Celtics' 2028 first-round pick from Sixers trade involves complex swap conditions
The Boston Celtics will receive a 2028 first-round pick from Philadelphia with protection rules that depend on the positions of the Clippers' and Sixers' picks, as well as the Celtics' own pick and a potential San Antonio swap.
Boston will acquire three relatively straightforward draft selections from Philadelphia as part of the Jaylen Brown trade: an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, the most favorable of the Warriors’, Thunder’s or Bucks’ 2028 second-round picks, and the most favorable of the Wizards’, Trail Blazers’ or Suns’ 2030 second-round picks. The fourth pick, a 2028 first-rounder, is subject to a series of conditional swaps.
According to Spotrac analyst Keith Smith, the pick’s terms hinge on where the Clippers’ and Sixers’ 2028 first-round selections fall in the draft order. If the Clippers’ pick is in the top 16 and the Sixers’ pick is in the top 8, Boston would receive the most favorable of the Clippers’ pick, the Sixers’ pick and the less favorable of Boston’s own (top-one protected) pick and San Antonio’s pick, while Philadelphia would receive the two least favorable of those three. Different scenarios apply when the picks fall in other ranges, with Boston sometimes receiving only the Clippers’ pick and the less favorable of its own or the Spurs’ pick.
The only situation in which Boston gains an additional first-rounder is when the Clippers’ pick is between 17 and 30 and the Sixers’ pick is also between 9 and 30; in that case Boston receives both the Clippers’ pick and the less favorable of its own or the Spurs’ pick. If Boston’s own pick lands first overall, the team would retain it and could still add the Clippers’ pick if it falls between 17 and 30.
A report from The Athletic suggests that if Philadelphia later acquires another 2028 first-round pick, Boston may also have the right to swap for that pick if it proves more favorable, though the NBA’s rules on such a provision remain unclear. This trade marks the first instance of draft-pick protections being based on a 16-team lottery format.
