Celtics Receive No. 14 Pick From Grizzlies In NBA Draft Lottery
BOSTON (CBS) --Pick Watching season is over for the Celtics. The team received Memphis' 2020 selection on Thursday night, after the Grizzlies were awarded the No. 14 overall pick at the NBA Draft lottery.
There was a 97.6 percent chance that the Memphis pick would become Boston's, and that is exactly how it played out Thursday evening. The pick (acquired in a 2015 trade that sent Jeff Green to Memphis) would have become an unprotected selection in a much deeper 2021 draft had the Grizzlies jumped into the top six, but that wishful thinking was dashed early in the process when Memphis the first team announced at the lottery.
Boston now owns three picks in the upcoming draft: No. 14 (from Memphis), No. 26 (their own) and No. 30 (from Milwaukee). The Celtics also own the No. 47 pick in the second round.
Chances are Danny Ainge won't be making all three of those first-round selections, given Boston's stacked roster that is already full of young talent. There are seven rookies on the Celtics roster this season, so expect Ainge to swing a trade or, if he has to make those three selections, he'll likely snag a few draft-and-stash players from overseas.
The Minnesota Timberwolves received the top pick in the draft on Thursday night, with the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls rounding out the top four. The NBA Draft will be held on Oct. 16.