According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Boston Celtics may be interested in trading up in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Boston currently holds the No. 27 pick. Fischer also noted that the Denver Nuggets (pick no. 26) could want to trade up.
Historically speaking, the Celtics haven't liked trading up in the draft. For the most part, they've chosen to do the opposite. Brad Stevens has traded back plenty of times but has yet to trade up.
That said, this year's draft is loaded. There are a ton of talented players who could be available in the first round, but if the Celtics want to secure one, moving up could be smart.
There's a chance someone may slip to the Celtics at No. 27, but if they want to avoid that risk, trading up could be smart.
St John's Zuby Ejiofor has climbed up draft boards in recent weeks. He would be an incredible fit in Boston, providing switchable defense and an intriguing offensive skill set. It's beginning to seem less and less likely that he will be available at No. 27.
The same goes for Houston's Chris Cenac, a raw-potential prospect with elite rebounding and a confident jump shot. Boston could mold him into its center of the future, though he may be off the board at No. 27.
Both of those guys -- as well as the likes of Iowa's Bennett Stirtz, UConn's Tarris Reed Jr., and Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance -- could all probably be acquired with a trade-up into the low-20s or late-teens.
That leaves two questions: How aggressive do the Celtics want to get? And who are they after?
Ejiofor is my favorite Celtics prospect in their current range, and they may even have to trade up to get him. Cenac is right after him, and Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson and Valencia's Sergio De Larrea are close behind them both.
But what if the Celtics were able to move up significantly? Could they get into the mid-teens? The late lottery? Just how aggressive are the Celtics looking to get?
It seems highly unlikely that Boston could swing a trade to get itself into the top 10. Barring a massive move, consider that out of the question.
However, if the right chips fall in the right places, it may not be impossible to land a mid-first-round selection. Then, things would get very interesting.
Consider a guy like Brayden Burries. A combo guard out of Arizona with impressive defense, impactful ball-handling, and a jump shot worth noting. He's projected to go in the top 10 in some mocks, but what if he slips? Some mocks have him going 14th. Is that in Boston's trade range?
What about Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr.? A projected mid-first-rounder, Johnson is 6-foot-9 without shoes, a switchable defense, and a big body to plant down low on the defensive end. He's the type of defensive-minded, pick-and-roll threat you can mold into a very quality big-man piece.
Could Boston get Washington's Hannes Steinbach (an elite rebounder with great offensive promise) or Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. (a point guard with impressive offensive creation and a near-40% 3-point jumper)?
The Celtics' draft options would increase by leaps and bounds if they were to trade up in this year's talent-rich draft class.
Don't start dreaming of AJ Dybantsa. That's not happening. But you can start thinking of some mid-first-round what-if scenarios.
There's a chance the Celtics will wait to trade up. See how the board falls. If their guy is available in the early 20s, then perhaps they will try to pounce. And there's even a world where no trade-up happens. Or the Celtics decide to trade back in the moment. Anything is possible.
But there's also a chance that this rumor could lead to a jump. A leap into the Celtics' first lottery pick since 2020. Since Aaron Nesmith.
That much seems unlikely. But perhaps not impossible.