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2026 Draft Sees No Veteran Trades, Celtics Eye Brown

6/25/2026

Summary

NBA Teams Avoid Trades

No NBA teams traded established players during the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Teams only swapped draft picks, preferring selections to veteran deals.
The Boston Celtics eyed a Jaylen Brown trade that would send Kingston Flemings to Atlanta or the Clippers.
The New Orleans Pelicans, after trading their 2026 first-round pick, still target Nate Ament and Trey Murphy III without making a trade on Tuesday.

Summary

Thunder Salary Crunch

The Thunder are over $30 million above the league’s second-apron salary limit heading into the draft.
Sixteen players are under contract for 2026-27, including five front-court big men, requiring one roster spot to be cleared.
Trading Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks yielded two future second-round picks while leaving the cap crunch unchanged.
GM Sam Presti must renegotiate Isaiah Hartenstein’s option or drop salary to stay under the second apron.

History

Historical Context

Since the NBA’s collective bargaining agreements have regulated salary caps and luxury-tax limits, teams have often reshaped rosters through draft-focused trades. Under the CBA, a club may trade at most $5.617 million in cash each season. In 2026, the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Brad Stevens and Sam Presti, are forced to prioritize pick accumulation as the Thunder sit $30 million over the cap.

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NBA Teams Avoid Trades

No NBA teams traded established players during the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Teams only swapped draft picks, preferring selections to veteran deals.
The Boston Celtics eyed a Jaylen Brown trade that would send Kingston Flemings to Atlanta or the Clippers.
The New Orleans Pelicans, after trading their 2026 first-round pick, still target Nate Ament and Trey Murphy III without making a trade on Tuesday.

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