Could the Charlotte Hornets cook up a draft-day trade with the Boston Celtics?

We are two weeks out from the second round of the NBA Draft.

In only two weeks' time, we will see names fall to day two of the draft, a new system that was implemented last season. With only thirty first round selections, some players will enter into night two disappointed that they lost out on some money and were not a first-round pick.

For the Charlotte Hornets, they might be looking to not select on day two at all.

The Hornets have two second-round picks, at 33 and 34. It's the third and fourth pick of the second round, and can easily get the Hornets another first-round type of talent. Though, what if they do not want to wait for a first-round talent to fall, and want to jump up? Two early second-round picks could be enticing for a team in the late 20s.

Enter the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics are entering, essentially, a new era thanks in part to the brand new CBA that current Hornet Grant Williams helped create. The Celtics will be looking this offseason to shed as much money as possible to get themselves under the second apron, which for those who are unaware is essentially an extremely intense penalty zone for teams who are in it.

The Celtics have one of the highest paid rosters in league history, so they will be making plenty of moves. One of them may come on draft night, involving Jeff Peterson and the Hornets.

The Celtics hold picks 28 and 32 in the draft. The 28th overall pick in today's NBA receives roughly a $2.5 million a year salary. While this is not that much money, the Celtics desperately need to save as much as possible. In contrast, second round picks do not have a rookie wage scale. Teams can sign them to however much money they would like, or could opt to give them a two-way deal.

Not only could having back to back to back high second-round picks get the Celtics a great young prospect that they do not have to commit much money to, it gives them assets to potentially salary dump a big contract like Kristaps Porzingis.

As for the Hornets, they get to move up back into the first round and select one of the top prospects on the board. They can Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner, Illinois' Will Riley, or maybe March Madness star Walter Clayton Jr fall to them at the selection.

It would be the second time in the last three seasons that Charlotte had two first-round picks (2023, they selected Brandon Miller at 2 and Nick Smith Jr. at 27). They could add two first-round talents to the roster, or even potentially use that extra first-rounder to make a separate trade.

No matter what, the Hornets are in a great spot with two high second-round picks.

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