The Celtics are juggling a number of different priorities this offseason as they head into a critical summer. Financial constraints will force the team to retool to some degree for the 2025-26 season after Boston’s brass pushed their chips all-in towards contending and above the second apron during the last two seasons.
Boston has plenty of appealing players on their roster to maneuver with, but the degree of their value will be influenced greatly by their contracts. Payton Pritchard remains one of the best bargains in the league next season, earning just $7.2 million. That sits in sharp contrast to Jrue Holiday who remains a valuable player but holds a lot less appeal to teams earning $32.4 million next year (with two big years left on his deal afterward).
To cut some of their payroll and convince other teams to take on a big contract like Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis, Boston may need to dip into their draft asset pool. Yet, the contents of that collection are looking a little bit thinner already this summer due to a combination of factors. Let’s review where the Celtics stand with their future selections and what kind of impact it could have on this summer.
2025
No. 28 (own 1st)
No. 32 (via WAS)
Total: 1 first-round pick, 1 second-round pick
Analysis: The high second-round pick is a byproduct of the Celtics doing some savvy wheeling and dealing during the 2023 NBA Draft night where they moved back four times and picked up a host of future second-round draft capital in the process. One of those picks really panned out (i.e. the Wizards tanked) and could lead to a valuable player on draft night or be used as a trade tool.
2026
Own first-round pick
Second-round pick (most favorable of Blazers, Knicks, Pelicans, Wolves picks)
Own second-round pick (Grizzlies own swap rights)
Total: 1 first-round pick, 2 second round picks
Analysis: One of the final years this decade that Boston has an extra second-round pick. A high second-round pick could be possible if the Pelicans or Blazers remain stuck in the lottery.
2027
Own first-round pick
Total: 1 first-round pick
Analysis: The Celtics pushing their chips in for the present begins to start here. They traded away their own 2027 second-round pick back in 2021 as part of a deal for Evan Fournier (one of Danny Ainge’s last moves as GM). Boston also had an extra second-round pick from the Hawks but they used that to deal for Xavier Tillman at the 2024 trade deadline. That leaves the only second-round pick Boston could have here is a top-55 pick from the Pelicans/Blazers. That pick likely won’t convey, barring an unexpected jump from those teams.
2028
—Own first-round pick but Spurs have rights to swap their first-round pick with Celtics (top-1 protected)
—Own second-round pick if in top 45
Total: 1 first round pick, 1 potential second round pick
Analysis: The vaunted pick swap with the Spurs in 2028 as part of the Derrick White trade back in 2022 comes into play here. The Celtics and Spurs should still be excellent in three years, but this pick swap makes 2028 a season the Celtics should not plan on any kind of ‘reset’ since they won’t have dibs on their pick in that scenario. Boston’s second round pick is also gone if they are a playoff team, dealt away to the Magic back in 2022 as part of a Bol Bol/PJ Dozier salary dump.
2029
No picks
Analysis: The Celtics dealt away their 2029 unprotected first round pick to the Blazers in October 2023 as part of the deal to acquire Jrue Holiday. They also traded away their second-round pick to the Thunder in 2029 for Mike Muscala, leaving an empty cupboard for the end of this decade.
2030
—Own first-round pick
Total: 1 first-round pick
Analysis: Jaden Springer’s salary dump last year cost Boston their 2030 second-round pick.
2031
—Own first-round pick
—Own second-round pick
Total: 1 first-round pick, 1 second round pick.
Analysis: A rare untouched year of draft selections.
2032
—Own first-round pick (frozen until at least 2028-29 season)
—Own second-round pick
Total: 1 untradable first-round pick, 1 second-round pick
Analysis: This is where the second apron penalties start to show up. Since Boston finished the 2024-25 season above the second apron, its first-round draft pick seven years away (2032) is “frozen” i.e. can’t be traded for at least the next three years.
If Boston stays under the second apron in at least three of the next four seasons, it becomes “unfrozen” and tradable again at the start of the 2028-29 league year.
CELTICS DRAFT PICKS THROUGH 2032
Total tradable first-round picks after 2025: 3
Total second-round picks: 5
FINAL THOUGHTS
The draft cupboard is not totally bare, but the 2025 NBA Draft feels like a year when the Celtics will want to turn their current draft capital into more assets, much like they did in the 2023 NBA Draft. Boston needs to add more future draft picks to its coffers for trades down the line, and using their own draft capital is one way to do that.
Brad Stevens’ lack of movable future first round picks also becomes more glaring after the 2025 NBA Draft. The Celtics will be able to trade 2026, swap rights on 2028 with the Spurs and 2031 first round picks, but if some of those have to be used to incentive teams to take on big salaries, that’s a very limiting situation for Boston’s future. That potential reality is likely why bigger moves involving key weapons on Boston’s roster beyond Holiday or Porzingis could be considered this offseason to avoid drying up the team’s draft asset pool entirely.
No matter what route the Celtics choose on that front, look for them to be extremely busy on draft night, one way or another.