Boston Celtics guard Jordan Walsh has been suggested as a possible trade target for the Indiana Pacers, according to a Bleacher Report column published Tuesday by Dan Favale.
Favale ranked Walsh third on the Pacers’ list of top trade targets for the 2026-27 season, behind Yves Missi and Jaylin Williams. He noted that Walsh “can defend all over the floor and only makes $2.4 million this season.”
Favale added that Walsh’s recent three-year, $15 million extension is cheap enough that the associated “poison pill” provision “isn’t a huge hurdle,” but that “his importance to the Celtics is the bigger obstacle.”
“Jordan Walsh can defend all over the floor and only makes $2.4 million this season. His extension was cheap enough at three years and $15 million that the poison pill provision isn’t a huge hurdle,” Favale wrote. “His importance to the Celtics is the bigger obstacle. He started games in the preseason. Indy will have a harder time calling about him if he stays inside the opening five.”
Walsh started games in the preseason, and Favale wrote that Indiana would have a harder time pursuing him if he remains in Boston’s opening five.
The 22-year-old wing, drafted 38th overall by Boston in 2023 out of Arkansas, has developed into a versatile defender and improving offensive contributor. In the 2025-26 season, he averaged 5.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 17.8 minutes per game across 68 appearances, including 25 starts. He shot 50.9% from the field and 38.4% from 3-point range.
Walsh’s Growing Role for Celtics After Offseason Changes
Walsh’s expanded role last season came amid roster turnover and injuries in Boston. The Celtics traded All-Star wing Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George this offseason, elevating the value of remaining wing depth. Boston also signed Walsh to the extension that keeps him under team control through at least 2028-29 (with a team option for 2029-30), a deal Favale described as team-friendly enough to limit salary-matching complications for a potential suitor.
Walsh started in the Celtics’ season-opening 121-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, recording zero points on 0-of-2 shooting, six rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 13 minutes. His early usage underscores the defensive versatility that has made him a rotation piece under coach Joe Mazzulla.
At 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Walsh has shown the ability to guard multiple positions while contributing on the glass.
Obstacles to a Potential Deal From Boston’s Side
From the Celtics’ standpoint, moving Walsh would require significant return value that addresses their own needs, given his low cost and developmental trajectory. Favale highlighted that Walsh’s importance in Boston’s rotation makes him a difficult target for the Pacers, who are seeking backup bigs and wings while navigating a salary situation that has them roughly $6 million into the luxury tax.
The Pacers’ other listed targets, Yves Missi and Jaylin Williams, reflect needs for front-court depth and rebounding, areas where Walsh’s perimeter-oriented skill set would provide a different fit as a multi-positional defender.
Boston’s front office, led by president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, has prioritized retaining young, cost-controlled contributors this offseason. Walsh’s extension aligns with similar deals for other developmental pieces, signaling confidence in his long-term upside as a two-way wing.
Any trade discussion would also face the practical hurdles of matching salaries around his current $2.4 million figure and the timing of the poison-pill provision tied to the extension, which takes effect in 2027-28.
Favale’s broader ranking of trade targets across the league emphasizes team-specific needs, cap situations and available assets. For the Celtics, who finished 56-26 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs, Walsh represents a low-cost piece of continuity as they integrate George alongside Jayson Tatum and navigate the early portion of the 2026-27 schedule.
As of Wednesday, the Celtics stood 0-1 after the opener and prepared to host the New York Knicks on Friday.
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