The Boston Celtics are hitting the reset button as they are set to be without star Jayson Tatum next season. After trading both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, Boston finds itself roughly $4.5 million below the second apron, but is not done making moves.

The Celtics are eyeing Illinois guard Kasparas Jakicionis in a potential trade up that would see them move from their 28th pick to the 12-20 region, according to Heavy’s Steve Bulpett.

The 19-year-old Lithuanian had a standout season for the Illinois Fighting Illini, averaging 15 points,5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. 

“It remains to be seen whether Boston can get up where they’d need to be to draft him, but there are definitely teams up high that are looking to trade back. The question is how far back those teams are willing to go and what Boston is willing to offer to get them to do it,” a front office source said. 

The Celtics trading up would be one of several pick trades expected to go down before Wednesday’s 2025 NBA draft. 

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“With this draft, there’s so many teams talking trade, nobody knows who’s going where. And that’s just the first round. The second round? That’s even harder to figure,” the source said. 

Boston has three brand-new second-round picks they acquired via the Holiday and Porzingis trades. This gives them assets to trade to teams who want to trade down from higher positions. 

The six-foot-six-inch Jakicionis has a rare combination of size, scoring, and vision. He shot 44% from the field and 84.5% from the free throw line last season, but may need to improve his 31.8% efficiency from beyond the arc. The Celtics undoubtedly have a playmaking vacuum to fill with both Holiday and Porzingis gone.

Jakicionis is hardly a finished product, and his 3.7 turnovers per game are concerning to say the least. However, with the Celtics looking likely to have a hugely retooled roster next season, Joe Mazzulla and co. might be looking to mold him into a future star.