Earlier this week, we learned that the Boston Celtics are set to work out University of Connecticut standout Alex Karaban during the pre-draft process.

The Celtics have been linked to Tarris Reed Jr. in mock drafts also, meaning that Huskies fans could have multiple reasons to adopt the Celtics as their team in 2026-27.

The Celtics own draft picks No. 27 and No. 40 in the NBA Draft, so it's conceivable that they could land both Huskies stars, but Karaban has said that he wants to be a first round pick, so we'll see if he ultimately gets there next month.

A two-time national champion, Karaban is one of the most beloved UConn players of all-time. A four-year player at a time when almost no one is a four-year player at the same school, he is the winningest player in program history. A two-time All-Big East selection, he averaged 12.5 ppg for his career to go along with five rebounds.

Listed at 6-foot-8, there are questions about if he's quick enough to play on the perimeter in the NBA, but his shooting numbers at the NBA Combine prove there is a spot for him somewhere in the league.

He played in 151 games at UConn, including 150 starts, also the most in program history. He averaged 13.2 ppg this past season as UConn got to another national title game, losing to Michigan. His relationship with head coach Dan Hurley is special, the kind of thing you don't see in college sports that often anymore.

Well, the Celtics are one of the most three-point happy teams in the NBA, and Karaban does shoot the three well. He hit them at a 37 percent clip this past season and he would fit in to their perimeter-oriented game. He has recently said that he wants to make "superstars lives easier," and serving as a guy to hit open jumpers would certainly do that for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

However, it's unclear if the Celtics are going to play that same style in 2026-27. Head executive Brad Stevens has said that he wants to see the team get more dynamic at the rim, and that's not really Karaban's game. It is Reed's, however.

It's also not necessarily fair to entertain the idea of "fit" at all until we know what the Celtics are doing on the trade market. They've been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo, and if they acquire him from the Milwaukee Bucks, they might have different needs - or different picks.

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