The Boston Celtics drafted Dillon Mitchell with the 40th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Shortly after landing with the Celtics, Mitchell impressed at Las Vegas Summer League.
The rookie forward has been widely expected to sign a two-way contract with the Celtics ahead of the new season. However, according to Adam Zagoria, there’s a chance that Mitchell returns to St. John’s for one more season instead.
“Dillon Mitchell returning to St. John’s is being considered, per source,” Zagoria reported via X. “I’m told they have one roster spot available and have also been in contact with Keyshawn Hall.”
Upon entering the NBA, Mitchell had completed four full years of collegiate basketball. It appeared that he’d played through all of his NCAA eligibility. Yet, a new rule that provides every student-athlete five years to compete in college following their high school graduation may open the door for Mitchell to play one more season at the collegiate level.
Mitchell graduated from high school in 2022.
So, assuming a player goes straight from high school into an NCAA-ranked program, they can theoretically get five years of college basketball. Mitchell could opt to take advantage of that ruling.
Mitchell Going Back To College Could Be A Win-Win
Assuming the Celtics will keep hold of Mitchell’s draft rights, allowing him to go back to college could be a win-win.
Mitchell would get another year to play sizeable minutes and polish his game in an environment he’s comfortable with. Boston would then get him back next summer, where they could continue his development within an NBA setting.
For the Celtics, they would then have two open two-way spots to fill. Brad Stevens would have the additional room to take a flyer on a prospect and see how they develop over the coming season.
Of course, Mitchell going back to college is currently uncharted territory, so we don’t exactly know how things would play out.
Dillon Mitchell Earns Praise From Celtics Staff
During a July 12 postgame news conference, Celtics’ Summer League head coach Amile Jefferson spoke glowingly of Mitchell’s performance in Sin City.
“He was so alive today,” Jefferson said. “He played with such great energy; he crashed every time, and he had, like, three different times where he almost had a tip dunk. When he’s playing with that kind of pop, he’s going to be really good. And then any time he gets an open three, he should shoot it. He did that today, and he was confident.”
Mitchell would likely earn some NBA opportunities in the upcoming season, should he opt to remain with the Celtics. Whether that’s worth passing up on one more year in college is a decision only he can make.
Still, Celtics fans will undoubtedly hope that he remains with the franchise and begins his development in Maine.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Celtics Rookie Could Make Stunning Decision After NBA Draft appeared first on HEAVY.