Boston Took Dan Dickau for a Future Second-Round Right
Boston's September 2005 transaction sent a future 2006 second-round selection to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets in exchange for guard Dan Dickau. The original club was in a temporary Oklahoma City arrangement after Hurricane Katrina, and its franchise history is indexed under today's New Orleans Pelicans. The selection later appeared as No. 56, associated with Edin Bavcic. Boston favored a player who had NBA guard experience and could compete for a near-term role, while the Hornets accepted a lower-round development opportunity. This was not a multi-player veteran package or a guaranteed first-round future asset.
Dickau Arrived as an Experienced Guard, Not a Long-Term Promise
Dickau had already played NBA minutes and established a reputation for outside shooting and passing. Boston could use him as backcourt depth without waiting for the following summer's draft, but his earlier performances for other teams did not instantly become Celtics production. A player approaching a new roster had to earn his own playing time and could be affected by health or subsequent roster changes. Dickau's recognizable name shouldn't be treated as evidence of an All-Star arrival. The deal's immediate purpose was to give Boston a practical guard option for an evolving rotation.
The Future Pick Carried a Specific Late-Second Outcome
The Hornets acquired a 2006 second-round pick later associated with No. 56 Edin Bavcic. That draft slot offered an opportunity to obtain or use the rights to an international prospect, but it wasn't equal to a signed NBA player ready for the opening tip. Any later Bavcic career outside the league could be useful contextual evidence without being credited as actual Hornets game production. The 2005 agreement did not automatically place Bavcic on the club's active roster in 2006. Draft-rights control and professional minutes are distinct outcomes when evaluating this type of exchange.
A Balanced Return for Different Roster Horizons
Boston sought an immediate reserve guard while the Hornets prioritized an additional future selection during a period of organizational disruption. Dickau's NBA experience supplied more current certainty, but the 2006 pick preserved the possibility of selecting or moving a different player later. Neither side obtained a franchise-altering contributor, and the agreed assets were too small to justify sweeping conclusions about either team's next decade. Equal moderate grades recognize the value of near-term guard depth and speculative later draft flexibility without awarding unrelated career achievements to either receiver.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Boston Celtics earns C+; New Orleans Pelicans earns C+. Boston sought an immediate reserve guard while the Hornets prioritized an additional future selection during a period of organizational disruption. Dickau's NBA experience supplied more current certainty, but the 2006 pick preserved the possibility of selecting or Previous clubs and any subsequent draft-rights transfers are not credited as current receiving-team NBA games.