Boston Secured a Draft Selection for Allowing a Free-Agent Move
On September 26, 1985, the Celtics agreed not to exercise their right of first refusal concerning veteran free agent Ray Williams, allowing the Los Angeles Clippers to pursue him. In exchange, Boston gained a future fourth-round pick in the 1987 draft. The historical ledger later connects that selection to No. 70 Tom Sheehey. The agreement belongs to a period with more than two NBA draft rounds and different contractual matching arrangements than contemporary free agency. Boston was not trading a currently signed center for a first-round selection, and Los Angeles was seeking access to a particular guard rather than purchasing a high lottery prospect.
Los Angeles Wanted Williams's Established NBA Experience
Williams entered the arrangement with recognizable guard skills and years of NBA work behind him. The Clippers could explore adding his ball handling and scoring to a roster that lacked the depth of the league's established contenders. Previous games with New York, Boston or another franchise did not become new Los Angeles production simply because Boston stepped aside in 1985. A free-agent acquisition also required the club to complete separate roster decisions; the matching-rights waiver removed a contractual obstacle but wasn't a guarantee of future star performance. That made the Clippers' benefit immediate in purpose but uncertain in result.
The Celtics' Compensation Became a Fourth-Round Right
Boston's draft claim ultimately appeared as the 1987 No. 70 choice associated with Tom Sheehey. A fourth-round selection was a legitimate developmental right in that historical draft format, but it wasn't comparable to a protected modern first. The Celtics could attempt to scout and sign a late prospect without keeping the matching option attached to Williams. Any subsequent professional playing time by Sheehey would need to be traced to the actual signing team. The right alone didn't mean Boston had instantly replenished its NBA guard rotation or drafted a guaranteed useful player.
A Small Celtics Edge Fits the Original Risk
Boston converted an option it chose not to use into a distinct later draft asset, while the Clippers gained the chance to negotiate for a known veteran. That supports a narrow Celtics advantage, not a sweeping judgment on either team's mid-1980s performance. The 1987 pick carried limited upside due to its round, but it was still compensation rather than nothing. The Clippers' rationale was an immediate need for backcourt experience, yet the right to pursue Williams was not equivalent to acquiring the best years of his prior career. Both returns were small and conditional in different ways.
Final Verdict
Celtics Win, slightly. Boston receives C+ for the 1987 fourth-round position eventually identified as No. 70 Tom Sheehey. Los Angeles receives C- because Boston agreed not to exercise its matching right on Ray Williams. The trade was about a free-agent right, not an existing signed player, and the fourth-round pick was not a guaranteed rotation solution.