Danny Ainge Says he Will Listen to Offers on Nets' Pick
The Philadelphia 76ers need to trade a big man, and the Boston Celtics reportedly are open to trading the Brooklyn Nets’ 2017 first round draft pick.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics always seem to pop up in trade rumors together, and this season may be no different. According to A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sports, Danny Ainge, the general manager of the Celtics, will listen to offers for their first-round draft pick that they own (which is actually the Brooklyn Nets).
The @celtics Danny Ainge said he has had some trade calls but "nothing is close or imminent." Cs will listen to offers for #nets pick.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@SherrodbCSN) January 5, 2017
That pick should be very popular in the NBA because at the moment, it is in position to have the best odds in the NBA Draft Lottery to be the top overall pick of the NBA Draft.
If the Sixers could draw up a deal that interests the Celtics enough to trade, and were able to get that Nets pick, assuming all standings stay the same as they are today, the Sixers would have the best odds at getting not only the top overall pick, but also the second overall pick. Additionally, they would own the Los Angeles Lakers seventh overall pick (that pick belongs to the Sixers as long as it falls outside of the top three).
That’s one heck of a draft lineup for the Sixers, and with such a talented draft class, the Sixers could address a lot of needs with those three picks. That said, the Sixers are looking to make the jump to competitiveness soon it seems, so adding that much more youth to the team would, in theory, stunt their growth a bit.
The obvious best scenario for the Sixers if they were to pursue a trade with Boston would be to trade either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor. Noel seems to be a decent piece to move to Boston, and the Sixers could take one of the Celtics’ many guards off of their hands in addition to the pick. That said, it seems like the Celtics would want more than that for their top overall pick and a very good defensive guard.
Whether or not Boston likes a deal like that is unknown, as Ainge and the Sixers both seem to be very picky about what they consider a “good deal.”
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