5 players worth trading the Celtics’ No. 1 pick for
Danny Ainge has reportedly been taking calls about the No. 1 overall pick.
COMMENTARY
The odds seem to be in favor of the Boston Celtics keeping the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but that hasn’t stopped Danny Ainge from taking calls about the top selection.
“The only thing we know for certain is we have the No. 1 pick,” Ainge told Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe in May. “What we don’t know for certain is who that person is yet and what sort of value the pick can get us if we choose to go another direction other than just drafting that pick.”
Just two years ago, the Cavaliers traded No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins for All-Star forward Kevin Love in the weeks following the draft. Which players around the league would be worth moving the No. 1 pick (and potentially more) for this year? Here’s a look at five names that Ainge should be making calls on:
Anthony Davis: It would take a lot more than the No. 1 pick to get the New Orleans Pelicans to even think about parting ways with their franchise cornerstone. Still, Davis is a good place to start this list. He’s a four-time All-Star at age 23, is one of the most dominant rebounders and defenders in the NBA. He is also stuck in an ugly situation in New Orleans. In Boston, he would be exactly the kind of star who would vault the Celtics into contender status, and his youth also gives them a chance to flourish long-term with whatever young pieces of the core the front office wants to invest in.
The problem for the Celtics (and the other 28 teams that would love Davis) is that the 6-foot-11 big man is already signed through the 2020 season. Despite the Pelicans’ inability to put the proper building blocks around him anytime soon thanks to roster and cap mismanagement, they don’t have any incentive to move the face of their franchise. Boston has enough trade assets to keep Pelicans GM Dell Demps listening on the line (two Brooklyn picks, Jaylen Brown, Jae Crowder, future draft picks), but after acquiring DeMarcus Cousins last offseason, this team doesn’t appear ready to hit the reset button yet.
Karl-Anthony Towns: Much of the same logic that applies to Davis also holds true for Towns. The Timberwolves’ center is a promising young star for a franchise that hasn’t made the postseason for the last 12 seasons. The seven-footer isn’t nearly as polished defensively as Davis, but he’s putting up absurd numbers already (25 points, 12 rebounds) in just his second NBA season. The Celtics would surely offer both Brooklyn picks and close to whatever else Wolves team president Tom Thibodeau would want, which still may not be enough to get a deal done.
Nikola Jokic: The Serbian center has the potential to emerge as one of the best second-round picks in NBA history. He already averaged 16.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in just his second season at age 21 on one of the five best offenses in the NBA last season. His passing ability would make him a lethal weapon alongside Al Horford in the Celtics’ offense, and his developing 3-point shot (32 percent) would help Boston keep the floor spread against defenses. Jokic is also under contract for the next two seasons for a total of $2.9 million, making him one of the biggest bargains in the league. The center would not come without flaws (his defensive ability leaves much to be desired) and wouldn’t necessarily have the long-term upside of a Markelle Fultz, but he’s a proven commodity already. For a team that’s ready to win sooner rather than later, picking up Jokic at the cost of the No. 1 pick (and perhaps a little bit more than that) is a gamble worth taking.
Klay Thompson: Would the Oakland juggernaut be willing to trade an All-Star guard for an unproven rookie? The obvious answer would seem to be “no,” but a closer look at the Warriors’ payroll beyond 2017 makes this an offer that would be fiscally enticing to Golden State. Thompson is under contract for two more seasons before he’ll likely command a new max deal alongside Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green. The Warriors won’t be able to pay that entire group max contracts without a record-setting luxury tax bill. That’s something Warriors ownership may be willing to swallow for the next year or two, but adding the cost control of a No. 1 overall pick would ease that long-term salary crunch across the roster. Boston would need to add a win-now player to the deal, but Thompson is the kind of two-way star that the Celtics would love to build with. He’s in the middle of his prime at age 27, and his 41 percent career 3-point shooting fits perfectly into Brad Stevens’ offensive scheme.
Kristaps Porzingis: The one building block the Knicks have in place for their future is already reportedly disgruntled from the drama in the Big Apple. Porzingis skipped out on exit meetings this spring with the front office amid the ongoing turmoil with Carmelo Anthony. He’s already played for three head coaches in two seasons, but that hasn’t stopped him from emerging as one of the best offensive-minded big men in the league. Despite an inferior supporting cast, the 7-foot-3 Latvian sensation has a versatile skillset from the post and perimeter, averaging over 18 points per game last year while playing within an ancient Triangle offense scheme. If the Knicks want to set the reset button and like the long-term potential of Fultz, Porzingis would be an ideal fit in Boston as a shot creator in the frontcourt.
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