Rumors have swirled for weeks now about the Boston Celtics potentially trading up in this week’s NBA draft to select Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein.
Speaking with reporters in New York the day before the draft, the 7-foot-1 big man said he wouldn’t mind that at all.
[tweet https://twitter.com/KyleTucker_CJ/status/613759145368547328 align=’center’]
Cauley-Stein and Young, of course, were teammates on the 2013-14 Wildcats team that made a run to the national championship game as a No. 8 seed.
Young, then a freshman, declared for the draft after that game and ultimately went 17th overall to the Celtics, while Cauley-Stein, who began his college career one year earlier, injured his ankle during Kentucky’s 2014 tournament run and decided to return to Lexington for his junior season.
Despite reports that injury concerns could hurt Cauley-Stein’s draft stock, Boston, which owns the 16th pick in the 2015 draft, more than likely would need to move into the top 10 to have a chance at nabbing the big man, who’s regarded as one of best defenders in this year’s class.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Tuesday the team’s hope is to trade up in the draft.
Thumbnail photo via Jamie Rhodes/USA TODAY Sports Images
