It is officially NBA Draft week and the rumor mill is heating up as teams are trying to maneuver their way into the lottery or out of the top 10. One of those teams trying to get into the lottery is the Boston Celtics.
According to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, league executives said that the Celtics were looking to package their two first round picks (Nos. 16 and 28) and point guard Marcus Smart in a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers for Nerlens Noel and the third overall pick.
But as Turner writes, the executives said that the Sixers were not interested in the deal. It is not news that the Celtics are trying to move up because they have the ammunition to do so. But trying to put a deal together with the Sixers to get Noel and the third overall pick is just ridiculous. Hinkie would not trade Noel and the third overall pick to a division rival as he sees Noel apart of the rebuilding process. This season, Noel averaged 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game.
Finally, Turner includes in his story that the Sixers have multiple picks in the draft and may try to do something with them.
The 76ers, for instance, have six draft picks — one in the first round and five in the second round, Nos. 35, 37, 47, 58 and 60 — and may look to package some of those or even sell a few of them.
It would be hard to imagine the Sixers keeping all six picks but we have seen Hinkie do some crazy trades with second rounds picks so far in his tenure.
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