WALTHAM — The Celtics on Tuesday introduced their four new draft picks: Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter, Jordan Mickey and Marcus Thornton. Here are some quick takeaways from their introductory press conference.

1. Thornton likely a stash: President of basketball operations Danny Ainge reiterated that Thornton, the 45th overall pick from William & Mary, will likely be stashed overseas or in the D-League in the coming season. Thornton, a talented guard, said the Celtics made that possibility very clear during pre-draft meetings, but said he still intends to compete for a roster spot.

2. Stevens says coming days will be critical: The Celtics will depart for Salt Lake City on Saturday to compete in the Utah Jazz Summer League before going on to Las Vegas for a second summer league. But coach Brad Stevens said that the practices leading up to those games will be most important for the rookies.

“From a basketball standpoint, I think the next four days, starting tomorrow, are as important as any days they’ll have,” Stevens said.

Added Ainge: “It’s each one of these guys’ jobs to prove that Brad needs them.”

3. Ainge explains Rozier choice: The Celtics have taken some criticism from selecting Rozier with the 16th pick, as many experts had him slotted much later in the first round, or perhaps even as a second-round choice. But Ainge disputed that notion and said Rozier’s stock was rising quickly.

“I think he went from 50 to 20 in the last two or three weeks of the process,” Ainge said. “There was a time when we thought maybe we could get him at 28, but it was very clear on draft day that was not going to happen.”

Ainge said that Celtics did explore the possibility of trading down a few picks from No. 16 to then select Rozier, “but our intel was that we should not.”

4. Free agency is here: Although the spotlight on Tuesday was centered on the Celtics’ four draft picks, the looming free agency period, which officially begins at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, was on the minds of the Celtics’ brass. Boston is believed to be a long shot to land any of the elite members of this class, but Ainge said he thinks it will be a productive period.

“Free agents that will fit, that see themselves fitting in with our culture and our team, they’ll come,” Ainge said. “And I’m excited about that.”

Danny Ainge says free agents will come to Boston

5. Pitino’s Boston memories: Rozier played for former Celtics coach Rick Pitino at Louisville. He said the coach rarely had much to say about his memories about his mostly forgettable stint here, though.

“He hasn’t really said anything about the Celtics,” Rozier said. “But he’s from Boston. We hear a lot of his childhood memories and things like that. Him playing at the park and them not calling fouls, things like that.”

Pitino is actually from New York, but he did play for UMass and he coached at Boston University and Providence long before joining the Celtics.

6. Mickey’s defensive mind-set: The Celtics are in need of an athletic rim protector, and although the thin, 6-8 Mickey might not fit that mold at first glance, he led the nation in shot-blocking. He said he is looking forward to making a difference with defense.

“I’m a player that starts with defense first,” Mickey said. “It’s rare to find a guy who prides himself on defense, so I think that’s what sets me apart from most of those guys.”

7. Numbers game: The new Celtics received their new jerseys on Tuesday. Mickey will be No. 55, Rozier No. 12, Hunter No. 28, and Thornton No. 27.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @adamhimmelsbach