The Celtics have three picks in the first round of the draft. Execs around the NBA don’t expect them to keep all three.
Getty Celtics President Danny Ainge has difficult decisions ahead in the NBA Draft. In the end, the Celtics did not improve their position in the NBA Draft on lottery night, which saw the Timberwolves win the No.1 overall pick. But, according to executives around the NBA, it might not matter—the Celtics could be active in looking to move this pick. The Celtics stayed put with the No.14 pick from Memphis, a product of their 2015 trade that sent Jeff Green to the Grizzlies. Boston had higher hopes for the pick in recent years, with the Grizzlies struggling as an organization. The pick was protected for the Top 8 last year when Memphis won the No.2 pick and chose guard Ja Morant. The pick was protected for the Top 6 this year but with the Grizzlies’ surprisingly strong season, the Celtics had almost no chance of moving up without losing the pick altogether. In addition to the Timberwolves getting the top pick, the Warriors were awarded pick No.2 and the Hornets were No.3. The Top 3 picks are expected to be some combination of guards Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, with center James Wiseman in the mix, too. But the Celtics remain one of the most intriguing teams in the daft, holding the No.14 pick as well as No.26 (their own pick) and No.30 (from Milwaukee, through Phoenix as part of the Aron Baynes trade last summer). “They love their young players, every team loves their young players, but Boston more than most,” one general manager told Heavy.
