Celtics’ perfect 2026 NBA Draft trade that doesn’t involve Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Boston Celtics were unable to fulfill expectations in the NBA playoffs. After finishing in second place in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, they were expected to engage the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals in an epic series.

After gaining a 3-1 advantage over the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening round, those plans disappeared in a matter of days. The Celtics lost the final three games of the series as they could not contain Sixers big man Joel Embiid. With the Celtics out of the picture, the Knicks were able to cruise into the NBA Finals, which they won in a five-game series over the San Antonio Spurs.

The Celtics will have to contend with the Sixers and Knicks in the foreseeable future. Their inability to compete in the front court because obvious in the final three games against Philadelphia, and team president Brad Stevens needs to address this need in the offseason.

There have been rumors of the Celtics engaging the Milwaukee Bucks about a major trade involving Giannis Antetokounmpo and Celtics start Jaylen Brown, but those reports have been diminished in recent days. That trade could possibly take place, but the more likely scenario is that the Celtics will attempt to upgrade their frontcourt — and specifically their play at the center position — in the upcoming NBA Draft.

The Celtics have the No. 27 pick in the draft, and unlike several teams, the Celtics are not looking to add a prospect who will eventually develop. They want a player who can step in and contribute to a serious contender right away.

Celtics would like to add a big man

The NBA draft has three elite big men who are expected to get selected within the top 4 picks. AJ Dybantsa of BYU is the all-but-certain No. 1 pick of the Washington Wizards, while Cam Boozer of Duke and Caleb Wilson of North Carolina are likely to go to the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls, respectively, with the Nos. 3 and 4 picks.

Stevens would like to get one of these players, but it is extremely unlikely that the Wizards, Grizzlies or Bulls will move off of those selections.

The best move the Celtics might make is completing a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 10 or Golden State Warriors at No. 11 so they can select Aday Mara of the national champion Michigan Wolverines.

Mara is not the second coming of Victor Wembanyama, but the 7-3, 240-pound center from Zaragoza, Spain played a key role in Michigan’s national championship run during the NCAA Tournament.

He played two seasons at UCLA before he transferred to Michigan and he improved dramatically in the 2025-26 season. Mara adjusted quite well from being a fairly insignificant role player at UCLA to becoming a key starter on the best team in the nation. He averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds per game and 2.6 blocks per game. Mara led the nation in blocks and field goal percentage at 66.8 percent.

Big man from Michigan has the tools to help the Celtics right away

Mara should be a player who can have an immediate impact. He shoots at a very high percentage, he is a rim protector and he is a very good passer even if his assist total is not high at 2.4 per game. However, he needs to get in better shape and must get stronger if he is going to be any more than a part-time player.

If the Celtics can acquire him, he would be able to help them in the upcoming season. His value in the future would be even higher — as long as he can add significant strength.

It seems far more likely that the Celtics will be able to complete a deal with the Warriors at No. 11 than the Bucks at No. 10. The Celtics and Bucks have reportedly had discussions about a major trade already and that deal may not be dead. However, a deal that would leave the Celtics with Antetokounmpo and Mara seems quite unlikely. The Bucks have an interest in Tennessee power forward Nate Ament with their No. 10 pick and they may want to hold onto that pick.

Celtics need to make enticing offer to Warriors

An exchange of first-round picks would be the start of a trade for the Warriors, but they would need a player and another draft pick to complete the deal. The Warriors also need interior size and ability.

The Celtics could offer big man Neemias Queta, a 7-footer who showed dramatic improvement last season. The soon-to-be 27-year-old averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while averaging 25.3 minutes per game. He made key contributions to the Celtics last year and could help the Warriors quite a bit in this potential trade

Boston could also offer a 2027 second-round pick to supplement the trade. The Celtics have two second-round picks in that draft, and delivering one of them to the Warriors could be enough to complete the deal that would allow them to draft Mara.

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