The Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics both had solid seasons during their 2024-25 runs, but neither teams made it to the finals. That honor, of course, goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, who will duke it out for the top prize.
Now, both the Pistons and Celtics are in the offseason, and both teams are looking to the NBA draft and trade possibilities that can get their teams over that hurdle come next season.
The Pistons fell to the New York Knicks in six games in the first round of the NBA playoffs, which was a major improvement over last year’s record, when the team only won 14 games. Detroit is expected to build on that success next season. With star point guard Cade Cunningham at the helm, Detroit already has their leader on the court, and now it’s about building a team around him.
Heading into the offseason, the Pistons have several unrestricted free agents, including Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schroder and Malik Beasley. So, they have some work to do. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics need to cut some salary space, so a huge trade to free up some funds is not out of the question.
A Wild Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics Trade Proposal
GettyThe Boston Celtics vs. the Detroit Pistons.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, in a May piece, has proposed a trade that brings one of the biggest faces in the NBA, and an Olympic gold medalist, to the Motor City, quickly adding some star power next to Cunningham.
Bailey’s mock trade has the Pistons receiving Derrick White and Baylor Scheierman and the Celtics receiving Jaden Ivey, a top-10 protected 2027 first-round pick and a top-five protected 2029 first-round pick.
White would instantly be one of the best players on the Pistons’ squad, if not the best, and take some pressure off of Cunningham. This would be a sweet deal for Detroit, but it would be pretty surprising to see the Celtics part with White, even if it means freeing up a lot of salary.
If the Pistons were to make this deal happen, Cunningham and White would join other strong players in Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren. If they could keep Beasley in Detroit, all the better.
“The Detroit Pistons are ready to win now, and Derrick White gets them closer to contention than Jaden Ivey does,” Bailey notes in the piece. He later adds, “For the Celtics, this beefs up the asset base for future trades or gives the team some swings on potential in a few years. Ivey is seven years younger than White.”
A Similar Pitch for Detroit and Boston
Michael Bohlin of FanSided has a similar pitch in a June 4 feature, bringing White to Detroit. He has the Pistons getting White and the Celtics receiving Isaiah Stewart, Simone Fontecchio and 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick. That deal seems to favor the Celtics, in this reporter’s opinion.
In the piece, Bohlin notes, “Regardless of which key rotation player Stevens and the Celtics’ brain trust elect to ship out of Boston this summer, there will be plenty of negative reactions to the deal, as these players have become fan favorites for one reason or another since joining the franchise.”
Time will tell if White somehow makes it to Detroit, but both of these trade proposals seem a bit far-fetched. It would take a lot for the Celtics to part with one of their most beloved players.
