The Boston Celtics didn’t surprise many when dealing the first pick in the 2017 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers, giving up a shot at Washington’s Markelle Fultz.
After all, by now everyone knows how conservative president Danny Ainge is with his assets. A surprise trip to the Eastern Conference finals might only reinforce his approach.
No joke—Ainge might consider another trade down.
The report comes from the Boston Herald‘s Steve Bulpett :
One NBA executive told the Herald that Ainge would love to find a way to get North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who isn’t rated by anyone as the third overall pick. Another said the Celts were looking at perhaps moving down in the draft again and picking up another asset for their trouble.
It’s an interesting turn of events, to say the least. Dennis Smith Jr. often finds himself compared to Russell Westbrook. The NC State product might struggle with shot consistency, but his elite athleticism and build has him bullying his way up and down the court.
Granted, Boston trading out of No. 1 suggested they want to grab a forward like Josh Jackson and keep Isaiah Thomas at point guard. Taking Smith would still bump IT to the 2, though it’d be quite a sight to see what a freakishly athletic backcourt like that can do on a nightly basis.
Once again, though, Ainge has the Celtics as the most interesting team to watch—even after trading No. 1.
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