The Boston Celtics have a path to acquiring the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA draft.
Boston is poised to make huge roster changes this offseason, but it’s still unclear what direction the franchise will take.
Not surprisingly, the Celtics found their way into discussions on a new episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast that aired late on Thursday night following Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Simmons’s internal trade machine was humming as he discussed whether the Philadelphia 76ers could send Paul George and the No. 3 overall pick in the draft to the Utah Jazz for Lauri Markkanen.
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After Simmons’s guest Zach Lowe shot down the idea, Simmons pivoted and proposed another return for George and the No. 3 pick.
“I would've offered that for Jaylen Brown right now,” Simmons said.
Brown on the 76ers with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid? Paul George on the Celtics?
It’s a creative idea from Simmons, and the most enticing aspect of the proposal for Boston is the No. 3 pick in the draft, which would give the Celtics a really, really good prospect (with superstar potential).
Additionally, turning Brown’s contract into George’s would mean the Celtics could move off of massive money a year earlier. George hits unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2028; Brown, in the summer of 2029.
Paul George | Player Profile
- Age: 35
- 2024-25 stats (41 games): 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 43% FG
- Upcoming salary (per Spotrac):
- 2025-26: $51.7M
- 2026-27: $54M
- 2027-28: $56.6M (player option)
- 2028-29: Unrestricted FA
Jaylen Brown | Player Profile
- Age: 28
- 2024-25 stats (41 games): 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 46.3% FG
- Upcoming salary (per Spotrac):
- 2025-26: $53.1M
- 2026-27: $57M
- 2027-28: $61M
- 2028-29: $65M
- 2029-30: Unrestricted FA
Despite the allure of the No. 3 pick for Boston, this trade idea is still a longshot. The Celtics have faith that Brown and Jayson Tatum can deliver another championship once JT returns to the court in 2027.
Brown, 28, is entering the second season of a five-year deal ($285.4 million supermax extension), and Tatum is even younger. Boston’s GM Brad Stevens signed this duo to long-term contracts for a reason — he believes they can continue to contend every year as the team’s top two options.
Trading Brown for George and the No. 3 pick would be a surprising move and one that Stevens would likely steer clear of unless he feels absolutely over the moon about a prospect at No. 3 and thinks that prospect could, by his sophomore season, help Tatum contend in 2027. Given the talent level at the top of the draft, that’s not an impossibility.
Stevens could also ask Philly for additional first-round draft capital (2031? 2029?) to beef up the haul for Brown, in light of George's injury history.
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