Celtics did their homework before agreeing to deal top pick
Most often, when a massive NBA trade is completed, the hard work is over and teams just move forward with the new pieces. But for the Celtics, the seismic deal they agreed to late Saturday night that will send the No. 1 overall pick to the 76ers just added more urgency to the coming days.
After it was assumed for weeks that Boston would simply select the consensus top prospect, point guard Markelle Fultz, with the top pick, the team must now identify the player it will choose with the third overall pick it received in return from Philadelphia.
With many of the top prospects scheduled to start arriving in New York on Monday for appearances and interviews leading up to Thursday’s draft, it could seem as if Boston would have to scramble. But for the Celtics, the intelligence-gathering process started several years ago, so they are confident they are prepared to proceed despite the sudden change of plans.
Boston’s short list of potential candidates would likely include UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball, Kansas forward Josh Jackson, and Duke forward Jayson Tatum. If there is a tier beyond that, Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen, Florida State forward Jonathan Isaac, North Carolina State guard Dennis Smith, and Kentucky guard De’Aaron Fox could be long-shot possibilities. Markkanen and Smith worked out at the Celtics’ training facility Saturday.
On Sunday morning, the dust was still settling from the stunning late-night deal with the 76ers that shook the NBA.
At 10:14 p.m., TNT’s David Aldridge reported the finalized deal on Twitter. According to multiple league sources, this came as stunning news to the Celtics’ brass, which had yet to be notified by the 76ers that a proposal had been agreed upon.
Nevertheless, the sides came to an agreement in which Boston would send the No. 1 overall pick this year to Philadelphia in exchange for the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft as well as a future first-round pick.
According to multiple reports and sources, the Celtics will receive the 2018 first-round pick that the Lakers were already sending to the 76ers, but only if the pick falls in the 2-5 range. That contingency protects the 76ers in case the pick strikes gold in the lottery and turns into the No. 1 overall choice, and it protects the Celtics in case Los Angeles has a surprisingly strong year that devalues the pick.
If the choice is not conveyed to Boston in 2018, the Celtics would be in position to receive the 2019 first-round pick of the Sacramento Kings that has also been acquired by the 76ers. Numerous reports have said that there is no protection on that pick, but league sources have indicated that there are certain parameters on that selection, too. It is likely that, much like the Lakers pick, the stipulations would protect both teams from having their assets devalued.
In 2018, the Celtics will also have their own first-round pick as well as the first-round pick of the Brooklyn Nets. But that remains a year away, so the focus now returns to Thursday night.
League sources indicated that the Celtics moved on from the chance to draft Fultz for several reasons, the primary one being that they did not view the gap between the former Washington point guard and other top prospects to be large.
As of Sunday, Boston had yet to see Ball or Jackson work out in person during the draft process. They were not optimistic about their chances to see Ball, as his camp has made it clear that it would like him to be taken No. 2 overall by the Lakers.
But the reluctance of Jackson, the athletic forward, was more puzzling. Boston had been scheduled to travel to see Jackson recently, but his camp canceled the meeting.
“Absolutely, it’s surprising to me,’’ Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge said Thursday, before Boston had traded the top pick.
The Celtics are still hoping to arrange a meeting with Jackson.
It has been somewhat lost amid the frenzy over the No. 1 pick and the ensuing trade that the Celtics also have three second-round picks in Thursday’s draft, the Nos. 37, 53, and 56 overall selections.
Although these picks are not splashy, it is also true that three of the five members of Boston’s starting lineup last season —Isaiah Thomas, Amir Johnson, and Jae Crowder— were second-round picks.
“As you get lower and it’s harder to distinguish between the players talent-wise, you might lean to fill a need,’’ Austin Ainge said.
“We’re sitting there at pick 37 or pick 53, it’s really hard. The separation lessens the lower you go in the draft. So if you’re having trouble deciding between guys, it’s usually a little easier to go with a guy that fills a need.’’
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