Celtics fans are still hurting months after Boston traded away star wing Jaylen Brown to the 76ers.
Beyond the pain of seeing a franchise pillar like Brown dealt to another Atlantic Division rival in Philadelphia, the return Boston secured for a legitimate MVP candidate left a lot to be desired.
But as the Celtics try to augment their roster around Jayson Tatum, Boston could be primed to snag a blue-chip asset in 2028 — due in large part to the mess that the Los Angeles Clippers find themselves in.
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The two first-round picks that Boston received from Philly are a 2028 first-round pick/pick swap from the Clippers, as well as a 2031 unprotected first-round selection from the Sixers.
That 2031 first-rounder could be valuable down the road for a win-now Philly squad, although Brad Stevens and Boston will need to play the waiting game for some time before unearthing the value of that pick.
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But that 2028 Clippers pick could either manifest into a prime draft pick — or a valuable trade chip — in short order.
A Clippers team that, just a few years ago, was seemingly set to for regular contention, was hammered by the NBA on Wednesday for violating salary cap circumvention rules.
As part of the severe punishment doled out by the league, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended six months, and team president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year.
Along with taking a $30 million fine by the NBA, the Clippers are also forfeiting five first-round picks from 2029-33 — sending the franchise into a potential decade-long no-man’s land.
That turmoil might be a welcome sight for the Celtics, especially if the Clippers immediately start to bottom out in the next year or two.
Per the terms of the deal, the Clippers’ 2028 first-round pick can be swapped with Boston’s first-round selection if it lands in the lottery (1-16).
And it’s hard to imagine the Clippers holding court as a legitimate contender, especially with Leonard reportedly set to be traded to the Raptors at some point this offseason.
A new core led by players like Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and Darius Garland doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence — and Los Angeles now doesn’t have a whole cupboard of future first-round picks at the ready to deal in search of win-now help.
Add in the bleak future of the franchise, and it seems unlikely that the Clippers — even with a shiny venue at the Intuit Dome and its West Coast locale — will be a preferred offseason destination over the next few years.
New anti-tanking rules and the Clippers’ potential appetite to at least operate as a play-in team during this rough patch could hinder Boston’s hopes of that 2028 pick being a legitimate top-10 pick.
But the turbulence currently shaking the Clippers organization is a scenario that a Celtics team looking to unearth value from that Brown trade should welcome — especially if it nets either a legitimate prospect or a hefty return as part of a win-now trade.