Celtics $6.1 Billion Sale Will Lead To Suspicious Number 1 Pick For Boston, Imply Gilbert Arenas And Brandon Jennings

After a season of losing, or as people like to call it, tanking, the teams finishing at the bottom of the league have something exciting to look forward to — the Draft Lottery. It determines the order in which they will make their picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. The lower a team finishes, the higher their chances of landing the No. 1 pick. But much to the agony of teams like the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards in 2025, it was the 10th-seeded Dallas Mavericks, who had just a 1.8% chance at the top pick, who ended up getting it. And something smelled really fishy.

There was talk of favoritism, with the likes of Hall of Famer Dwayne Wade, who owns the Jazz, suggesting foul play. He simply couldn’t believe that the Jazz, with a 14% chance, only got a shot to pick number five.

Gilbert Arenas agrees. He stated that new owners in this league are rewarded with better Draft picks in return for making sacrifices that the top brass sees as necessary for the larger picture. And the latest team in the NBA to have new owners? It’s gonna be the Celtics.

Let’s take a look at the Mavs first. In 2023, Mark Cuban sold his majority shares to the Adelson family and has since pretty much lost control over decisions made internally. In February, with GM Nico Harrison as the scapegoat, superstar Luka Doncic got traded to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. And just a few months later, they get a shot at the number one pick, which presents them with the golden opportunity to get college sensation Cooper Flagg on board.

Now, back to the Celtics, who are on the verge of a $6.1 billion takeover led by an investment group headed by Bill Chisholm. So, could Boston fans expect some major moves in the coming years? Perhaps. Gilbert discussed the same on an episode of Gil’s Arenas. 

“Let’s just say, Jaylen Brown decides to miss all of next year,” Arenas said with a laugh. “They play real bad…” 

Arenas pointed out that with Jayson Tatum already sidelined long-term with a torn Achilles, Jaylen Brown sitting out would almost certainly signal a tank. However, the former Warriors guard was quick to add that he believes Utah will land the No. 1 pick next season—perhaps as compensation for missing out in 2025.

Brandon Jennings, on the other hand, feels it will be Boston.

He feels that AJ Dybansta from BYU, who is expected to be a part of the Draft class in 2026 and also the number one pick, will head over to the Celtics. “I think they’re [the Celtics] are going to end up with that number one pick.” 

Arenas further built up on that, talking about Victor Wembanyama’s 2023 Draft selection by the San Antonio Spurs. “Y’all really thought Wemby was gonna go where? Charlotte? Detroit? No, no. He ended up exactly where he was supposed to end up. Someone who knows how to take care of number one pick bigs.” 

Plenty of talk about one of the biggest nights on the NBA calendar being rigged, sparked by two former league stars. But an even bigger star—literally—has hinted at the same more than once: Shaquille O’Neal.

O’Neal’s shocking NBA draft revelation

Shaq isn’t one to hold back. “Diesel” says what he wants, when he wants — and with his playing days behind him, he doesn’t have to worry much about fines or repercussions.

So, when he sat down with Ashley Nevel to talk about the NBA Draft possibly being rigged, he took a trip down memory lane — back to 1992, when he was the projected number one pick. According to Shaq, then-commissioner David Stern had asked him before the lottery whether he preferred playing somewhere hot or cold.

Shaq was stunned — and so was Nevel. But he did have a preference, and he picked warmer weather.

“He smiled and I smiled,” Shaq recalled. “And then a couple of days later, they had that draft thing, and you know, the top three picks — Minnesota was number three… Charlotte was number two… and then Orlando, Florida was number one.”

And sure enough, it was the Magic who drafted O’Neal first overall, sending him to the Sunshine State. He got his wish — and maybe even a little more. Because if Shaq’s story is true, it’s clear that the draft lottery might not be so random after all.