Celtics’ draft-pick – The Celtics’ next move hinges on how the 76ers’ and Clippers’ lottery positions land, with Boston’s first-round leverage changing based on top-eight and top-16 thresholds. Monday at 4 p.m., Brad Stevens and Bill Chisholm are set to address the Jaylen Brown tra
For the Celtics, this is the kind of NBA math that can feel almost cruel—because the variables aren’t in Boston’s control, yet the payoff could decide what the team looks like a year from now.
The swing starts with where the 76ers’ pick lands and where the Clippers’ pick—Philadelphia previously acquired—is ultimately placed. If the 76ers’ pick falls in the top eight. or if the Clippers’ pick falls in the top 16. Boston will have the right to swap its first-round pick with the best option among those choices. If the 76ers’ pick is outside the top 8 and the Clippers’ pick is outside the top 16. then the Celtics simply receive the Clippers’ pick and keep their own.
That framework also carries a second layer: as part of the 2022 Derrick White trade, the Spurs will have the right to swap their first-round pick with the Celtics’ pick.
Then there’s the scenario that sounds almost impossible—because it would take “a comedy of errors” to reach it. If the 76ers’ pick falls outside the top 8. the Clippers’ pick lands in the top 16. and both the Celtics’ and Spurs’ first-round picks are better than the Clippers’ pick. then Boston would get nothing from Philadelphia that year.
The basketball logic behind the skepticism is already part of the conversation. The Clippers appear to be entering a rebuild after trading away star forward Kawhi Leonard. The Celtics still have a core expected to keep them in the mix as an Eastern Conference contender over the next few years. And the Spurs are likely to be favored to win the NBA title in 2028 with Victor Wembanyama leading the way.
But injuries happen, rosters change suddenly, and the league rarely stays still. The outcome could flip faster than anyone wants to admit.
Monday is when the tone is expected to sharpen. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and lead governor Bill Chisholm are scheduled to hold a press conference to discuss the Brown trade and Boston’s recent signings at 4 p.m. Monday. Stevens has faced criticism for not speaking sooner. but the league-wide moratorium blocks teams from commenting until it lifts Monday afternoon. meaning the Celtics have not been able to address the matter before then.
Inside the debate, the loudest disagreement has come from someone who carries his own history with Boston. Celtics legend Robert Parish said during his SiriusXM radio show this week that he was not a fan of the Brown trade. even as he understood why Boston might have viewed it as the right decision. Parish pointed to former Celtics coach and lead executive Red Auerbach and suggested the move would not have fit the standard Auerbach would have wanted.
“I think this would have made him nauseated,” Parish said. “He may have thrown up about this move.”
Parish also said Brown should eventually have his No. 7 raised to the rafters of TD Garden.
The week’s Celtics attention isn’t only about the trade, though. A small, separate detail is already floating through the newsroom cycle: Brockton’s AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick of the NBA Draft. threw out the first pitch at Fenway Park before the Sox faced the Yankees last Saturday. Red Sox beat writer Peter Abraham passed along the tidbit that Dybantsa was on the field waiting to be introduced when he grabbed a glove. measured 60 feet. and played catch with a ball girl for about five minutes. Dybantsa then took the mound and lofted a strike to Sox pitcher Payton Tolle.
Abraham said, “I thought it was interesting that he cared enough to do it right. I’ve seen a lot of athletes from other sports throw out first pitches and screw it up.”
Back on the court. the Celtics’ roster picture is also being filled in—partly by what Boston has already decided. and partly by what other teams can still influence. A league source said second-round draft pick Dillon Mitchell will likely end up signing a two-way contract with the Celtics. while still leaving open “a pathway to a regular roster spot.” Veteran guard Dalano Banton’s contract for next season remains non-guaranteed.
Max Shulga, the Celtics’ 2025 second-round pick, has joined the Warriors’ summer league roster. Boston declined Shulga’s options for next season. though a league source said there would have been an opportunity for him to join Boston’s summer league squad. Second-year big man Amari Williams has signed a second two-way contract with the Celtics.
There is even more chatter in the background. centered on how far the league’s future stars might stretch their reach. Lebron James’s agent. Rich Paul. was unexpectedly candid while discussing his client’s upcoming free agency decision during his “Game Over” podcast. Sitting with co-host Max Kellerman, Paul displayed a large whiteboard that listed key figures on potential finalists.
Tucked away on the left side of the board, not prominent but present, Paul wrote: “Brad and Tatum,” a reference to Brad Stevens and Jayson Tatum. The Celtics are not considered real threats to land James, but the possibility was at least considered.
Taken together. the week feels like a hinge—draft-pick leverage that depends on lottery placement. a Brown trade that still carries visible scars. and roster decisions that move forward whether the biggest questions get answered or not. By Monday afternoon. once the moratorium lifts and the Celtics can finally speak. the public narrative around Boston is expected to catch up to the behind-the-scenes calculations.
Celtics Jaylen Brown Brad Stevens Bill Chisholm 76ers pick Clippers pick NBA draft swap rights Derrick White trade Robert Parish Rich Paul LeBron James Dillon Mitchell Dalano Banton Max Shulga Amari Williams Victor Wembanyama