NBA Writer Names What Celtics Should Do With Their First Pick In 2026 Draft originally appeared on NESN.
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With the Celtics holding the 27th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, it might be an opportune moment for them to trade that pick to acquire a veteran player who can contribute to their success right now. However, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey believes Boston should keep the pick rather than trade it.
“There’s maybe an argument to pair this year’s pick (No. 27) with Jaylen Brown in an effort to maybe get two contributors making what Brown does ($57.1 million next season) on his own,” Bailey wrote on Wednesday.
“But he and Jayson Tatum are both still on the right side of 30 (though Brown will hit that mark in October), and the Boston Celtics have a pretty good track record for finding contributors late in the first round. Boston will likely hang onto this pick and trust its coaching staff to develop another role player to support its championship-winning duo.”
Typically, having a late pick in the first round of the draft isn’t the best situation for a team hoping to land a potential star player. Yet, this year’s draft is quite different. Many draft experts believe this year’s class is one of the deepest we’ve seen, which means there could be players who would have been top-15 picks in other years available late in the first round this summer.
If the Celtics decide not to trade the 27th pick in a potential star-player deal, keeping it could allow them to draft and develop a promising talent over the next few years.
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