Boston Celtics draft: 3 reasons to trade up for Isaac Okoro

The Boston Celtics may have plenty of incentive to move up in the 2020 NBA Draft, with Isaac Okoro being one of the primary targets Danny Ainge should pursue in the lottery.

This offseason is a unique one for all 30 NBA franchises. Ditto for the Boston Celtics; a taxpaying team who spent big on a team they didn’t know they’d be paying such a high luxury tax bill on.

The next steps need to be delicate for Danny Ainge and co. considering what is at stake. A potential perennial winner is clearly being formed in Boston around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but the supporting pieces need to be chosen delicately in this new salary cap climate.

The salaries on the roster right now tend to be exorbitant or bargains that are expiring soon set to become pricey as well. Marcus Smart’s $13 million salary could turn into something north of $20 million annually. Even Daniel Theis can see a double-digit increase in millions per year for the right price and contract length.

Clearly, an alternative must be found by the Boston Celtics front office than maxing out this current team. Making it to the Eastern Conference finals is nice, but better teams have been disassembled with similar results. Hell, the 2017 team had an MVP candidate in Isaiah Thomas that was traded away months after their playoff run ended in the ECF as well.

That alternative could be finding cost-controlled talent in the draft. With the Cs having multiple first-rounders but a lack of a need for so much use given their current standing in the east, a trade for a top-tier prospect should be the goal.

Here’s why Isaac Okoro could be that prospect: