The Boston Celtics selected Creighton wing Baylor Scheierman with the No. 30 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, making him the team’s first first-round pick since Aaron Nesmith in 2020.
It’s not easy for rookies to get playing time on a veteran-heavy roster like Boston’s, but Scheierman did see action in 31 games (two starts) as a rookie. He also played in four of the Celtics’ 11 playoff games.
How much potential did Scheierman show in Year 1? What kind of role might he play in his second pro season?
As we continue our “Celtics Player Spotlight” series, let’s recap his rookie campaign and analyze how he fits into Boston’s lineup for 2025-26:
2024-25 Season Recap
After a lackluster preseason, Scheierman struggled to get on the floor in the first few months of the season. He played just 12 games before the All-Star break, but he saw plenty of action from late February through the end of the regular season in mid-April.
During that final stretch of the campaign, Scheierman showed flashes of being a good 3-and-D wing off the bench. Like most rookies, he didn’t show it consistently, but the potential is definitely there.
The 2024 first-round pick’s best performance came in a win against the Brooklyn Nets on March 18. Scheierman scored a season-high 20 points on 7-for-8 shooting. He hit six of his seven 3-point attempts.
Scheierman hit 31.7 percent of his 3-pointers on the season, but he only attempted 2.6 of these shots per game.
For Scheirman to really carve out a consistent role in the rotation, he has to be able to defend. Hitting 3-point shots is very valuable in head coach Joe Mazzulla’s system, but you can’t be a defensive liability.
Scheierman had a 105.4 defensive rating in the regular season, which was one of the best marks on the team. Granted, he wasn’t playing against a ton of starters in a lot of his minutes, but he didn’t look lost on the defensive end of the floor, either. That’s a positive he can build on entering next season.
Contract Details
Scheierman just completed the first year of his rookie contract. He has an average annual salary of $3.2 million and a salary cap hit of 2.62 million for the 2025-26 season, per Spotrac. His contract includes team options for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons.
Potential roles for 2025-26
Scenario 1: Scheierman sees uptick in minutes if C’s trade Sam Hauser
The Celtics likely will need to shed salary this offseason to get under the second apron. One player to consider moving to achieve that objective is Sam Hauser. He has been a valuable outside shooter off the bench over the last two seasons, but he’s set to earn $10.8 million in salary next season, per Spotrac.
Could Scheierman fill Hauser’s role at a much cheaper price? Hauser shot a team-leading 41.6 percent from 3-point range last season, and he’s a career 42 percent shooter in four seasons with the Celtics.
But if the Celtcs did move Hauser, Scheierman would be one candidate to replace him. Scheierman has a smooth shooting stroke and similar size/length on defense. That said, replacing one of the league’s best outside shooters would be quite a challenge for Scheierman. But if he can shoot 36 percent or better on higher volume in his second season, that would be a great step in the right direction.
Scenario 2: Scheierman becomes more than a 3-point shooter
Becoming a more well-rounded offensive player would help Scheierman earn more playing time. If you look at his rookie shot chart, 74.5 percent of his attempts were 3-pointers.
He did, at times, however, show the ability to drive to the basket and finish at the rim, as well as hit mid-range jumpers. One good example was an April 9 game against the Orlando Magic when Scheierman shot 1-for-7 from 3-point range but was aggressive attacking the basket (5-for-7 on shots inside the arc). He’s not a bad finisher at the rim.
Making 3-pointers at a high rate is great, but the ability to put the ball on the floor and attack defenses opens up another layer for the Celtics offense. Hauser shot 64.2 percent on 2-pointers — the fourth-highest rate on the Celtics last season. He wasn’t just a good 3-point shooter.
Scheierman shot 46.7 percent on 2-point shots, which ranked among the worst on the C’s. That’s one area of his game that needs to improve in Year 2.
Scenario 3: Scheierman struggles to hit 3’s consistently, role doesn’t change much
There’s a world where Scheierman doesn’t improve much as a 3-point shooter and doesn’t bring enough other skills to the table to warrant a larger, more consistent role off the bench. It’s also fair to wonder how Scheierman will perform when he plays against better competition and the majority of his minutes don’t come when the outcome is largely decided.
Final thoughts
The 2025-26 season is really important for Scheierman. If the Celtics make a bunch of moves this offseason, that could open up additional minutes and a more important role for the Creighton product, but he’ll have to earn the opportunity.
The Celtics have a very expensive roster as a team in the second apron. Therefore, it would be extremely valuable for Boston if a young player on a cheap rookie contract could become a regular part of the rotation. Scheierman, more than Jordan Walsh and JD Davison, has the skill set to seize that kind of role.
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