Isaiah Thomas (Photo : Getty Images)
The NBA Draft is barely a month away and there could be some major changes in positioning at the top.
The Boston Celtics were perceived to be one of the aspirants for Ben Simmons. The franchise needed a star and not too many teams seem willing to trade for their chest of assets.
Team President Danny Ainge admitted that he was hoping to move up in an interview with Chris Forsberg of ESPN.
"There for one minute I let my mind drift, like, 'Hey, we may get the No. 1 pick or the No. 2 pick.' But No. 3 is fine. We're excited about that," Ainge narrated.
However, Ainge did admit that pick no.3 "certainly doesn't have the same cachet in trade conversations (as the no.1 or 2 picks) in trying to get better quicker, so that sets that back a little bit. Or we'd have to give up more [talent as part of a deal]."
There are numerous transactions that the Celtics can be involved with but they could make one drastic yet seemingly smart move. As suggested in team site Celtics Blog, the team could sell high on newly-minted All-Star Isaiah Thomas.
Thomas is the toast of Bean Town and well loved by fans because of his exciting plays. However, the trade talks have not been as busy as expected and the team with Thomas as its best player would fall short of being a contender, even in the East.
The post from 'Beantownfaneastwest' explains extensively why Thomas is not a foundation player. His defense, ego and probable expensive price tag were mentioned.
The Philadelphia 76ers is in need of a point guard. Thomas could be the answer as he is also a proven scorer and his trade value is at its peak because of his All-Star nod.. The proposed trade involves sending Isaiah Thomas to the Sixers in exchange for the first overall pick--a chance for the Celtics to nab Ben Simmons.
The post suggested Thomas and coveted Jae Crowder to the Sixers but the Sixers may want to ask for a pick back. It would be unlikely that the Celtics would trade Thomas just to move from no.3 to no.1 (although the gap between the picks is wider than other years' drafts).
This is purely speculation and there is no final trade package. Just floating the idea of selling high on Thomas.
