Boston Celtics Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Players on Block
One year after their worst season in almost a decade, the Boston Celtics made the playoffs in 2014-15 as the seventh seed with a 40-42 record. The Cleveland Cavaliers swept a young, inexperienced team out of the first round of the playoffs.
And while Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge believes his young core is coming along just fine, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com, there are plenty of rumors surrounding the Celtics.
With the NBA draft starting Thursday, Boston has four picks, and Ainge told Simpson he is looking at options to deal them:
"Right now we don't even know where we are drafting or the position we'll be in. We think there's going to be a lot of activity on draft night. So stay tuned. Our draft pick may have been traded before we even make the pick. I'm excited about the draft, it's going to be a fun day.
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The Celtics are set to pick at No. 16 and No. 28 in the first round.
One of the potential suitors the Celtics tried to make a deal with was the Philadelphia 76ers, as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports:
"Executives said the Celtics were looking to trade point guard Marcus Smart and the Nos. 16 and 28 picks in the first round to Philadelphia for center/forward Nerlens Noel and the No. 3 pick. But the 76ers, the executives said, weren't interested.
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Sports Illustrated's Jake Fischer reported Wednesday there was another player proposed in the Celtics deal that the Sixers turned down:
Last season, Marcus Smart averaged 7.8 points per game and 3.1 assists. And while his numbers don't exactly jump off the page, Ainge let Forsberg know how high he is on the point guard:
"I think they’re all going to have their best years of their careers up to this point. I think Marcus [Smart] is just beginning to grow. I think he had a good year as a rookie, but I think he’s going to be much better this year and probably much better next year.
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In his second season in the league, Kelly Olynyk recorded 10.3 points per game and 4.7 rebounds while starting just 13 games.
If the Celtics were to pull off a deal like that, D'Angelo Russell would be on the board at No. 3 to replace Smart and maybe help fans forget about Rajon Rondo.
Philadelphia's Nerlens Noel, in his first season in the league, was the only player in the NBA to rank in the top 10 in steals and blocks per game in 2014-15, according to Andrew Porter of CBS Philly. The No. 3 overall pick and Noel is too much to ask of the 76ers.
Derek Bodner of DraftExpress.com found the offer comical:
If the Celtics asked the 76ers to take Noel off the table, maybe talks would progress, but a chance at a top-five prospect would be too good to pass up during Thursday's draft. ESPN's Chad Ford tweeted in his mock draft with Jay Bilas that he predicts the Boston Celtics will be taking University of Arizona forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.
