The Celtics’ 2026 NBA dream NBA trade deadline scenario in the midst of a surprise season

Expectations were not necessarily low for Boston Celtics starts the 2025-26 campaign. They may be without Jayson Tatum, who is still out recovering from a ruptured Achilles and may end up missing the entire season, and they traded away key members of their 2024 championship team this past offseason, with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis being let go. But even the most optimistic fans didn’t expect the Celtics to stay in the top three of the Eastern Conference where they currently sit.

The The Celtics are well coachedand they have the right personnel to look forward to in today’s pace-and-space-driven NBA. Head coach Joe Mazzulla got the best out of his players and Jailen Brown took his game to the next level. Brown is averaging nearly 30 points per game on about 57 percent shooting, and his game has gotten even better. Few people joke about his left hand (or lack thereof) now, that’s for sure.

Be that as it may, it is clear that it is The Celtics need a pair or two more to regain legitimate status in the fight, even when Tatum returns. They even tried to acquire Ivica Zubac for the low price of Anfernee Simmons, a first-round pick and a trade of picks, which the Los Angeles Clippers turned down.

They need reinforcements in the frontcourt after losing Porzingis and Al Horford last year. Neemias Cueta and the rest of the Celtics have done a good job of holding down the fort, but they’ll need plenty of floor spacing and rim protection similar to what they had when they won the title in 2024 if they’re going to break through once again.

If it’s not already obvious, the Celtics have to dream of acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. from the flat Memphis Grizzlies.

Celtics dream trade deadline scenario: Shop low for Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Memphis Grizzlies have stumbled throughout the year, as their struggling end to the 2024-25 season carried over into the 2025-26 campaign. They are currently well below .500, and look poised to continue trading after trading Desmond Bain for a king buyout last offseason.

Ja Morant is a popular choice for the most likely Grizzlies player to be dealt before the trade deadline, and for good reason. Morant’s off-court issues were easier for the Grizzlies, or any other team, when he was performing at the NBA level. But he’s nowhere near being an All-Star caliber player anymore.

Morant became one of the most ineffective scorers in the association; he has a true shooting percentage of 52.1, which would rank him among the best fourth-least efficient scorer in the league among eligible players, if he actually played enough games to qualify. And it’s not like he makes up for it with other contributions similar to what someone like Derrick White does.

However, the market for Morant is cold, and understandably so. Small guards who make a ton of money and aren’t elite defensively don’t have much value, and the decline in production from Morant, at just 26 years old, is concerning. It’s become very apparent that he’s lost a lot due to the myriad of injury concerns he’s endured over the past few seasons, and the off-field concerns surrounding him make him such a high-risk player.

With the Grizzlies already turning heads with the Bane trade and the likely Morant deal to come, it might not make much sense for them to shell out top dollar for someone like Jackson moving forward. This could pave the way for Celtics buy Jackson for a reasonably expensive price.

Jackson is getting ready make an average of around $51 million over the next four seasons, and he’s not the type of player a team can rely on to carry the playoffs. He is more of an elite player, a secondary scoring option whose primary strength lies in his defensive versatility, shot blocking and floor spacing.

This makes him perfect for a team with number one options already in place (Tatum and Brown) but needing another high-caliber backup player like Jackson to get over the hump.

Jackson would allow the Celtics to play a similar brand of basketball to the one that fueled their championship run in 2024. He’s not even just a catch-and-shoot guy; he can attack the shutdown and go for his favorite left baby boom that for some reason opponents can’t stop, and with the defensive attention Tatum and Brown draw, there will be plenty of room for him to attack off the bounce.

What’s more, the 26-year-old big man is an even better shot blocker than Porzingis (in his prime) and is a more mobile defender than Horford was.

The big question mark with Jackson is his jump shot, or lack thereof. It may not be sustainable for him to play the five full-time. But it’s not like Porzingis and Horford suddenly became Dennis Rodman for the Celtics when they were in the box. Tatum, Brown and White can hold their own on the glass; even Sam Houser and Peyton Pritchard have basics on the boards.

The The Celtics’ heavy three-point offense and the shifty, swaggering defense makes Jackson a perfect fit, if only they can find a way to pair him with a tighter rebounder for some stretches.

Now, the Celtics have to be very careful about what they trade. Jackson’s contract is no joke, and star players who make super-max money and aren’t capable of being the number one option on a title-contending team see a drop in value pretty quickly. Such is the reality under this current CBA.

Tatum, Brown and White must stay no matter what, as the Celtics will need those three plus Jackson to contend. The Anfernee Simmons deal will be the centerpiece, and Boston has to be okay with parting ways with two to three first-round picks to land the former DPOI. The price will be prohibitive, but taking that risk should be worth it.