Report: Celtics offer Smart, picks to Sixers for Noel and lottery pick
The Boston Celtics want to move up in this year's draft. Everyone knows it. But can they pull it off? According to the Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner, here's one hypothetical trade general manager Danny Ainge recently offered the Philadelphia 76ers:
"League executives also said the Celtics were trying to move up in the draft, using their two first-round picks and two second-round picks as bait. The executives said the Celtics were looking to trade point guard Marcus Smart and the Nos. 16 and 28 picks in the first round to Philadelphia for center/forward Nerlens Noel and the No. 3 pick. But the 76ers, the executives said, weren't interested."
It's always fun when rumors this specific leak to the public. That doesn't make it true, but won't stop Celtics and Sixers fans everywhere from dissecting it every which way.
Does this make sense for Boston? Heck yes it does! The Celtics want two things: a star and a rim protector. With this trade they could conceivably kill two birds with one stone, snatching the future Defensive Player of the Year candidate and the third overall pick.
Losing Smart would sting, but with Isaiah Thomas on board it's hardly the end of the world. And that third pick could easily turn into Emmanuel Mudiay or D'Angelo Russell, two point guards with All-Star potential and more fluid offensive games than Smart.
Philly was right to pass on this. Smart is fantastic, and could very well turn into the franchise point guard they desperately need, but there are flaws in his game that may prevent him from ever becoming a true lead ball-handler. And giving up two lottery picks for one lottery pick and two mid first rounders just doesn't pass the eye test. It probably never will.
Good job by Ainge for trying, though!
(h/t: Los Angeles Times)
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Charles Krupa
