The Boston Celtics have a unique situation as we continue to approach Thursday’s draft. General Manager Danny Ainge obtained this year’s top pick from the Brooklyn Nets in the blockbuster trade that sent Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry to Brooklyn years ago.
Ainge engaged in trade talks prior to February’s trade deadline about the #1 pick, but ultimately stood pat. Had he used that pick in a package to acquire a star, the Celtics may have challenged Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals.
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding what Ainge plans to do with this pick. Several reports indicated that Ainge planned on moving the pick prior to this year’s trade deadline, but nothing ever happened. More trade gossip has surfaced with the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, who pick second and third respectively in this year’s draft.
Earlier Friday afternoon, the Celtics and 76ers were reportedly in “advanced discussions” to make a deal happen, reports The Vertical. Philadelphia is heavily interested in selecting Washington’s Markelle Fultz, a projected top-three pick.
Magic Johnson is supposedly “in love” with Markelle Fultz and could try to swap picks with the Celtics to get him, Jonathan Givony of Draft Express announced via Twitter. This is very intriguing given the Lakers high interest in UCLA’s Lonzo Ball, but the days leading up to the draft are very unpredictable.
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