Brad Stevens is Ready to Break All the Rules to Bring Cooper Flagg to Boston! Full Details
In a bold and potentially historic move, Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens is reportedly exploring every possible avenue — and maybe even bending a few unwritten rules — to bring high school phenom Cooper Flagg to Boston. Widely regarded as one of the most elite basketball prospects in years, Flagg has captured national attention with his incredible athleticism, defensive instincts, and all-around versatility. And now, the Celtics might be preparing to make an unprecedented push to land him.
Flagg, who reclassified to the class of 2024 and committed to play at Duke University, is already projected as a likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Standing at 6’9″ with elite agility, shot-blocking, and perimeter skills, he’s often compared to generational talents like Kevin Garnett and even LeBron James in terms of early hype. For a franchise like Boston — already rich in history and competing at the top of the Eastern Conference — the idea of adding Flagg has fans dreaming of the future.
But here’s the catch: Boston, as a perennial contender, is highly unlikely to end up with a high lottery pick any time soon. Which begs the question: how could Brad Stevens possibly bring Flagg to Boston?
Sources around the league say Stevens is seriously weighing the idea of making aggressive trades to acquire future draft capital — particularly 2025 first-round picks — from struggling teams. The goal? To put the Celtics in position to either draft Flagg outright or have the assets needed to make a deal for the pick once the draft order is known. This strategy, if executed, would be highly unusual for a contending team and signals how highly the Celtics brass views Flagg’s potential.
What’s even more intriguing is the quiet talk that Boston has been tracking Flagg’s development for years. The Maine native has strong New England ties, and his proximity to Boston has only fueled speculation that the Celtics would be his dream NBA destination. The potential fit — a homegrown star with elite two-way skills — is almost too perfect to ignore.
However, navigating the league’s rules and ethics will be tricky. The NBA strictly prohibits teams from tampering with players not eligible for the draft, and any perceived “pre-draft maneuvering” could land teams in hot water. Still, Stevens has a reputation as one of the most calculated and forward-thinking executives in the NBA, and if anyone can pull off a long-term strategic play like this, it’s him.
In the meantime, the Celtics are focused on their current championship window with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porziņģis leading the charge. But behind the scenes, something much bigger may be in the works — a plan to bring the next face of the league to TD Garden.
It’s risky. It’s ambitious. And it’s very Brad Stevens. If Cooper Flagg becomes the player many expect him to be, this could be the move that shapes the next era of Celtics basketball.
