Celtics NBA Draft Strategy: What Should Boston Do With No. 3 Pick?

WALTHAM, Mass. — It could have been worse. Then again, it could have been better.

The Boston Celtics will have the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft after Tuesday’s ping-pong balls failed to land them their first No. 1 pick in franchise history.

“There were some groans,” Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge admitted at the team’s practice facility in Waltham shortly after the NBA Draft Lottery. “There was a lot of hope that we could get a good pick. But we’ll take it.”

So, where do the C’s go from here? The primary options for Ainge and Co. on June 23 are simple: Make the No. 3 pick or trade it. Here are arguments for both:

MAKE THE NO. 3 PICK
The Celtics likely will miss out on the top two projected picks: LSU’s Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram. But there still are plenty more talented players in this draft. Among them is Dragan Bender, a Croatian 7-footer who can knock down 3-pointers and has the potential to develop into the frontcourt star the Celtics desperately need.

Kentucky shooting guard Jamal Murray averaged 20 points a game on a loaded Wildcats team and could give the Celtics a scoring boost, while Oklahoma guard and reigning player of the year Buddy Hield has plenty of star potential.

Ainge insisted Tuesday the Celtics will take the “best player available,” regardless of position. Hield is the most enticing option, and drafting him could be enough to convince a big-name free agent to come to Boston.

TRADE THE NO. 3 PICK
Stocking up for the future is all well and good, but the Celtics have the assets to win now. Ainge said point-blank he expects to “get some calls” for the No. 3 pick, as there are plenty of teams that would love to jump up to that spot.

Boston has a handful of solid young players who could be packaged with the No. 3 pick to create a strong offer for a team looking to make the leap. It also has seven more picks in the 2016 draft, including two more in the first round. If giving up the No. 3 pick and a handful of players means landing an All-Star like Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler, the Celtics should pounce on the opportunity.

VERDICT: TRADE THE PICK
We’ve heard enough talk about the Celtics’ arsenal of assets. They managed not to drop in this year’s draft, and Ainge should take advantage of that by concocting an offer another team can’t refuse.

Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins might be out of reach, but Boston should have the resources to get Butler. If they can pull that off, the door should be open for a free agent like Atlanta Hawks big man Al Horford, or even long shot Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant.