NBA: Predicting the next 5 championship teams

2022 NBA Champions: Boston Celtics

Finals MVP: Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will re-up with their current team, players coming off a rookie contract rarely turn down the extra guaranteed money to jump ship to another franchise early in their careers. Boston will still be brimming with young talent thanks to the savvy moves made by Danny Ainge over the years.

The Celtics have a possible four first-round draft picks in 2019. The Sacramento Kings first round draft pick is only top-1 protected, so if they get anything less than the 1st overall pick, Boston will be selecting yet another player in the lottery at the expense of yet another poor decision by a franchise.

The Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers owe their first-round picks as well, although they are top-8 and top-14 protected, respectively. If they don’t convey next season they have another chance the year after.

All this young talent on rookie contracts attracts the eyes of the recent champion and four-time finals MVP, Kevin Durant. Gordon Hayward will come off the books just in time to let the team sign the aging forward to a modest, yet respectable $30-million per year contract.

After adding Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant though free agency, and re-signing Horford (with a huge pay cut), it is the Celtics own draft picks who come through to bring the franchise its first title in over a decade.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are defensive terrors while both averaging over 20 points per game as Irving and Durant struggle with efficiency in the finals. Tatum’s clutch shot in Game 6 put him over the top for finals MVP.