Celtics Open To Exploring Trade Possibilities As NBA Draft Approaches
BOSTON – The Celtics' front office had one of the busiest trading seasons in NBA history last year. The franchise made 11 deals with 10 different teams from last July up until February's trade deadline, piling up asset after asset in the midst of the team's rebuild.
After a brief period of inactivity in the past couple months, moving season is likely to be on the horizon yet again with the NBA Draft approaching June 25th. The Celtics have started working out a host of players this week, covering a diverse group of prospects for their four selections of the 2015 Draft (Nos. 16, 28, 33, 45).
With 11 players already under contract for the 2015-16 season, and key contributors such as Jonas Jerebko and Jae Crowder looming as free agents, it is apparent that Boston won't have room for four new rookies on next year's roster. The team is already littered with youth and will likely be going after at least a couple of names on the free agent market with some potential cap space.
One way for the Celtics to solve their excess pick problem is with a trade or two, something team director of player personnel Austin Ainge addressed with the media earlier this week.
"We haven't had any conversations," Ainge said about potential draft night trades. "Most of the moving up or moving down, most guys get in love with a specific player. So it's hard to move up or ask a team to move down until they figure out who they like, and everyone's still in that process. Those are usually day of the draft or day before the draft type deals. I think I'd be shocked to see any movement there right now."
While most deals won't come together until late June, that won't stop Ainge and his staff from laying some groundwork for trade possibilities in the weeks ahead.
"One thing no one's ever accused us of is being afraid to make calls," Ainge said Wednesday, "so we definitely will talk to a lot of teams. But these are things we'll get a sense of. If a team has any desire (to move its draft choice), it's pretty easy to figure out. They'll usually answer that pretty honestly. People usually speak more honestly about a pick than players they have. I guess it's an inanimate object, right? Not something they're attached to."
The challenge for the Celtics will be to find out just how much they will be able to move up with their excess picks. The team's second half surge cost them a lottery selection, but Boston showed the ability to get into the late-lottery range with some relatively easy maneuvering in 2013. They dealt two future second-rounds picks and the No. 16 overall pick to Dallas for the rights to Kelly Olynyk (No. 13 overall).
Moving a couple of spots up shouldn't be an issue, but if Boston wants to move up for a premier prospect in the top-10, they will likely have to dig deeper into their asset collection. Brooklyn's future first-round picks in 2016 and 2018 are the most enticing trade chips with the team's dismal cap situation and aging core. Could a Boston package of two first-round picks this year and a future Brooklyn pick be enough to convince a team to sacrifice a top selection?
That's the question the Celtics will try to uncover in the coming weeks, as Boston attempts to turn a bunch of mediocre assets into some promising pieces.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.