Scotty Pippen was almost traded to the Boston Celtics in 1997, a year when they hit rock bottom after the retirement of Larry Bird. The Celtics won only 15 games that season and had the best odds to secure the number one overall pick in the draft, which could have been Tim Duncan. Coach Rick Pitino explored trading draft picks to acquire Pippen and center Luke Longley from the Chicago Bulls, who were considering a rebuild with Michael Jordan's uncertain future. Ultimately, the trade didn't materialize, leading to Boston drafting Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer instead. While Billups achieved great success, including a Finals MVP, Pippen's career also saw him collect one more championship before fading out with the Rockets and Blazers.