Celtics haunted by trading away $207 million star
There's no telling just how different things would've been.
But the Boston Celtics made a trade in 2020 that hasn't aged particularly well.
Bleacher Report recently outlined trades that have "haunted" each franchise, in order to get into the Halloween spirit.
And in 2020, the Celtics drafted the rights to Desmond Bane but sent him away for a couple of second-round picks.
Bane was the No. 30 pick that year and no sure thing.
But since then, Bane has turned into a $207 million player and then been traded for four first-round picks from the Grizzlies to the Magic.
"The Celtics could find out they don't have enough two-way support players around their stars, though," B/R's Zach Buckley wrote. "And that's a massive bummer since Boston managed to find that exact skill set at the back end of the 2020 draft. The problem was the Celtics didn't keep the 30th pick, which they spent on Bane, but instead sent it out for a couple of second-round picks they didn't hold onto. So, while Bane has since emerged as a perimeter sharpshooter, near-star scorer and willing-and-able team defender, Boston has reaped exactly none of the rewards from his ascension."
The Celtics won a title a couple years ago without Bane.
Now, they're navigating a season without Jayson Tatum due to his torn Achilles.
The presence of Bane may have altered everything, or it may have led to a very similar outcome.
It's certainly fun to think about how things may have turned out differently.
Steelers Predicted to Land $33 Million Veteran Receiver at NFL Trade Deadline
The Pittsburgh Steelers have found themselves at the top of the list of NFL teams looking for a wide receiver since early in the 2024 offseason.
This offseason, they gave their fans the kind of move they had been waiting for at the position when they traded for DK Metcalf.
However, they were still left with just one trustworthy pass catcher as a result of them trying George Pickens away.
Throughout the 2025 season, there has been talk about them making a trade for another receiver to play alongside Metcalf.
Last week former Steelers guard Trai Essex predicted they would trade for Calvin Ridley.
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi MeyersTrevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler has a different name in mind for the Steelers.
In a recent article, he predicted the Steelers would be the team to wind up with Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Meyers has established himself as a dependable producer in recent years.
He went over 800 yards in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons before a career year in 2024.
Last season, he made 87 catches for 1027 yards for the Raiders.
This season hasn't been quite so impressive. In six games, he's made 29 catches for 329 yards. He hasn't reached 40 yards in a game since Week 3.
The downturn in production over recent weeks may not be enough to deter the Steelers.
The Steelers' offense hasn't really been a problem this season. They are currently 11th in scoring at 25 points per game.
The problem is that they may need to be a top five offense to make up for how bad their defense has been. The defense is allowing 25 points per game, which puts them at 25th in the league. They've also given up more than 30 points in back to back games.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has sounded pretty resistant to changing anything about their struggling defense. That could mean the Steelers are going to need to win some shootouts down the stretch if they're going to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Meyers could help with that in spite of his struggles over the last few weeks. He's a receiver who would pair well with Metcalf and give Aaron Rodgers another guy he can count on in the passing game.
He shouldn't be overly costly because of his underwhelming start to the season and a contract that expires at the end of the year.
I don't know if a wide receiver is still enough to fix the Steelers given the issues that have popped up in recent weeks, but Meyers would be a solid addition for them if they want to try and let the offense carry the team.
