The Boston Celtics made a significant move in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night, selecting guard/forward Hugo Gonzalez of Real Madrid with the 28th overall pick. Celtics president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, expressed long-standing interest in the 19-year-old Spanish forward, noting that he possesses "all the intangibles of a winning basketball player." Contrary to a 'draft-and-stash' strategy, the Celtics plan to bring Gonzalez to Boston for the upcoming 2025-26 season, immediately integrating him into the team coached by Joe Mazzulla.

Hugo Gonzalez, a 6-foot-6, 205-pound athletic wing with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, is known for his defensive versatility and ability to guard multiple positions. He is a gifted slasher who doesn't shy away from contact in the paint and can burn teams in transition. While his shooting is an area requiring significant development, as evidenced by his 29 percent three-point shooting in the Euroleague and 27 percent in Liga ACB play, his defensive fundamentals are highly polished. During the 2024-25 season, Gonzalez played in 56 games for Real Madrid across Liga ACB and Euroleague, averaging just over 10 minutes per game, with statistics of 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds. Despite being a role player, Stevens highlighted his competitiveness, toughness, and experience playing alongside high-level professionals, describing him as a "young guy but a little bit of an old soul" due to his exposure to adult-level play for an extended period.

Gonzalez comes from a strong basketball lineage, born in Madrid to parents who both played professional basketball in Spain. He joined Real Madrid's youth team at just nine years old and has represented Spain in numerous international tournaments, earning silver medals in the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship and the 2022 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup. He also suited up for Spain's senior national team in the EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers. Although his late first-round selection is considered a gamble, Gonzalez's existing defensive prowess and energy could make him a valuable addition off the Boston bench as a rookie.

On draft night, the Celtics stood pat at No. 28, despite earlier rumors of Stevens attempting to move up into the lottery, reportedly being enamored with Illinois guard Kasparas Jakučionis, who ultimately fell to the Miami Heat at 20th overall. The Celtics are set to make their second pick, the 32nd overall, on Thursday night as the second round of the NBA Draft commences. A primary focus for Boston heading into the second round is addressing their frontcourt needs, particularly following the reported trade of Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks. Potential targets for the Celtics at pick No. 32 include centers like Stanford's Maxime Raynaud and Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner, or forwards such as Rasheer Fleming (St. Joe's), Adou Thiero (Arkansas), and Noah Penda (France).