With the 2016 NBA Draft just days away, the rumor mill is turning, and much of the chatter has been about what the Boston Celtics will do with the No. 3 overall pick.
The Celtics reportedly are trying to trade their top first-round selection and appear to have a few targets in mind, but finding a willing trade partner might be easier said than done, according to ESPN’s Ryen Russillo.
Picks #3 #5 #7 are talked about the most as being available w/ NBA GMs. (Obviously other picks are as well)
— Russillo (@ryenarussillo) June 21, 2016
Teams keep referencing the cap as an obstacle w/ trades. "Why do I want to trade a $7m player knowing it will cost me $14m to replace him?"
— Russillo (@ryenarussillo) June 21, 2016
The Celtics have been trying to package #3 and another player/players for a legitimate starter. Teams have not been interested.
— Russillo (@ryenarussillo) June 21, 2016
Not saying it's impossible but sentiment around league is that Boston doesn't have anyone on roster that other GMs really want.
— Russillo (@ryenarussillo) June 21, 2016
Of course, Russillo’s report could be the result of NBA general managers trying to drive down the Celtics’ price tag for their No. 3 pick. It does have some validity, though, as Boston boasts several solid complementary players like Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart, but no true star outside of point guard Isaiah Thomas.
Still, the Celtics’ supposed lack of strong assets won’t stop them from doing everything in their power to try to move the pick, according to ESPN Insider Chad Ford.
“The Celtics’ preferred choice is to trade the pick,” Ford wrote in a recent ESPN.com mock draft. “If they can find a partner willing to take a package of the No. 3 pick plus other assets in return for a young All-Star, they’ll make the deal. If they are forced to keep the pick, it’s much harder to tell which direction they’re leaning.”
If the C’s wind up keeping the pick, both Ford and fellow ESPN Insider Jay Bilas have them taking Providence College point guard Kris Dunn.
“Dunn is the third-best prospect in this draft,” Bilas writes. “He is long-armed, very athletic and an elite defender who gets steals and impacts the game without scoring. … Dunn has star potential as a big point guard.”
Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
