Celtics agree to trade #1 overall

pick to 76ers
By NBA.com Global on Jun 18, 2017 11:55 AM
Save

Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations,

smiles as he addresses reporters at the team's training facility
in Waltham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
By David Aldridge, TNT analyst
The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics have agreed on a deal that will send the
overall number one pick in next Thursdays (next Friday, PHL time) Draft to Philly in
exchange for the third overall pick and at least one future first-round pick, per a league
source. Barring some 11th-hour change of heart, the deal is set to be finalized on
Monday (Tuesday, PHL time).

Acquiring the first pick will allow the Sixers to take University of Washington freshman
guard Markelle Fultz, considered by many to be the top point guard prospect in the
Draft. Fultz worked out for the 76ers in Philadelphia on Saturday as the two sides got
close to agreement on a deal; the 76ers agreement was contingent on getting
clearance from their medical staff after reviewing Fultzs physicals and getting other
medical information on the 19-year-old.

Boston will receive the third overall pick in Thursdays Draft, which will still allow the
Celtics to chooseif they keep the pickfrom a group of quality prospects. Either
Kansas forward Josh Jackson or UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball will be available at three,
along with other talents like Duke freshman forward Jayson Tatum, Kentucky freshman
point guard DeAaron Fox and Florida State freshman forward Jonathan Isaac.

The Celtics will also get at least one future first-round pick from Philadelphia, believed at
present to be the unprotected 2018 first-rounder the 76ers will receive next year from
the Suns, through Los Angeles, as part of a three-team deal in 2015 between Philly,
Milwaukee and Phoenix. The 76ers got the 2018 first from the Suns in a deal that sent
Michael Carter-Williams from Philly to Milwaukee, and guard Brandon Knight from
Milwaukee to Phoenix. The Suns had originally acquired the pick from Los Angeles as
part of the trade in 2012 that sent Steve Nash to the Lakers.

(Editors note: per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the 2018 pick from the Lakers is a
protected pick. If it does not convey to the Celtics, they will instead receive the 2019 first round
pick of the Sacramento Kings, also via the 76ers. According to Derek Bodner of
DraftExpress.com, the Lakers pick will change hands if it falls within 2 and 5 in the 2018 Draft)

Follow

Adrian Wojnarowski
The 2018 Lakers pick to BOS has protections on top and bottom that could keep it in
Philly, and if so, then 2019 Kings' pick goes to
Boston. https://twitter.com/WojVerticalNBA/status/876279340627103744
11:26 AM - 18 Jun 2017

956956 Retweets

1,0251,025 likes

Twitter Ads info and privacy

Follow

Derek Bodner
Celtics will get Lakers pick if it falls between 2 and 5 in the 2018 draft, per league
source. If not, the Celtics will get the Kings in '19
11:27 AM - 18 Jun 2017

1,3251,325 Retweets

1,5421,542 likes

Twitter Ads info and privacy

Boston will thus have at least two potential Lottery picks in 2018 the Celtics already
have Brooklyns unprotected first-round pick next yearalong with 2019 first-rounders
from the Clippers and Memphis. That haul will give the Celtics an opportunity to
package all those firsts and make a run at an established star player to go with their
current core group, featuring All-Stars Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford, and second-year
forward Jaylen Brown. The Celtics had discussions with both the Pacers and Bulls
before the trade deadline last February on Paul George and Jimmy Butler, but couldnt
come up with a deal. Many around the league believe Boston will take another crack at
Butler this offseason; the Celtics would still be able to create enough cap room even if
they got Butler to make a max offer to an unrestricted free agent this summer. Boston
has been linked to both Utahs Gordon Hayward and the Clippers Blake Griffin for
months.

If Philly follows through on its current plans to take Fultz, he would provide the 76ers
with a major scoring threat and ballhandler who could take some of the playmaking and
decision making pressure off Ben Simmons, who the Sixers took first overall in last
years Draft. Simmons missed the entire season with a foot injury but is expected to play
his rookie season in 2017-18.

Teaming Fultz with Simmons, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric will give the Sixers one of the
longest and most talented young cores in the league, after years and years in the NBA
wilderness as the team went through the achingly slow Process of former general
manager Sam Hinkiebasically, trying to get top picks in the Draft by losing as many
games as the Philly fan base could stomach.

But theres finally, it seems, light at the end of the tunnel.

Longtime NBA reporter, columnist and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer David
Aldridge is an analyst for TNT. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow
him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner
Broadcasting.