76ers Have Had ‘Fairly Interesting’ Trade Talk On No. 3 NBA Draft Pick

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, owners of the No. 1 and No. 2 picks, respectively, in the 2017 NBA Draft, are expected to hold on to their selections and draft Washington guard Markelle Fultz and UCLA guard Lonzo Ball in some order.

If that happens, the draft could really get interesting when the Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock with the third overall pick. The 76ers have selected in the top three in three straight drafts, so it’s possible they could trade this pick for a veteran or for a collection of valuable assets.

Philly president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo admitted Tuesday he’s had trade talks on the No. 3 selection.

“I think that should we move or if there’s a transaction that comes out that gives us a chance to perhaps increase what impact No. 3 can have in terms of its return, I think we will look at it,” Colangelo said, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “There’s some discussions that have been fairly interesting.”

The 76ers have not been afraid in recent years to wheel and deal when it comes to draft picks. In fact, they own the No. 3 pick thanks to a trade with the Sacramento Kings that gave them the ability to swap first-round picks with the Kings in this draft.

Still, this draft class is loaded with high-end talent, even after Fultz and Ball. The 76ers shouldn’t trade this pick unless a team makes them an offer they cannot refuse.