Jimmy Butler and Jahlil Okafor (Photo : Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics remains one of the most intriguing teams in the offseason as the league awaits its decision on what to do with the no.3 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
There were already numerous trade rumors abound even before the draft lottery and now that they officially have the third pick, more options have emerged. Still, the decision to trade the pick seemed like an easy one.
As compiled by Mass Live, the arguments on trading the pick went back and forth. The idea of the Boston Celtics getting even younger was not the main issue, but the prospects at no.3 are not very promising for the team (assuming Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram are off the board.
The players linked to the no.3 spot are Dragan Bender who is still a project and NBA ready guards-a position that the Celtics has already filled out. Players like Buddy Hield and Kris Dunn will have to linger on the bench behind Avery Bradley, Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart.
However, the pick is still valuable to other teams who need those assets. A no-brainer transaction was with the Philadelphia 76ers who were aspiring to get multiple lottery picks. They will definitely take the best player available at no.1 but both Simmons and Ingram are forwards. They want to fill the position of need at the point with another pick. Hence, the Jahlil Okafor to Boston trade rumors were revived.
It seemed like an easy match-one team's excess to fill another team's needs and vice versa. But nothing is simple with the Celtics faithful and Dalen Cuff of CSNNE wanted his team to "aim higher."
Cuff declared that Okafor is "a consolation prize. To get a second-year player who averaged 17 points and 7 rebounds on a historically awful team isn't the franchise centerpiece the Celtics should be looking for."
He reasoned that Kris Dunn-the presumptive third overall pick, could actually have the same potential as Okafor. Since this is all talk about potential, Cuff says the Celtics should be smart and patient by riding on the hype surrounding Dragan Bender.
With the success of Kristaps Porzingis, international players have started to become attractive again. Cuff would rather let the speculation and hype over Bender increase his trade value to other teams, then package the no.3 pick for Jimmy Butler or even Paul George.
"So Danny -- who wants to win now -- would have more leverage to package Bender at No. 3 along with maybe a Brooklyn first-round pick and a player to get Butler or George," Cuff said.
The enigma of Dragan Bender was similar to Porzingis in the sense that some pundits cast the net so wide that Bender could actually become the best player in the draft, or at least no.2 as projected in this article.
The Celtics don't have the time to find out just what Bender could be, but perhaps the rebuilding Chicago Bulls have. Bender has been compared to former Chicago Bull, Toni Kukoc, so the Windy City team might have legitimate interest for him. However, to pry away Jimmy Butler, the Celtics may have to add a starter.
