The Celtics Still Have Many Cards in Their Hands

The Boston Celtics have options leading up to the draft

As we already know the Boston Celtics have received the third pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and now the team’s front office will have to work from there to make things happen. In a draft year where nobody besides Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram is considered a top-level prospect, the Danny Ainge still has numerous options in his hands.

First of all, it’s not a bad thing that the Celtics will select third overall. It would have been better if they had a top-two selection but they still will have the chance to pick any player they like, apart from Simmons and Ingram.

Considering Boston’s needs as they continue their rebuilding process, we can see that there are several players that could help them in different ways to strengthen their roster. Some of them like Buddy Hield and Jamal Murray could become the outside shooters the team desperately needs to take another step forward. They are both more than capable and effective shooters at the college level and could easily find a role on a team like Boston.

Hield specifically is coming out of his senior year and has shown much improvement since last year when he was considered a second round pick. In my eyes, he is ready to contribute right away in the NBA.

Murray is a different story because of his age, as he is just 19 years old. Maybe he is not as ready as Hield but he might prove to be a better prospect as he has the talent to move to the next level and become the scoring guard that the Celtics need .

Another viable, but not so safe option, for the third pick is, as most mock drafts predict, Dragan Bender. I understand that it might be intriguing to sign a guy that might look to some people as another Kristaps Porzingis but I consider a high risk move. As we know however, high risk moves sometimes bring high reward as well and Bender could become a big asset for any team taking into account his abilities compared to his size.

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Apart from selecting a player at Number three, the Celtics can still trade the pick with another team in their effort to sign the superstar they so desperately want. Not having a top-two pick makes the trade much more difficult but Ainge still has the assets to trade for an established player. After all, the Celtics have picks all over the board and they still will be able to add youth and talent in the squad.

If Danny Ainge is able to land a star, it will certainly boost Boston’s chances of adding another star during free agency later in the summer. It’s also important for Boston’s front office to make their moves having in mind 2017 free agency, as the 2017 class is full of talent as well.

Next: Five Trade Targets With the Number Three Pick

Everyone might feel a little disappointed that the ping-pong balls didn’t go Boston’s way, but Danny Ainge still has many cards in his hands to make a splash. He has said that he has high expectations for this summer, as everyone in Boston does, and no matter how he will decide to handle both the draft night and the free agency, the most likely scenario is that next season the Boston Celtics will be more talented and one step closer to being considered title contenders.