It took Brad Stevens four years as Celtics president of basketball operations to use a first-round pick with the team but he rolled the dice with Baylor Scheierman at No. 30 in the 2024 NBA Draft.

A case could have been made to simply trade the pick on draft night, opening up a roster spot for a veteran but Stevens opted for a seasoned college player in Scheierman who is the one of the oldest rookies in the league at 24. Taking an older player in the draft usually signals a lower ceiling but a higher floor with many players but that wasn’t the case early with Scheierman in green.

After an uneven Summer League performance, Scheierman struggled to make shots in spot opportunities over the first 18 games of the year. He shot just 27 percent from the field on the year entering Tuesday night, although he had shown signs of progress in March, including 15 points against the 76ers in a win last week.

With Jayson Tatum (knee) and Jaylen Brown (knee) out on Tuesday, the stage was set for someone on the bench to setup. Scheierman was up to the task, scoring a career-high 20 points in 16 minutes in a 104-96 win over the Nets. Scheierman more than doubled his career made 3-point field goals by going 6-of-7 from 3-point range in the victory. More importantly, he earned some respect from his veteran teammates.

“You can tell, earlier in the season, he wasn’t as comfortable yet, which is completely normal, coming into a team like this,” Kristaps Porzingis said. “Getting that first opportunity. It’s tough. It’s tough to maybe just have this type of a game. The more experience he’s getting and being in Maine and playing in the G League and then coming back up again and getting another shot, and there you go.

“One thing you can say about him is he doesn’t play hard — he plays really hard and I think the fans see that and they appreciate that. And then on top of that, a game like this offensively, just beautiful to watch. And that was a beautiful, beautiful game from him.”

The Celtics aren’t going to need Scheierman for this playoff round, barring injuries but that reality will likely change soon for this franchise. Significant losses to Boston’s main rotation could come as soon as this offseason when a record-breaking luxury tax bill kicks in under new ownership.

It’s a matter of when, not if trades will be made to reduce the salary among this core and that’s where roster depth development comes into play. Stevens has done a nice job finding some diamonds in the rough during his tenure (Luke Kornet, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta) but more are going to be needed soon.

The 30th overall pick on a championship team isn’t a meaningful selection during his rookie season but Scheierman could be playing an important bench role in a couple years down the road if he is able to develop.

The Celtics have been extra careful about trading away future draft picks in the past two seasons since those low cost options will be the only way the team has to improve the roster in the next few years barring trades of minimum signings.

The temptation to add a veteran over a draft pick like Scheierman was always there for Boston but taking the long view ultimately paid dividends on Tuesday night. It’s unlikely that the rookie will make that big of an impact again this year but he’s starting to show the tools that give him a chance to be a factor down the line.

With Boston’s contending window set to be open all decade long despite pending subtractions, cheap role players with upside could make a difference for this group. Scheierman could be that guy.

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