hugo Gonzalez
Gonzalez’s name was floated around in trade talks during the offseason. Insider Marc Stein reported that the Bucks coveted the Spanish wing, viewing him as a viable replacement in a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo deal.
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Boston reneged, preferring to keep the 20-year-old in its ranks. His performances in the preseason suggest that was an inspired choice. The Spaniard has been one of the NBA’s best players in preseason, averaging 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 68.8/70.0/75.0 shooting splits.
Despite playing sparingly as a rookie, Gonzalez flaunted dazzling per-minute production. He was one of Boston’s precious few bright spots in its Game 7 defeat vs. the 76ers and should have a bigger runway to make an impact. While it’s unclear quite what Gonzalez will look like at the peak of his powers, he should have ample opportunity to try to reach his potential in Mazzulla’s setup in 2026-27.
Baylor Scheierman
Scheierman carved out a prominent role on the Celtics’ roster last year, starting 20 games and, on occasion, helping anchor Boston’s attack alongside the likes of Brown and Payton Pritchard.
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Heading into his third season, the 26-year-old looks poised to make another leap. Scheierman earned rave reviews for his displays in training camp. He, too, was linked to a potential exit, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Ultimately, the former Creighton standout retained his place in the Celtics’ rotation. He could vie for a spot in the starting lineup come the start of the season — Scheierman is a savant at coaxing offensive fouls out of opposition and posted a 61.3% true shooting percentage, an 85th-percentile figure in the NBA last season.
While it’s no certainty that Scheierman shares the backcourt alongside Derrick White to start the year, he looks slated to see his minutes played tally swell. That should land him more opportunities to cement himself as a steady contributor on Mazulla’s roster.
Chris Cenac Jr.
Cenac, the No. 27 selection in the 2026 Draft, has some real question marks heading into his maiden campaign. The former Houston man possesses captivating physical gifts, spearheaded by his 7-5 wingspan, 9 foot and 1/2 inch standing reach, 33-inch standing vertical and glittering footwork.
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Cenac is a Grade-A athlete for his position. His physical prowess shines on the glass — Cenac averaged 7.9 rebounds per game with the Cougars, good for the seventh-best mark in the Big 12.
Cenac is raw, as many 19-year-old bigs are. While he showed some flashes of shooting proficiency at the collegiate level, his shot diet leaves something to be desired (more than 75 percent of his shots came away from the basket, per Owen Jury). Cenac ostensibly has the physical tools to be an above-average defender. But he was let down by shaky effort and played sparingly at the five.
There’s little doubt that Cenac will start the year on the bench. However, Mitchell Robinson has only played more than 66 games once across his eight-year career. Neither Robinson nor Neemias Queta appear likely to complete the full-82 this season. Cenac could serve as an alternative option to his front-court counterparts as the year weighs on.
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