Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics want out of the No. 3 pick in the 2016 NBA draft.
The above isn’t the most shocking thing in the world, not after the Celtics emerged as the biggest losers of the draft lottery. A third slot behind the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers means missing out on the top two prospects in the class, Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram.
Rather than roll the dice on a Dragan Bender or take a sure prospect at a position they don’t need such as Jamal Murray, it sounds like the Celtics will do whatever it takes to deal the pick. CSNNE.com’s A. Sherrod Blakely shared the report:
[I’m] hearing that No. 3 pick overall is the one that they are really shopping, trying to be as aggressive as possible in trying to move that pick, because they want to get a difference-making, impact player right now. And they believe using that No. 3 pick, and maybe some other players and/or picks, might be the best way to [make] that happen.
He went on to explain what the Celtics want to add this summer:
The guys that they want are the guys that everybody wants. We’re talking about [Kevin] Durant, we’re talking about Jimmy Butler, those type of players. And those guys are going to be at the top of their wish list until those guys say, ‘We don’t want to come to Boston.
Boston might have a hard time moving the pick for compensation the front office deems fair because few prospects are worth the necessary cost to move up, barring a shocking tumble for Simmons or Ingram.
Still, Boston has the right idea here with trying to move the pick. The team has too many draft picks as it is and dealing No. 3 for some nice real estate in a future, perhaps better draft makes sense. Even without No. 3, Boston has plenty of other picks to address the roster, which already happened to qualify for the playoffs and might be able to add a major free agent this offseason.
With eight picks in the draft and plenty of cap space to play with, Boston making a deal with an undesirable pick seems like the best course of action. Though a move might not come until the Celtics walk to the podium, keep a close eye on the rumblings around the team with the event on approach.