Boston Celtics: Reportedly trying to trade No. 1 pick, push for Jimmy Butler?
The Boston Celtics are reportedly trying to trade their No. 1 pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 3 pick and future draft picks.
The Boston Celtics faithful have been excited about seeing Washington guard Markelle Fultz in green ever since they were awarded the first pick in the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery. Not so fast, Celtics fans.
Reports surfaced on Friday morning that the Celtics were impressed with Kansas Jayhawks forward Josh Jackson. A Celtics source told ESPN.com's Chad Ford that Boston was seriously considering drafting Jackson.
"We like him a lot. But we like several guys a lot. We've got a week to figure it out."
Then on Friday evening, league sources told ESPN's Marc Stein and Zach Lowe that the Philadelphia 76ers and Celtics were in serious trade talks involving Boston's No. 1 overall pick.
League sources tell @ZachLowe_NBA and me that the Sixers and Celtics are in serious talks on a trade involving the No. 1 overall pick.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 16, 2017
The Sixers are looking to trade their No. 3 pick and a plethora of future draft picks to Boston for their No. 1 overall pick, probably in a move to draft Markelle Fultz. If Boston is really interested in drafting Josh Jackson, this move would make a lot of sense for the Celtics.
If the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers are likely to take Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz, why not trade the No. 1 pick and get more first round draft picks for the future? They would still be able to get Jackson either way. Not to mention that the trade would clear $1.4 million in cap space for Boston.
The Celtics need a small forward
The Celtics are already deep at the guard positions with Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart, but they lack depth at the small forward position. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, what do these top three teams have in common? Their best players are Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard, all small forwards.
What do up and coming teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Utah Jazz have in common? Star small forwards like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Andrew Wiggins and Gordon Hayward. If Boston wants to compete in today's NBA, they are going to need a wing player that can consistently score the ball on all three levels.
Another move that Danny Ainge might have in mind, is to gather the extra first round draft picks from Philly and send them to the Chicago Bulls in a deal for star forward Jimmy Butler. The Celtics have picks stacked up for the next five NBA Drafts. Having so many options would allow Boston to trade for Butler and still have enough picks left to build a future with.
A reminder of the draft-pick surplus that Danny Ainge is trying to add to: pic.twitter.com/abybCfzi4d
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) June 17, 2017
Jimmy Butler is coming off of his best year and is in the prime of his career. In the 2016-17 season, he averaged 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.9 steals a game. Adding Butler to a 53-win team would put Boston in close contention with Cleveland as the favorites to come out of the East.
According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog, the Celtics could be trading the No. 1 pick to stock up on extra picks in a potential Butler trade.
It would be wise for the Celtics to make a move for Butler. Having top-notch talent in Isaiah Thomas and Jimmy Butler would be very attractive to the biggest names in free agency like Blake Griffin and Gordon Hayward.
The Celtics have a lot of options heading into the draft and free agency, which move would serve Boston the best?
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