Khris Middleton (Photo : Twitter)
It seems like the Boston Celtics are really determined to grab a veteran star with the no.3 pick.
The talk about the Sixers and Celtics talks heating up was previously reported and CSN analyst Tim Welsh was quoted
"Philly has told Kris Dunn's camp and his agent they are trying to push the buttons to have this happen before the draft," Welsh said. "They've been in Providence locked in to the city talking to everyone that's ever encountered Kris Dunn. They are putting the full court press on the Celtics to acquire the third pick. It could go down in the next two days, so we'll see. Boston has the upper hand in knowing what Philly wants."
Thus, the Celtics would be able to acquire either Okafor or Noel in this scenario and Welsh also said that Boston prefers Noel because of his defense and better adaptability with "position-less" league.
However, the deal has not been closed, perhaps because the Celtics are looking at other options. Boston is looking for a "go-to" scorer and may want more of a veteran than the two centers. According to NESN, that target is Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks.
"The Celtics have had discussions with the Milwaukee Bucks about trading their No. 3 selection and a contract to Milwaukee in exchange for Bucks shooting guard Khris Middleton, according to ProBasketballDraft.com."
A bit of #NBADraft chatter: Boston has discussed 3 and a contract for Khris Middleton. Danny Ainge wants to add a scorer. #Celtics
— Probasketballdraft (@Probballdraft) June 21, 2016
The report continues: "Middleton is an intriguing target for Boston, as the 6-foot-8 24-year-old has developed into one of the NBA's better outside shooters. The three-year veteran is a career 40 percent shooter from 3-point range and shot 89 percent from the free throw line last season."
There is a quandary here since the Sixers would not be able to provide what Boston wants. The Bucks have also not shown interest to trade up, let alone give up Middleton for it since they have the 10th overall pick.
One possible option is a three-way trade. The Celtics could trade the no.3 pick for Nerlens Noel, then trade Noel for Middleton, since the Bucks have a need for a defensive center. They acquired Greg Monroe last season but he has not been a good fit defensively.
It might be more complicated than that since Middleton has better trade value at this time, but both the Celtics and Sixers have future draft assets to make this work.
The three-way draft proposal is purely speculation based on the reports quoted.
