Category: Basketball

Could Achilles injuries be the Achilles heel of the NBA?

Regardless of allegiance, anyone watching Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday had to be struck by the calamitous impact of the injury to superstar Tyrese Haliburton on the Indiana Pacers.

Haliburton had the ball in the first quarter, took a step backward and began to go left. Pushing off with his right foot, the right tendon tore, and the Pacers chances of defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder were shredded.

“In that moment, my heart dropped for him,” OKC guard and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters. “I couldn’t imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s not fair.”

It's also not uncommon. Haliburton was the third superstar lost during the playoffs to an Achilles tear, following Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.

Read more:Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads OKC to NBA title, and the Clippers must be cringing

Players who sustained the injury during the regular season include Dejounte Murray of the New Orleans Pelicans, Dru Smith of the Miami Heat and two of Haliburton's Indiana teammates — Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman.

Regenerative medicine doctor Jesse Morse pointed out in X posts that the high-grade calf strain Haliburton suffered in Game 5 was a precursor to the Achilles injury.

"Hailburton was playing with fire by playing in Games 6 and 7 after being diagnosed with a high-grade calf strain, an injury that is notoriously slow to heal," Morse wrote. "There was a significantly increased risk of a possible Achilles tear due to him already having the high-grade calf strain, regardless of what the ‘data shows.’

"We saw it with Kobe Bryant. We saw it with Aaron Rodgers. Likely more. A calf strain lead to an Achilles tear."

Bryant ruptured his left Achilles on April 12, 2013, after playing every minute of eight consecutive quarters as the Lakers pursued a playoff spot with two games remaining in the regular season. Bryant had suffered injuries to his knees earlier in the game. He returned to action eight months later.

Rodgers tore his left Achilles in his first game as quarterback of the New York Jets on Sept. 11, 2023, shortly after he'd experienced tightness in his calf. He missed the entire season but returned in 2024 at age 41.

The Achilles tendon is a fibrous cord that directs movement from the leg to the foot, connecting muscles from the calf to the heel bone. A sudden explosive movement like running or jumping can cause the tendon to tear or rupture.

The origin of term Achilles stems from the hero of that name in Greek mythology. His mother sought to make him immortal by dipping him into a river that held magical powers. She held him by the heel, however, leaving it vulnerable.

Read more:Why Shaquille O'Neal decided to join the Reebok executive team

Sure enough, the seemingly eternally brave Achilles was killed by an arrow to his heel during the Trojan War. The Achilles' heel has been known ever since as a metaphor for a person's vulnerable spot.

Haliburton certainly displayed a knack for heroics all season, culminating in the jump shot he made with 0.3 seconds to play in Game 1 of the Finals that gave the Pacers a victory over the heavily favored Thunder.

He helped them to reach Game 7 and hit a trio of three-point shots early in the contest only to — alas — crumple to the floor when his Achilles tendon popped. The Thunder prevailed, 103-91.

“We needed Ty out there,” Pacers forward Obi Toppin told reporters. “For him to go down in a game like that, that sucked the soul out of us."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Goodman: C's should consider trading up for this draft prospect originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics currently own the 28th and 32nd overall picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. But what if they’re enticed by a prospect who may not fall to the end of the first round?

If the C’s have their sights set on a specific player, they could package those two picks in a deal to move up the draft board. This is the route college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman would take if he were Stevens, and he has a certain prospect in mind.

“I think you keep it, you see if you’re Brad in the early 20s, can you package both of those — 28 and 32 — and move up if there’s a guy that’s sliding that you really like. To me, a guy like that is Cedric Coward,” Goodman said on NBC Sports Boston’s latest episode of The Off C’season.

“He’s the guy that, to me, is the most intriguing. Played two years at Eastern Washington in the Big Sky, transferred to Washington State this year. Followed his coach David Riley, only played six games, got hurt. Was set to go to Duke this season to be one of the best transfers in the country, but he’s gonna be a first-round pick, so he stayed in the draft.

“But he’s a 6-foot-6 3-and-D guy who, to me, he’s athletic, he can shoot it, he can guard, he’s mature. He’s a guy that I think I would roll the dice on if he’s there at 28 or in the early 20s and you can trade both picks and move up and get him.”

As Goodman notes, Coward is expected to land anywhere from the late lottery to the mid-20s in the first round. There is some uncertainty surrounding the 21-year-old guard as teams haven’t seen much of him over the last year.

So, why is Goodman so high on Coward heading into the draft?

“To me, that mystery. That intrigue. And that’s what Cedric Coward has,” Goodman added. “In addition to what I said before, which is the versatility, the ability to guard, the ability to shoot the ball, the maturity. In the interview process, I talked to NBA guys, they were absolutely blown away by Cedric Coward and how he can probably go into any locker room and fit in any sort of position of need for these teams. His versatility is probably what’s gonna get him somewhere I think in the 20 range at the end of the day.

“But again, for Cedric Coward, he could go late lottery. It wouldn’t shock me. He could also slide to 25, and that’s where if he does slide, Brad Stevens, you’ve got two picks here that you can move up.”

Coward averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 59.5 percent from the floor (38.8 percent from 3) over 72 games across three collegiate seasons. In his last full season with Eastern Washington in 2023-24, he averaged 15.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 56.5 percent from the field to finish with Big Sky First Team All-Conference honors.

Six games into his 2024-25 campaign with Washington State, Coward suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. He was the Cougars’ leading scorer with 17.7 points per game at the time.

Coward is undoubtedly a compelling trade-up target for the Celtics, but there should also be some solid options if they stand pat at Nos. 28 and 32. Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner and Stanford 7-footer Maxime Raynaud have been linked to Boston in multiple mock drafts, and there are plenty more potential fits where that came from.

The 2025 NBA Draft is set to begin Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

Watch the full episode of The Off C’season with Goodman, Chris Forsberg, Kevin O’Connor, and Tom Giles below:

When does NBA on NBC start? Theme song, broadcast team, more originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Fall is associated with plenty of fan favorites: Thanksgiving, Halloween, pumpkin-spice flavored goodies, colder weather, you name it.

But 2025 will see something different. Something that hasn’t been seen since the early 2000s.

NBA on NBC is coming back to television screens and introducing itself to streaming platforms beginning in the 2025-26 league campaign.

A popular theme song is also returning, amidst a new broadcasting team comprised of veteran commentators and former NBA stars.

Here’s everything to know about NBA on NBC in the upcoming season:

When does NBA on NBC start?

NBA on NBC will be back beginning in the 2025-26 NBA season. An exact date for the first broadcast is TBD.

When does the 2025-26 NBA season start?

The 2025-26 season, the 80th in league history, has a regular-season start date of Tuesday, Oct. 21.

What is NBC’s history with the NBA?

The NBA and NBC had their first partnership from 1954 to 1962, before returning in 1990 to 2002 amid Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls‘ dynasty. NBC is part of the new media rights deal with the NBA that will last for 11 years, including games being streamed on Peacock.

What is the NBA on NBC theme song?

Fans can rejoice knowing “Roundball Rock,” the hit theme song for NBA on NBC produced by John Tesh, is returning.

Who is on the NBA on NBC broadcasting team?

Here’s a list of the commentators and former NBA stars who have joined NBC Sports’ broadcasting team thus far:

Play-by-play: Mike Tirico, Noah Eagle

Color analysts: Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller

Studio host: Maria Taylor

Studio analysts: Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter

Special contributor: Michael Jordan

Who will broadcast NBA games in 2025-26?

Along with NBA on NBC and Peacock in the new media rights deal, ESPN and ABC will continue its coverage of the league while Amazon Prime Video will be starting its new streaming partnership.

Thunder-Pacers Game 7 draws largest NBA Finals audience in six years originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Oklahoma City’s 103-91 victory over Indiana in Game 7 was the most-watched NBA Finals game in six years.

Sunday night’s game averaged 16.53 million on ABC and ESPN+ according to preliminary ratings data from Nielsen. The audience peaked at 19.28 million during the second half (9:45-10 p.m. EDT).

It is the first time since Toronto wrapped up its title in Game 6 against Golden State in 2019 (18.34 million) that the finals have had an audience over 16 million. The last Game 7, when Cleveland beat Golden State in 2016, averaged 31.02 million.

The seven-game series averaged 10.27 million, down from the 11.31 million average for Boston’s victory over Dallas in five games last year.

The seven games were the most-watched television broadcasts since the first week of May.

ESPN and ABC averaged 6.12 million for the 34 games they carried during the playoffs, a 10% increase over last year.

Thunder-Pacers Game 7 draws largest NBA Finals audience in six years originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Oklahoma City’s 103-91 victory over Indiana in Game 7 was the most-watched NBA Finals game in six years.

Sunday night’s game averaged 16.53 million on ABC and ESPN+ according to preliminary ratings data from Nielsen. The audience peaked at 19.28 million during the second half (9:45-10 p.m. EDT).

It is the first time since Toronto wrapped up its title in Game 6 against Golden State in 2019 (18.34 million) that the finals have had an audience over 16 million. The last Game 7, when Cleveland beat Golden State in 2016, averaged 31.02 million.

The seven-game series averaged 10.27 million, down from the 11.31 million average for Boston’s victory over Dallas in five games last year.

The seven games were the most-watched television broadcasts since the first week of May.

ESPN and ABC averaged 6.12 million for the 34 games they carried during the playoffs, a 10% increase over last year.

Mike Dunleavy, Warriors entering 2025 NBA offseason with clear priority in mind originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – If Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and his lieutenants in the front office have their way, their roster will look significantly different by mid-July.

The rescue mission begins this week with the 2025 NBA Draft, followed next week by free agency, which Dunleavy indicates will be crucial. After evaluating the Warriors and observing the NBA playoffs, Dunleavy on Monday offered a glimpse of the team’s offseason goals.

“It just is [borne] out that defense is still really important,” he said at Chase Center. “And then, the offensive end, to be able to have space on the floor to combat these defenses.”

Defense first. And then offense.

The postseason provided the Warriors with a different reply to a question they had answered with resounding confidence after completing the regular season with the best defense in the NBA:

When is the No. 1 defense in the league not good enough?

When it gets demolished in the playoffs.

After posting a league-best 109 defensive rating over the final nine weeks of the regular season, the Warriors expressed belief that their defense would position them for a deep playoff run. Maybe even carry them to the NBA Finals.

But after a seven-game series victory over the Houston Rockets in the first round, the Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of Western Conference semifinals and then lost four in a row, looking profoundly overmatched without Stephen Curry.

The Timberwolves averaged 114.8 points per game in their four wins. Their offensive rating was 116.9, with an effective-field-goal percentage of 60.4 and an absurd 63.1 true-shooting percentage. Minnesota’s offense was so clinically effective that it nullified its propensity for turnovers.

That same offense ran aground in the conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Timberwolves posted an offensive rating of 111.7 and took an appreciable dip in effective-field-goal (54.3) and true-shooting (57.5) percentages. The Thunder feasted on Minnesota turnovers.

So how do the Warriors, painfully aware of the data, retool their roster this summer and became a contender in one of the most competitive conferences in NBA history? Do they address the inconsistent point-of-attack defense? Do they chase a big man with rim-protection credentials?

The top of Dunleavy’s priority list is written in blood.

“I feel like that’s a big debate throughout the league right now,” Dunleavy said. “Generally, the rim protection is more valuable. At least that’s the way guys are paid, and guys are sought-after in trades.

“But if you ask any coach, point of attack is pretty important. Being able to control the ball handling and these pick-and-rolls.”

Golden State’s best point-of-attack defender, Gary Payton II, was not as effective as he has been in the past. Brandin Podziemski is overmatched in that role. Moses Moody is solid but doesn’t have the quicks. Buddy Hield and Curry, by design, prioritize offense.

OKC has Lu Dort and Alex Caruso, Minnesota has Jaden McDaniels and Houston has Amen Thompson. These players are factors in these teams lining up as the top three in the West. Which is why every other team in the West is chasing perimeter defense, either in the draft or from a free-agent market that offers little beyond Amir Coffey, Keon Ellis or Davion Mitchell.

Another factor is that the top-tier teams in the West also have rim protection behind their POA defense. Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein clog the middle for the Thunder, Rudy Gobert for the Timberwolves and Alperen Şengun (he’s improving and he’s only 22) and Steven Adams for the Rockets.

The Warriors have in Trayce Jackson-Davis a solid but not elite rim protector. Draymond Green, still 6-foot-6 but now 35 years old, is overtaxed in that role. Quinten Post stands 7 feet but does not offer that dimension.

The list of free-agent big men includes Brook Lopez and Al Horford, who might be too expensive, along with Clint Capela and the wild card that is Ben Simmons. Any of them would provide a boost.

The Rockets, behind Şengun and Adams, had success in the paint against Golden State. The Timberwolves prevailed behind Julius Randle’s post-ups and the three-level scoring of Anthony Edwards. The Warriors are not alone in having no answer for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Hartenstein-Holmgren combo.

So, they search for POA defenders and rim protectors. They search this week, next week and perhaps beyond because it’s essential to be a threat in the West.

“Both are really important,” Dunleavy said. “With having a guy on our team like Draymond, we’re elite with a guy like that, and I think we can be better on the ball. I don’t want to say that means it’s more important on the ball for us. I would say both are extremely important, and we’ll look to handle both those in free agency.”

The Warriors are early in an important week, knowing that next week shapes up as being vastly more significant. They know the task, and the hard part is days away.

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The NBA season ended less than 24 hours ago, but there is no offseason for sports television transactions.

Maria Taylor has been named NBC Sports’ lead NBA and WNBA studio host for the company’s upcoming NBA coverage on NBC and Peacock, an industry source briefed on the move said Monday. NBC Sports will make the news official later Monday.

Taylor will host NBA studio shows on Sunday and Tuesday nights as part of a group that includes Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter. Taylor will also host select WNBA games on NBC and Peacock when the company begins airing the WNBA in the spring of 2026. (NBC will air the 2026 WNBA semifinals and Finals.)

Along with her new assignments, Taylor signed a multiyear contract extension with the company that will have her working at NBC Sports’ properties deep into the 2020s, the source said.

Neither the NBA and women’s basketball are new terrain for Taylor. During her seven years at ESPN, she hosted NBA Finals coverage, the company’s NBA Countdown show and NCAA Women’s Tournament coverage. She failed to reach a contract extension with ESPN in 2021 and, upon the conclusion of her ESPN deal, she joined NBC Sports.

Since arriving at NBC, Taylor served as the lead host of “Football Night in America,” the “B1G College Countdown” and various roles for NBC’s Olympics coverage, including as a late-night host for the recent Paris Games.

Both Amazon and NBCUniversal have been acquiring and assigning on-air talent for their upcoming NBA coverage following the NBA renewing its partnership with ESPN/ABC and forming new agreements with NBCU and Amazon as part of a combined $77  billion deal which starts with the 2025-26 season and runs through the 2035-36 season.

As part of the new rights deal, NBC and Peacock will present national coverage of regional doubleheaders on Tuesday nights beginning in October. Upon the conclusion of “Sunday Night Football,” NBC Sports will launchSunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock, debuting Feb. 1. Peacock will also livestream exclusive national Monday night games starting this fall.

The company will air six conference finals, the NBA All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday night as part of its NBA deal.

“We hope to have a fantastic studio show and studio talent around what we see as the game of the week and we will use our team appearances working closely with the NBA on making it the best matchup that we possibly can have at that point of the season,” NBC Sports president Rick Cordella previously told . “We’ve obviously had a lot of success on ‘Sunday Night Football.’ I’d love to say someone had a eureka moment coming up with the idea for ‘Sunday Night Basketball’ but I think it was just natural to us at NBC Sports that this would be a franchise we wanted to create outside of football season. Certainly we have a (broadcast) window open there (after the NFL season). We pitched it to the NBA and it’s an easy to understand concept.”

As far as game coverage, NBC Sports hired Jamal Crawford and Reggie Miller as game analysts to join play-by-play hosts Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle. During NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall in New York City last May, the company announced that Michael Jordan would serve in a “special contributor” role. They also hired coordinating producer Frank DiGraci, who helped make the YES Network the gold standard for NBA regional broadcasts.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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2025 The Athletic Media Company

Why Mike Dunleavy claims Warriors adding big-salary star is ‘almost impossible' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

So, it might not be a Giannis Antetokounmpo summer?

Mike Dunleavy told reporters on Monday about the Warriors’ offseason plans as the 2025 NBA Draft nears, and the general manager let it be known that merely attempting to bring one or some of the league’s biggest names to San Francisco will be quite challenging because of Golden State’s financial situation.

“Only because just of our salary structure and the way it works with the amount of money you can use underneath the second apron,” Dunleavy said. “That probably restricts it more than anything for us in terms of pursuing the best roster we can.

“I think we’ll look at stuff. We’ll look at players that we really like that may — we’ve just got to be — it’s just almost impossible for us to add players in the salary range of guys we were looking at last summer since we’ve added Jimmy.”

The Warriors are pretty handcuffed when it comes to pursuing stars.

Entering the 2025-26 NBA season, Golden State has $139.63 million, or 90.2 percent of the salary cap, committed to stars Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green alone. And that’s before calculating a possible contract extension with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.

Though the limitations won’t stop Dunleavy and the Warriors from searching. A trademark of the Curry era, Golden State always finds itself tied to the NBA’s brightest stars, whether on the free-agent market or through trade rumors.

“That would be the only limiter,” Dunleavy said about Golden State’s hands being tied after acquiring Butler. “But in terms of finding talent, improving this team, we’re going to look under every rock to try and do that.”

The Warriors’ best option might just be to re-sign Kuminga, as his development paired with improved chemistry probably is the most affordable “upgrade.” 

But if there’s one thing Golden State’s vintage free-agent acquisition of Kevin Durant taught Dub Nation and the league, it’s that the Warriors shouldn’t ever be counted out in bids for top players.

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Mike Dunleavy wants resolution to Jonathan Kuminga's NBA free agency quickly originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Now that the 2024-25 NBA season officially has come to a close with the Oklahoma City Thunder being crowned champions, everybody’s full attention can turn to the buzz around the draft, free agency and trade rumors. 

The first round of the NBA draft takes place Wednesday, followed by the second round on Thursday. The Warriors own just one pick at No. 41 overall this year, and it’s highly unlikely they jump into the first round.

For the Warriors, the offseason is centered around their top pick from four years ago, an enigma of a player that has the fan base pulling one way or the other in a never-ending game of tug o’ war. 

Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency will be fascinating to watch. The sides couldn’t agree on a rookie extension last offseason, and now the player and team find themselves at a crossroads of trying to figure out what’s next. 

Stay alert. Turn your notifications on. Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy also wants an answer without further delay. 

“I think we’re in a good spot with it, honestly,” Dunleavy said Monday at Chase Center. “We have the ability to bring him back. He’s restricted. I think there will be good dialogue. I’d like to figure something out sooner than later. That would be great.”

"I think we're in a good spot with it."

Mike Dunleavy weighs in on Jonathan Kuminga's impending restricted free agency pic.twitter.com/DuTgCHFjJR

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 23, 2025

Dunleavy knows it might not be that simple. But what the Warriors do with Kuminga essentially dictates their offseason. 

“I also acknowledge, with restricted free agency, these things can drag out a little bit and take some time,” Dunleavy continued. “I think we feel pretty comfortable with who JK is as a player and what he can do for our organization. … It’s a main priority going into free agency.” 

Free agency doesn’t officially begin until July 6 at 9:01 a.m. PT. However, teams can start negotiating with free agents on June 30, one week from now, at 3 p.m. PT. 

Since Kuminga is a restricted free agent, the Warriors can match the terms of any offer he agrees to with another team. They don’t want to lose Kuminga for nothing. They won’t. 

Executing a sign-and-trade is an option, and Dunleavy already has shown his creativity as a dealmaker in his tenure as GM. Remember, Klay Thompson didn’t sign with the Dallas Mavericks last offseason. He technically was traded to them by the Warriors as part of a historic six-team sign-and-trade. 

The Warriors don’t want to wait this out. Kuminga and his camp likely don’t either. Coming to a resolution in the somewhat immediate future will be best for both parties, Dunleavy believes. 

“I think just clarity,” Dunleavy explained. “Roster clarity in terms of what else we need to add in free agency, also what we have to spend in terms of minimums, exceptions, those different types of things. I think the sooner the better for everyone. His sake, too, I believe. 

“But like I said, restricted free agency can be a little different, so we may have to be patient.” 

Patience might have run out for both Kuminga and the Warriors. There have been times when he has been talked about like the next young star who holds the keys to Golden State raising another banner. There have been stretches where Kuminga is an easy 20-point scorer that nobody can contain. 

There also have been longer stretches where it seems like Kuminga forgets who Steph Curry is, and coach Steve Kerr forgets Kuminga is still on the roster. Kuminga didn’t fit alongside Jimmy Butler, and then averaged 24.3 points in the final four playoff games when Curry was sidelined from a strained hamstring. 

The Warriors also didn’t win any of those games, and Kuminga was given three DNPs in the Warriors’ first five playoff games. 

While the NBA season officially ended Sunday night, the offseason began about 10 hours before the Thunder celebrated their championship when former Warriors star Kevin Durant was traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets. A handful of teams could see Kuminga as a younger fallback option now that Durant has his newest home. 

The Brooklyn Nets are known to have ample salary cap space, and Kuminga’s age, as someone who doesn’t turn 23 years old until October, fits their timeline. The Chicago Bulls have shown interest in the past, and Kuminga’s best skills as one of the game’s top athletes are in alignment with how the Bulls play best. 

Whatever the Warriors do next outside of their second-round draft pick, everything ends and begins by having the best feel of Kuminga’s market. Dunleavy didn’t mince his words; he didn’t hide from the questions. The Warriors have to finally put an end to the will-they-or-won’t-they of Kuminga. 

Even if Kuminga does return, the saga and drama could certainly continue, too.

Be ready. The Warriors’ offseason is here.

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Why second-round draft picks are so important to Celtics, similar teams originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics have an expensive roster.

As one of the few NBA teams in the second apron of the luxury tax, the C’s likely will look to shed salary this offseason. Trading a few veteran players would be the most effective way to do this.

The second apron limits how teams can improve their rosters, which makes getting below that salary line pretty important.

But any team that finds itself over the luxury tax (and over the first or second apron) needs to watch how it spends money, and that objective isn’t just limited to trades and free agency. It’s a key part of the NBA Draft process, too.

First-round picks are more expensive and their salaries have more guarantees than players taken in the second round. How much of a difference can that make?

Our Celtics insider Chris Forsberg explains.

“Why are second-round picks so valuable to teams like the Celtics that linger above the luxury tax line? First-round picks in the NBA Draft have a predetermined salary slot over four seasons,”  Forsberg said, as seen in the video player above. 

“And if the Celtics were to utilize the No. 28 pick in this year’s draft, that player would earn as much as $2.8 million in Year 1 and escalate to $5.5 million in Year 4. But second-round picks can now be signed to similar-length deals starting at minimum salaries. They don’t escalate as quickly, and they do not have to be guaranteed for all of the years.

“For teams watching their spending, the difference between picking at spot 30 and 31 can be quite stark. So don’t be surprised if the Celtics consider moving their first-round pick and focus on making selections in Round 2.”

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Celtics own the No. 28 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, which is scheduled for Wednesday night in Brooklyn. They also own the No. 32 pick, which is the second overall selection in the second round. This second-round pick was acquired in a previous trade.

The No. 32 pick is very valuable because it allows the Celtics to take a player with first-round caliber talent, but they don’t have to sign him to a more expensive first-round pick contract.

The increased value of second-round picks is why we see more of them in trades. Teams want these picks.

For example, Kevin Durant was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets on Sunday in a blockbuster deal. Part of the return package for the Suns was five second-round picks. We didn’t see so many second-rounders get dealt five or 10 years ago. But in today’s NBA, they are valuable.

And it makes sense, too. If you look at recent drafts, there’s almost always a couple good players who fall to the second round. Here are some of the best examples:

• 2020 draft: Xavier Tillman Sr., Isaiah Joe, Tre Jones, Sam Merrill
• 2021 draft: Herb Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, Neemias Queta, Aaron Wiggns
• 2022 draft: Andrew Nembhard, Max Christie, Jaden Hardy
• 2023 draft: GG Jackson II, Toumani Camara
• 2024 draft: Kyle Filipowski, Jaylen Wells, Quinten Post

If the Celtics are on the clock at No. 28 Wednesday night and the player(s) they like might still be available a few picks later in the second round, it would make sense to trade down and acquire the player while reducing the cost of his deal.

It’s a risk, of course. The player might get drafted before Boston goes back on the clock.

But with the current collective bargaining agreement and based on how the luxury tax now works, these are the kinds of decisions teams need to think more about. Saving a couple million dollars can actually have massive implications, especially for teams that are very close to the first or second apron lines.