As expected, the Boston Celtics have been extremely active on the trade front as they strive to reshuffle their salary cap. They have already dealt Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis and all follow-up reports indicate Brad Stevens is not done wheeling and dealing.
As the 2025 NBA Draft kicks off, the Celtics are reportedly weighing another bold move.
Per insider Ian Begley of SNY, Boston has been in contact with teams, including the Spurs, about potentially moving into the lottery. It has already been reported that the Celtics have been listening to offers on Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and sharp-shooting big Sam Hauser.
This is the last thing Celtics fans want to hear as Stevens works to retool the roster following Jayson Tatum's devastating Achilles tear suffered in the second round of the playoffs.
Celtics reportedly eyeing a trade into the 2025 NBA Draft lottery
There is no chance that San Antonio moves off the No. 2 pick, but the No. 14 pick? That could potentially entice general manager Brian Wright and president of basketball operations Gregg Popovich, especially if it nets the franchise an established star like Brown or White to pair with Victor Wembanyama.
While Brown is the superior player, the Spurs are very familiar with White, who averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds this season. San Antonio drafted White in the first round of the 2018 draft and he developed into one of the league's most underrated two-way players under Popovich.
It would be poetic if White helped expedite Boston's mini rebuild. And Stevens is an elite talent evaluator.
However, it goes without saying that nobody wants to see White, often the second-most important player on the Celtics during his tenure, replaced by a rookie, even if Boston nets a multitude of first-round picks, in addition to the lottery pick, in return.
The silver lining is that Stevens won't settle for anything less than the price he set for White -- and Brown. He understands they might be necessary sacrifices for the betterment of the team, but Celtics fans would have every right to begin to question his vision if one of Brown or White are dealt for a potential top-15 pick.