If you’ve been around the Celtics long enough, Jerome Moiso is one of those names that can pull a memory out of the deep archive.
Moiso was a 6-foot-10 left-handed forward from France who played at UCLA before Boston took him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. His Celtics run never turned into much - he played 145 NBA games overall, averaged 2.7 points and 2.7 rebounds, and logged time with the Celtics, Hornets, Raptors, Nets and Cavaliers before being out of the league by 2005.
But the real legacy wasn’t what Moiso did on the floor. It was the trade chain that followed him.
That chain has now run out of road. Nikola Vucevic was one of the pieces connected to it, and with his signing with the Orlando Magic, there are no more trade branches left to extend.
It all began in August 2001, when Boston sent Moiso to the 76ers for Roshown McLeod and a 2003 first-round pick. That pick became Dahntay Jones, and Jones was the next link in the line.
In June 2003, the Celtics moved Jones and Troy Bell to the Grizzlies for Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins. Perkins lasted a long time in Boston, but he eventually became part of a February 2011 deal with Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder that brought back Jeff Green and a few picks.
Green later entered a three-team trade in January 2015 that sent a future first-round pick to the Celtics. That pick turned into Aaron Nesmith in 2020.
From there, the trail kept moving. Boston traded Nesmith in July 2022 to the Indiana Pacers in the package for Malcolm Brogdon. Brogdon then went to the Portland Trail Blazers in the October 2023 deal for Jrue Holiday.
The Celtics sent Holiday back to Portland in July 2025 for Anfernee Simons, and Simons was later dealt before the deadline to the Chicago Bulls for Vucevic.
With Vucevic leaving through free agency instead of another trade, the Moiso tree has finally reached its last branch.
In Other News...
Celtics Just Sent A Clear Message About Tatums Inner Circle
Bostons decision to bring in Mike Conley Jr. says plenty about how this front office is thinking as it tries to keep the roster balanced without losing sight of the financial picture. Conley gives the Celtics a steadier backcourt option and a cleaner fit for what they want to do, while also keeping the conversation focused on practicality rather than splash.
Bradley Beals name naturally comes with more star power, but the Celtics have shown they are willing to pass on that kind of move if it complicates the cap or the rotation. It also fits a broader pattern in Boston, where Jayson Tatum has not been the driving force behind personnel calls, and this latest choice only reinforces how little room there seems to be for sentiment when the Celtics are weighing their next step. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Added A Familiar Problem Fans Know All Too Well
Bostons frontcourt got a lot more crowded when the Celtics brought in former Knicks center Mitch Robinson on a three-year, $47.1 million deal and then followed that by extending Neemias Queta for four years at $56 million. It is the kind of move that signals both urgency and confidence, giving Joe Mazzulla two centers with very different profiles and a roster wrinkle that should shape how Boston looks on both ends of the floor.
The bigger question now is how the Celtics sort out the minutes, because there is at least the possibility of a real starting-center battle here. Queta is already in place, Robinson arrives with a reputation that made him a problem for opponents, and Boston will spend the summer and early part of the season figuring out how much competition there really is and how comfortable each big man is with whatever role comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics May Regret Waiting On Payton Pritchard Much Longer
Payton Pritchards place in Boston is suddenly one of the more interesting contract questions on the roster. With Jaylen Brown gone, the Celtics are expected to lean more on Pritchard next season, and his mix of starter-level production and bench scoring has only sharpened the case for the team to think ahead before his price tag climbs.
Pritchard is eligible for an extension this summer, and Boston has a decision to make about whether to act now or wait and see how much larger his role becomes. The Celtics have not made any official calls on his contract or usage, but if they plan to give him more ball-handling duties and a bigger scoring load, the timing could matter more than it did a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]