The Whiteboard: The Boston Celtics’ pick stash is losing its value

The Boston Celtics have a lot of draft picks, but it doesn’t look like they have a lot of good ones anymore.

Before trading for Kyrie Irving and selecting Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in the NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics had a legendary stash of future draft picks that were owed to them by other teams. Even after using all of their Brooklyn Nets picks in acquiring those three players, it seemed as though Boston had plenty of big trade chips left.

Through more than a third of the 2018-19 NBA season, the Celtics’ pick stash isn’t looking quite so hot. While it is true that Boston technically has four first round picks in 2019, the actual value of those picks isn’t all that great.

One of the picks is Boston’s own. With the current win streak the Celtics just ripped off, it’s unlikely they finish any worse than fifth in the Eastern Conference, meaning that won’t be a great pick. The other three picks would come from the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings.

All three of those teams were selecting in the draft lottery with their own picks last season, with Sacramento picking second, the Grizzlies fourth and the Clippers 13th. If all three of them continued that trend this year, the Celtics would have some great assets to move this summer, or at the trade deadline. Unfortunately for Boston, two of those three teams would make the postseason if the season ended today, with the Kings just barely on the outside looking in.

The Clippers pick could never be a lottery pick for Boston as it is lotto-protected, so it helps Boston that Los Angeles is playing well this season. After two years, it would become a second-rounder instead. Sacramento and Memphis looking good is less rosy for the Celts.

The Grizzlies’ pick is protected 1-8 this year and 1-6 next year, before becoming unprotected in 2021. Had Memphis remained as bad as the Grizzlies were last year, Boston would’ve had a nice pick sometime in the next few seasons. Instead, that pick is looking like it’ll convey sooner rather than later, and not be a lottery pick when it comes over.

The Kings pick is really the one that isn’t coming as advertised. Boston looks to have won the Markelle Fultz-Jayson Tatum trade without it, which is good. It’s only protected for the first overall selection this year — anything else will come to Boston. If the Kings pick second overall again, that would be the Celtics holding that asset.

Right now, the Kings pick would be something like 14th overall, with Memphis’ at 18th and Los Angeles’ at 20th. Boston’s own pick is slated to be the 23rd in 2019. Four first-round picks sound like a ton, and it is, but none of those picks are enticing the New Orleans Pelicans to give up Anthony Davis, for example. Boston has ammo to make moves, but any marquee players will cost more than a pupu platter of picks, and that’s all it appears Boston has left.

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