Celtics Draft Pick Watch: Nets Closing In On Third-Best Lottery Pick
BOSTON (CBS) -- The finish line is in sight for the NBA regular season and that means the Celtics are on the verge of cashing in on one of the biggest collection of draft picks in a single season in NBA history.
Danny Ainge has amassed eight picks for the 2016 Draft, with three coming in the first round and five in the second round. With just five days remaining in the regular season, let's update where each of them stand, including the odds tied with Brooklyn's lottery selection which is headed Boston's way.
The Nets Pick
Brooklyn and Phoenix are currently tied for the third worst record in the NBA with three games remaining in the regular season. The Nets have shut down key starters Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, which has contributed to a seven-game losing streak over the past couple weeks. With two playoff teams (Indiana, Toronto) awaiting the Nets in their final three games of the year, it's probable the team loses out to finish out the season.
Meanwhile, the Suns have a couple winnable games remaining on the docket against a couple non-playoff teams in the Pelicans and Kings. If Phoenix is able to pull off a win in one of those games, and the Nets lose out, Brooklyn would be all by itself with the third best odds for the top pick in the 2016 NBA Lottery and a 46.9 percent chance at a top-3 selection.
The Mavericks Pick
Unlike the Nets' selection, this pick is trending in the wrong direction from Boston's perspective. Dallas has won six straight games overall, turning this choice from a potential lottery selection to one likely in the late teens as the Mavericks are just one game away from clinching a playoff spot with three contests remaining.
Even with just five days remaining in the regular season, the range of picks the choice could fall in for Boston is quite drastic as six teams are within two games of the Mavericks (41-38) in the overall NBA standings. That tightness means Dallas could be anywhere from a 5-8 seed in the Western Conference, pushing their spot in the draft from the 15-20 range before it's sent to Boston in June.
The Celtics' Own Pick
Just like the Mavericks, there is plenty of uncertainty on where the Celtics will be finishing in the standings, as the Heat, Hawks and Hornets are all within one game of Boston. Depending on how each of those squads finish out the regular season, the Celtics are guaranteed to be selecting from anywhere within the 21-24 spots in the draft. The more wins Boston finishes with, the higher that specific pick will be.
The Second Round Picks
Boston has five of them headed their way, highlighted by the No. 31 (Philadelphia) and No. 35 (Minnesota) that are already locked into place with three games remaining. Late round selections from Miami, Dallas and Cleveland are also incoming, but don't expect Boston to use those picks on players they will keep given their roster situation since all will fall No. 45 or later.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.