The Boston Celtics are set to pick in the first round of the NBA Draft for the first time since Brad Stevens took over as president of basketball operations in June 2021.
But there’s no guarantee Stevens ends the franchise’s three-year drought without a first-round pick.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, “rival executives” believe the Celtics are “open to trading the No. 30 overall pick” in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Would dealing the No. 30 pick be a wise move for Boston on the heels of its 18th championship? There are arguments for both sides.
On one hand, the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement makes it all the more important to draft and develop talent internally. The Celtics are barreling toward a massive luxury tax bill this summer and an even heftier bill in 2025-26 — potentially as much as a league-record $450 million, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks — if they hand out extensions to Derrick White and Jayson Tatum this offseason.
Simply put, the C’s need to save money wherever possible, and securing a depth piece or even a future rotation player on a rookie contract would greatly benefit them. Boston has had success in the back half of the draft before, selecting Robert Williams 27th overall in 2018 and Payton Pritchard at No. 26 in 2020, so there’s a case to be made for trying to replicate that success in this draft.
On the other hand, the Celtics are in full “win now” mode, so if they can package the No. 30 pick in a deal that lands them a veteran big man, for example, that would be hard to turn down. One year ago from Sunday, Stevens used the C’s first-round pick (No. 25) as part of a three-team deal that sent Marcus Smart to Memphis and delivered Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. Porzingis played a major role in the Celtics securing Banner 18.
We shouldn’t expect a Porzingis-level deal this offseason with the team’s “top six” of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Porzingis and Al Horford all under contract. But if either Xavier Tillman Sr. or Luke Kornet leaves in free agency, the Celtics could use frontcourt depth, and perhaps there’s a deal to be made involving the No. 30 pick and a proven veteran big man.
Stevens is working under significant financial constraints, so the best move might be standing pat and picking at No. 30 unless the ideal trade materializes. But at the very least, it sounds like he’s leaving all options on the table.
The first round of the NBA Draft will be held on Wednesday, June 26, with the second round on Thursday, June 27. The Celtics hold the No. 54 overall pick in Round 2.