Analysis: The Celtics have 2 best deals with the 28th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Jason Tatum is out indefinitely, here are the best deals the Celtics can make with the 28th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The New York Knicks are in a strange position to watch the Eastern Conference Championship game at home after they eliminated the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Now, they need help. Jason Tatum is out indefinitely, here are the best deals the Celtics can make with the 28th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The Celtics may make multiple trades during the offseason after Tatum's injury ends. Ultimately, as the 2026 season approaches, the Celtics have to ask themselves many questions. Of course, the most urgent question is how long will Tatum be out?

On the surface, Tatum seems to miss the entire 2025-2026 season before he can make a comeback in the playoffs. Can Boston compete without him? The Celtics swept the NBA and ranked second in the Eastern Conference. However, now, they will lose Tatum. For reference, Tatum contributed 14.25 win rate to the Celtics this season (the winning rate is higher than the bench). This means the Celtics might have been fighting for sixth place, and could even fall into the playoffs.

Missing a link

Although Tatum is a forward player and valuable scorer, losing him also has a chain reaction to the entire team. The Celtics currently lack the depth and shooting opportunities for inside players. They need to make a deal to make up for his losses.

Christaps Porzingis performed well this season, scoring 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 42 games. However, he was in a sluggish form in the playoffs due to a mysterious disease. The Celtics have only Al Horford and Luke Connet behind him, which heralds the team's crisis. In addition, the Boston Celtics need a player who can create shots. While Buddy Hilder may be a free agent in the free agent market, the Celtics may have to find another way out.

Swap their 28th pick to get a player who can help them in the short term may be the best choice. Ultimately, the Boston Celtics understand that they have to strengthen the depth of the roster and keep the roster intact. Here are two trades the Celtics can make to improve their strength.

Celtics welcome perfect replacement Nick Richards

Celtics win: Nick Richards

Suns win: NBA draft No. 28 pick, Payton Prichard and a future second-round pick Nick Richards caused a sensation after the Phoenix Suns traded with the Charlotte Hornets. It is worth noting that he is a big player who can help the team on both offense and defense, and a player the Boston Celtics can chase.

In 57 games with the Hornets and the Suns, Richards averaged 9.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1 block per game, shooting about 59%. Of course, he can't continue to replace the scoring ability Tatum brings to the Boston Celtics. But he could offer the Celtics another option when Tatum is not capable of scoring.

Brother needs to find a partner in the rotation in the fourth position because there are Derek White and Ju Holiday in the backcourt. Ideally Richards could play the fifth position, while Porizingis played the fourth position. Although the Celtics will lose Prichard's valuable resource, they will also get an excellent choice in the frontcourt, making the opponent feel afraid of the midfield attack.

Celtics' lineup grew stronger by Presches Achuva

Celtics won: Presches Achuva

Knicks won: Payton Prichard and the 2026 second round draft pick.

Achowa would be a good second choice if the Boston Celtics couldn't get Richards. Yes, he is a restricted free agent. So the Celtics may not even need to trade him. But if they can match the offer, they can also provide the New York Knicks with some players they might want without sacrificing their first-round picks. Although it seems unlikely to trade with rivals in the same partition, this is still possible.

In this case, the Celtics simply trade Prichard for a second round pick. Then they pick a substitute and learn in this system for a year. Achuwa is good at playing the fourth or fifth position and can quickly switch between the starter and the substitute. Additionally, retaining a first-round pick gives the Celtics a chance to acquire another elite player, which could make the Celtics even more dangerous when Tatum finally returns.

Achuva averaged 6.6 points in 57 games for the Knicks. Ultimately, his performance was not as good as last season and seemed to have declined. But he can still make great performances, whether as a substitute or a starter. Additionally, trading Pritchard to the Knicks, they got an elite sixth man they were very lacking.

No matter what the Celtics do, they will focus on the 2025-2026 season and beyond. Ultimately, their goal is to stay competitive and lay the foundation for another championship in the 2026-2027 season.