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Boston Celtics: Gauging the value of the Sacramento pick

By Joshua Bateman

MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 20: Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics general manager and President of Basketball Operations, has a laugh as he sits on the bench while players practice shooting on the court before the start of the game. The Boston Celtics visit the Milwaukee Bucks for Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI on April 20, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 20: Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics general manager and President of Basketball Operations, has a laugh as he sits on the bench while players practice shooting on the court before the start of the game. The Boston Celtics visit the Milwaukee Bucks for Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI on April 20, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics still have a valuable draft asset with the 2019 Sacramento Kings pick

Danny Ainge has finally cashed in all his assets from the Nets trade, but he is still left with one valuable draft piece. They have Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving to show for it right now, but the extra pick they got while trading down for Tatum could end up being quite valuable.

Right now, there is almost no chance that the Philadelphia 76ers will be worst than the Sacramento Kings, so that means they should expect to be getting Sacramento’s pick in 2019, unless they manage to land in the top spot, which is protected.

It might seem too early to be thinking about a draft pick in 2019, but if Ainge has any interest at all in making moves this offseason, this pick will be their best asset. The Celtics do not want to take away from their active core, but he could still make something of that pick.

The appeal is that Sacramento looks like they could be bad enough to be fighting for another top three pick. The Celtics could look at this and think there is no way anyone will value it as if it is going to be that high, so they are better off waiting until it lands there.

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Then again, you can look at what happened to the Nets pick this season. Everyone assumed it was going to be one of the most valuable assets, but the Nets surprised people with no incentive to tank, and the pick is no where near what the Cavaliers wanted it to be.

If Ainge has any kind of interest in a fringe lottery player this season, that Sacramento pick could end up being enough to move up. You will never have certainty with these picks, but the Kings are a team you can feel good about.

They have some young talent, but they will not be getting any top free agents, and will be battling in a deadly western conference. If Ainge is interesting in trading, he is likely to find someone that will want to give that pick a chance to be much better next season.

In the end, it would all likely depend on what kind of player Ainge believes he could get in moving up in this draft. There is no doubt that he can package that pick with their first round pick this season to get one of the better prospects, but that will only happen if he really believes in it.

Next: Compairing Brown and Tatum's value

The Celtics are always going to be patient, so there is a good chance no one will value that pick more than Ainge, and he will never find a trade he likes. If the right deal comes along, however, that Kings pick is the best opportunity the Celtics have to give their off season a jolt.

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