The Boston Celtics own the 14th, 26th, 30th and 47th picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Of course, for a team coming off a deep playoff run that ended in the Eastern Conference Finals, having three first-round draft picks generally is rare.
Unless, of course, Danny Ainge is the general manager.
Yet, Boston reportedly has tried to trade all three of those selections in order to move up.
But wait, aren't three first-rounders better than one? Isn't it a safer bet to draft three guys and hope at least two pan out as solid contributors, as opposed to the risk of selecting one elite prospect who could be a bust?
For Boston, no. Not this year. The Celtics actually should try to move up in the draft for a couple of reasons.
First and foremost, drafting three first-rounders automatically means adding three guaranteed contracts to the payroll. Unfortunately, the Celtics currently are in quite the roster crunch, so consolidating is a wise move.
Even if Gordon Hayward opts out or they deal him in a sign-and-trade, the Celtics will want to spend that money on a player already in the NBA who can put them over the top, while doing everything it can to maintain the rest of their current roster. The chemistry is there, and that's invaluable.
That player -- capable of putting Boston past the Eastern Conference Finals -- likely is not going to be a rookie from this draft class. It just doesn't have that star power.
A stash of mid-to-late first-round picks from this class is not what Boston needs. So yes, the Celtics should try to move up in the draft, with the more important detail being how far up they try to climb.
It won't be easy for Ainge to move all three picks because, as mentioned to be the case with Boston, not many teams are in a place financially to welcome three first-round contracts. And fellow general managers have seen Ainge fleece their peers before, if it hasn't happened to them personally.
Frankly, they're not scratching Ainge's back unless he scratches theirs too, and if a deal hasn't gotten done already, it also could very well be because teams wanted the Celtics to throw in a roster player to sweeten the pot.
Who they are willing to trade away will seriously impact how far up the Celtics can climb. Is dealing someone like Marcus Smart and breaking up a rotation that jelled so well this year worth the potential of being in a position to draft LaMelo Ball? (That was a rhetorical question, don't you dare say yes.)
Again, there aren't a lot of stars in this draft class, but it is pretty deep. The Celtics' 14th pick has been the topic of trade discussions, too, but we see more value in perhaps packaging the second two first rounders to move up, as the big names aren't worth giving up a guy like Smart or Robert Williams.
By trying to package the 26th and 30th picks, two positions that still could result in some solid selections, the Celtics could avoid having three guaranteed contracts on their books. Swapping those two to get a bit higher, even if it's not a top-10- selection, could put them in position to draft one of the better big men or off-the-bench shooters 2020 has to offer.
Not to mention, it could be easier to get a team to work with them because taking on two first round deals is more palatable than three.
We'll see how Ainge handles this in the next few days.
