Vincent Goodwell, a Detroit Pistons beat writer for the Detroit News reported that the Celtics desperately wanted Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at the NBA Combine.

As of right now, the Charlotte Bobcats are trying to shop their first round pick. According to multiple sources, 5 teams have legit trade offers on the table for the Bobcats. Its unclear whether the Celtics are part of that discussion, but there are other teams with lottery picks who are open to trades.

If the Celtics can get a pick anywhere from 2 to 15, they could come away with a really good player. From this latest report, it seems like the Celtics are really interested in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and some draft analysts have said if he goes to a good team he could be like Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs.

With a lottery pick, the Celtics could also draft Thomas Robinson of Kansas or Andre Drummond of UCONN. I’ve also heard a lot from fans about the idea of getting Austin Rivers, son of Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers.

Personally, I don’t want him. Drafting another guard isn’t going to help the Celtics in any way, shape, or form. Rivers may be a great player, and even with the possibility of Ray Allen leaving, the Celtics already have Avery Bradley and have the option to pursue Jamal Crawford during free agency.

If Danny Ainge is lucky enough to get into the lottery, he has to take a small forward, power forward, or center. I’d be ecstatic if the Celtics somehow got Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but if we want to rebuild on the fly, taking Thomas Robinson is the way to go.

Robinson is the most NBA ready player in this year’s draft. He’s a game and franchise changer. He’s already good enough to lead a team, just imagine if he has the opportunity to learn from Pierce or Garnett. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is also a player that would benefit from being around veterans.

If Danny Ainge can get a deal for an early first round pick, and draft one of the top 5 or 10 players, that may entice Kevin Garnett to play for one more season and the team can over time transition from the Big 3 era to whatever is next for the storied franchise much more smoothly.