If Okafor is traded for the 3rd pick, who do you want most?

[PhilasFinest]

Im sold on either decision.

If we stand pat and keep all of our guys to see how they develop, I'm good with it.

But I also understand the issue at hand with our glut of big men, So if someone is moved for a backcourt/perimeter piece....im fine with it as well. There is simply no ideal way you can both showcase and develop all of these bigs at the same time. Forcing guys out of position, playing inconsistent minutes with non complimentary lineups ,etc is doing a disservice to our team, the players themselves and everyone else around them. Value in young players frequently is based on "upside" and progression....being in a less than ideal situation is not brining those 2 things to help maintain value.

[sixers hoops]

I'm so uncomfortable with the whole world knowing we want Dunn. A shark like Ainge will take Dunn and hold BC up for ransom-- in other words, Hinkie him.

If Ainge is trying like Hell to up the ante on the third pick, and Philly simply waits them out with patience (because after all, we don't NEED Dunn, we have other options), then eventually Ainge will realize when he's on the clock @ 3 that he didn't get anything else he wanted for it, so he'll settle for the Sixers final offer, which will be either Noel or Okafor, for the 3rd pick and a sweetener. We do hold all the leverage here. Ainge has struck out on any other trades for the 3rd pick. We're all he has left. And we don't even 100% need to pull it off the way he does.

Yeah. I don't get being scared of Ainge. You offer Okafor for #3, and if they don't want it you move on.

If Colangelo likes Dunn, that's fine. If the price is too high, you move on.

[HankTheTank]

I'm so uncomfortable with the whole world knowing we want Dunn. A shark like Ainge will take Dunn and hold BC up for ransom-- in other words, Hinkie him.

If Ainge is trying like Hell to up the ante on the third pick, and Philly simply waits them out with patience (because after all, we don't NEED Dunn, we have other options), then eventually Ainge will realize when he's on the clock @ 3 that he didn't get anything else he wanted for it, so he'll settle for the Sixers final offer, which will be either Noel or Okafor, for the 3rd pick and a sweetener. We do hold all the leverage here. Ainge has struck out on any other trades for the 3rd pick. We're all he has left. And we don't even 100% need to pull it off the way he does.

My concern is the "sweetener" will be coming from the Sixers end. If we make it out of this draft will all of our future 1st's I will consider it a victory.

[LloydFree]

I like Dunn as a player, but not with Simmons...they both need the ball in their hands to be effective.....Murray is a much better fit....someone who can shoot and be a secondary playmaker.

James and Irving coexist on the same court. James and Wade coexisted on the same court and Wade can't shoot. Why wouldn't Simmons and Dunn be able to coexist, if you already have Covington and you sign a SG who can shoot?

[MCoster]

Crazy thing if we draft Dunn and trade Oakfor for him.

Guys all born within 1 month of each other (March or April 1994):
Joel Embiid
Nerlens Noel
Dario Saric
Jerami Grant
Kris Dunn

(Taurean Prince also April 1994 if we get him at 24 or 26.)

Plus Holmes and Stauskas are only 6 months older, born in October of 1993.

Simmons would be the baby at July 1996 and Covington would be the elder at December 1990.

[LloydFree]

I'm so uncomfortable with the whole world knowing we want Dunn. A shark like Ainge will take Dunn and hold BC up for ransom-- in other words, Hinkie him.

I have great respect for Danny Ainge as a GM, but I don't get this idea. If you've identified a player that you believe will move your franchise forward, why are you worried about getting held up for ransom? I don't worry about getting "Hinkied" as long as I get what I want.

Look at the Elfrid Payton deal. Everyone killed the Orlando FL for paying "too much" for Payton. Hinkie "won" the deal because he got a little extra value. So what? The Magic got who they wanted and aren't suffering. People are too hung up on keeping"assets". If there is a player, who you believe will be a star, becomes available you spend those assets. It's about getting star players, not holding on to average players and picks.

[SmartWentCrazy]

I'm so uncomfortable with the whole world knowing we want Dunn. A shark like Ainge will take Dunn and hold BC up for ransom-- in other words, Hinkie him.

If Ainge is trying like Hell to up the ante on the third pick, and Philly simply waits them out with patience (because after all, we don't NEED Dunn, we have other options), then eventually Ainge will realize when he's on the clock @ 3 that he didn't get anything else he wanted for it, so he'll settle for the Sixers final offer, which will be either Noel or Okafor, for the 3rd pick and a sweetener. We do hold all the leverage here. Ainge has struck out on any other trades for the 3rd pick. We're all he has left. And we don't even 100% need to pull it off the way he does.

Couldn't Celtics fans say the exact opposite? If BC is trying like hell to get Dunn, Boston should just wait Philly out and that BC will realize he has to meet Ainge's price? After Hill, Teague and Rose got traded, Dunn is all he has left.

Neither sides holds much leverage, and certainly not all of it. Because of asset gluttony and a BPA philosophy, both sides have a concentration of talent in a few positions and neither side absolutely HAS to make a deal.

[51X3RF4N]

I'm so uncomfortable with the whole world knowing we want Dunn. A shark like Ainge will take Dunn and hold BC up for ransom-- in other words, Hinkie him.

If Ainge is trying like Hell to up the ante on the third pick, and Philly simply waits them out with patience (because after all, we don't NEED Dunn, we have other options), then eventually Ainge will realize when he's on the clock @ 3 that he didn't get anything else he wanted for it, so he'll settle for the Sixers final offer, which will be either Noel or Okafor, for the 3rd pick and a sweetener. We do hold all the leverage here. Ainge has struck out on any other trades for the 3rd pick. We're all he has left. And we don't even 100% need to pull it off the way he does.

Couldn't Celtics fans say the exact opposite? If BC is trying like hell to get Dunn, Boston should just wait Philly out and that BC will realize he has to meet Ainge's price? After Hill, Teague and Rose got traded, Dunn is all he has left.

Neither sides holds much leverage, and certainly not all of it. Because of asset gluttony and a BPA philosophy, both sides have a concentration of talent in a few positions and neither side absolutely HAS to make a deal.

They could, but they'd be wrong. BC isn't really trying like Hell to get Dunn. There are countless other vet PG's the Sixers could trade for, not to mention PG's in next year's draft, or even late 1st round picks the Sixers could take. They could swing Okafor and/or Noel for a wing of some sort, or another top 8 pick and just forget about Dunn.

Boston is the team that really wants an "impact player" immediately, and all indications are that Ainge is pushing hard to move the pick for that player. So, if he fails at that task, and ends up taking Dunn or someone else with the pick, it looks much worse on him than if BC just says "yea i'll use my other plethora of assets to go build a team around Simmons."

Fact is, neither side is probably desperate to make a move, but from a perception angle, Ainge certainly looks worse if he ends up having to keep the pick than BC looks if he just goes in a different direction to build the team.

[Ericb5]

If Ainge is trying like Hell to up the ante on the third pick, and Philly simply waits them out with patience (because after all, we don't NEED Dunn, we have other options), then eventually Ainge will realize when he's on the clock @ 3 that he didn't get anything else he wanted for it, so he'll settle for the Sixers final offer, which will be either Noel or Okafor, for the 3rd pick and a sweetener. We do hold all the leverage here. Ainge has struck out on any other trades for the 3rd pick. We're all he has left. And we don't even 100% need to pull it off the way he does.

Couldn't Celtics fans say the exact opposite? If BC is trying like hell to get Dunn, Boston should just wait Philly out and that BC will realize he has to meet Ainge's price? After Hill, Teague and Rose got traded, Dunn is all he has left.

Neither sides holds much leverage, and certainly not all of it. Because of asset gluttony and a BPA philosophy, both sides have a concentration of talent in a few positions and neither side absolutely HAS to make a deal.

They could, but they'd be wrong. BC isn't really trying like Hell to get Dunn. There are countless other vet PG's the Sixers could trade for, not to mention PG's in next year's draft, or even late 1st round picks the Sixers could take. They could swing Okafor and/or Noel for a wing of some sort, or another top 8 pick and just forget about Dunn.

Boston is the team that really wants an "impact player" immediately, and all indications are that Ainge is pushing hard to move the pick for that player. So, if he fails at that task, and ends up taking Dunn or someone else with the pick, it looks much worse on him than if BC just says "yea i'll use my other plethora of assets to go build a team around Simmons."

Fact is, neither side is probably desperate to make a move, but from a perception angle, Ainge certainly looks worse if he ends up having to keep the pick than BC looks if he just goes in a different direction to build the team.

A draft pick loses a lot of its value after it turns into a player because when it is a pick, it represents options.

Especially in a draft like this one where there is no obvious 3rd best player. The 3rd pick represents an opportunity to select any of the players in the 3-8 range, and different teams would select different players. As soon as you take a player though then only the teams that wanted that player still want to trade for him.

In that sense the pressure is on Boston. If they prefer to trade the pick then they have to make a choice quickly. If they decide to take a player then they may not take the player that the Sixers would have wanted, which means that the Sixers can make the same deal with the next team on the clock.

The Celtics are basically sitting on a perishable good, if they actually want to trade it.

[SelfishPlayer]

Works for me. Truth is that I want Dunn and was afraid that Cs would pass based on need. But that was refuted.

If there is no trade to be worked out between Boston and Philly, part of me would actually be amused by Boston selecting Dunn rather than trade the pick to someone else. I am hot and cold in terms of Dunn's potential as a pro in that I think he'll be stellar defensively, but offensively I'm just not sure mostly because of his shot. His recklessness can be reduced with good coaching. Just the same, how does Boston intend to field an actual frontcourt? Sure, they have cap space, as does everyone else in the NBA right now. They have assets, but as they have learned, it's not easy to trade picks in this draft for difference makers. So, go ahead and draft Dunn and create a very solid backcourt with A. Bradley, who is also a very good player. With Smart possibly coming off the bench, that's a pretty good trio. Of course, then you look at the frontcourt and you see guys like Zeller, Sullinger, Johnson, and Olynick and you see a middling team that's one and done in the playoffs.

The fact is, in my opinion, Boston has to make a move for the same reason that Philly is contemplating one. They are just positionally imbalanced and they managed to get the #3 pick at a time when it's all guards when they pick. So sure, perhaps they don't think Okafor or Noel are worth the #3 pick, but I think they better find another big they like for the #3 in a trade and I'm not sure who that is. Otherwise, select Dunn and Boston will be no scarier next year or going forward then say teams like MIL, ATL, or DET.

Jaylen Brown is an option for Boston. He's not a guard...

[76ciology]

Now, I want Bender. I don't give an F about fit specially if it's a second tier prospect like Dunn or Murray. But I still prefer Jah over Bender. Just need to develop Jah's rebounding.

[Gsraider]

Jaylen Brown is an option for Boston. He's not a guard...

You are correct in that he's a swing man with great athleticism. He's also potentially a few years away, doesn't do anything to solve Boston's issues up front, and may be a bit of a reach at #7. Maybe not though. Hey, if that's who Boston wants at #3, perhaps it works out and he turns out to be a great pick. I don't see even remotely how it advances the Celtics in the short or long term though. Maybe they have other moves in mind. Maybe a deal just isn't there to be made with Boston. I just hope like hell Colangelo doesn't blink. If the reported offer is correct, he's already offering more than enough. Time to move on to Phoenix or someone else.

[Skates]

From Marc Stein the last few minutes:

Marc Stein
ESPN Senior Writer
League sources tell @chadfordinsider and me: Philadelphia is ramping up its efforts to acquire tonight's No. 3 overall pick from Boston.

Numerous rivals describe Philly as the most active team in circulation ... with a trade involving Nerlens Noel looking more and more likely

[SmartWentCrazy]

If Ainge is trying like Hell to up the ante on the third pick, and Philly simply waits them out with patience (because after all, we don't NEED Dunn, we have other options), then eventually Ainge will realize when he's on the clock @ 3 that he didn't get anything else he wanted for it, so he'll settle for the Sixers final offer, which will be either Noel or Okafor, for the 3rd pick and a sweetener. We do hold all the leverage here. Ainge has struck out on any other trades for the 3rd pick. We're all he has left. And we don't even 100% need to pull it off the way he does.

Couldn't Celtics fans say the exact opposite? If BC is trying like hell to get Dunn, Boston should just wait Philly out and that BC will realize he has to meet Ainge's price? After Hill, Teague and Rose got traded, Dunn is all he has left.

Neither sides holds much leverage, and certainly not all of it. Because of asset gluttony and a BPA philosophy, both sides have a concentration of talent in a few positions and neither side absolutely HAS to make a deal.

They could, but they'd be wrong. BC isn't really trying like Hell to get Dunn. There are countless other vet PG's the Sixers could trade for, not to mention PG's in next year's draft, or even late 1st round picks the Sixers could take. They could swing Okafor and/or Noel for a wing of some sort, or another top 8 pick and just forget about Dunn.

Boston is the team that really wants an "impact player" immediately, and all indications are that Ainge is pushing hard to move the pick for that player. So, if he fails at that task, and ends up taking Dunn or someone else with the pick, it looks much worse on him than if BC just says "yea i'll use my other plethora of assets to go build a team around Simmons."

Fact is, neither side is probably desperate to make a move, but from a perception angle, Ainge certainly looks worse if he ends up having to keep the pick than BC looks if he just goes in a different direction to build the team.

Not according to every source other than you who talks about how Philly covets Dunn and wants him badly.

If Ainge likes 4 years of Dunn at cheap money more than 1 year of Noel, he'd be a fool to make that trade. Despite the 'win now' label, the Celtics will not win a title in the next 3 years. Ainge knows this, has preached patience to the fan base and just signed a 6 year extension. He's not going to make a short sighted move.

[sixerswillrule]

Works for me. Truth is that I want Dunn and was afraid that Cs would pass based on need. But that was refuted.

If there is no trade to be worked out between Boston and Philly, part of me would actually be amused by Boston selecting Dunn rather than trade the pick to someone else. I am hot and cold in terms of Dunn's potential as a pro in that I think he'll be stellar defensively, but offensively I'm just not sure mostly because of his shot. His recklessness can be reduced with good coaching. Just the same, how does Boston intend to field an actual frontcourt? Sure, they have cap space, as does everyone else in the NBA right now. They have assets, but as they have learned, it's not easy to trade picks in this draft for difference makers. So, go ahead and draft Dunn and create a very solid backcourt with A. Bradley, who is also a very good player. With Smart possibly coming off the bench, that's a pretty good trio. Of course, then you look at the frontcourt and you see guys like Zeller, Sullinger, Johnson, and Olynick and you see a middling team that's one and done in the playoffs.

The fact is, in my opinion, Boston has to make a move for the same reason that Philly is contemplating one. They are just positionally imbalanced and they managed to get the #3 pick at a time when it's all guards when they pick. So sure, perhaps they don't think Okafor or Noel are worth the #3 pick, but I think they better find another big they like for the #3 in a trade and I'm not sure who that is. Otherwise, select Dunn and Boston will be no scarier next year or going forward then say teams like MIL, ATL, or DET.

Jaylen Brown is an option for Boston. He's not a guard...

They already have Crowder who is one of their top players.

[SelfishPlayer]

If there is no trade to be worked out between Boston and Philly, part of me would actually be amused by Boston selecting Dunn rather than trade the pick to someone else. I am hot and cold in terms of Dunn's potential as a pro in that I think he'll be stellar defensively, but offensively I'm just not sure mostly because of his shot. His recklessness can be reduced with good coaching. Just the same, how does Boston intend to field an actual frontcourt? Sure, they have cap space, as does everyone else in the NBA right now. They have assets, but as they have learned, it's not easy to trade picks in this draft for difference makers. So, go ahead and draft Dunn and create a very solid backcourt with A. Bradley, who is also a very good player. With Smart possibly coming off the bench, that's a pretty good trio. Of course, then you look at the frontcourt and you see guys like Zeller, Sullinger, Johnson, and Olynick and you see a middling team that's one and done in the playoffs.

The fact is, in my opinion, Boston has to make a move for the same reason that Philly is contemplating one. They are just positionally imbalanced and they managed to get the #3 pick at a time when it's all guards when they pick. So sure, perhaps they don't think Okafor or Noel are worth the #3 pick, but I think they better find another big they like for the #3 in a trade and I'm not sure who that is. Otherwise, select Dunn and Boston will be no scarier next year or going forward then say teams like MIL, ATL, or DET.

Jaylen Brown is an option for Boston. He's not a guard...

They already have Crowder who is one of their top players.

I don't think any NBA team wouldn't draft a position because they already have a player of Crowder's caliber on the roster.

[HankTheTank]

I'm so uncomfortable with the whole world knowing we want Dunn. A shark like Ainge will take Dunn and hold BC up for ransom-- in other words, Hinkie him.

I have great respect for Danny Ainge as a GM, but I don't get this idea. If you've identified a player that you believe will move your franchise forward, why are you worried about getting held up for ransom? I don't worry about getting "Hinkied" as long as I get what I want.

Look at the Elfrid Payton deal. Everyone killed the Orlando FL for paying "too much" for Payton. Hinkie "won" the deal because he got a little extra value. So what? The Magic got who they wanted and aren't suffering. People are too hung up on keeping"assets". If there is a player, who you believe will be a star, becomes available you spend those assets. It's about getting star players, not holding on to average players and picks.

When everyone knows what player you want you leave yourself exposed. Make it about the pick, not a specific player. So let's say BC swings a trade with Phoenix, nerlens for the #4. Boston can take Dunn #3 and hold BC over a barrel. Say it costs the LAL pick + #4 to get Dunn. You're ok paying Nerlens + the LAL pick for Dunn? So what, we overpaid, as long as we get the player we want? Why not throw in our own '17 pick while we're at it...

[SelfishPlayer]

Jaylen Brown is an option for Boston. He's not a guard...

You are correct in that he's a swing man with great athleticism. He's also potentially a few years away, doesn't do anything to solve Boston's issues up front, and may be a bit of a reach at #7. Maybe not though. Hey, if that's who Boston wants at #3, perhaps it works out and he turns out to be a great pick. I don't see even remotely how it advances the Celtics in the short or long term though. Maybe they have other moves in mind. Maybe a deal just isn't there to be made with Boston. I just hope like hell Colangelo doesn't blink. If the reported offer is correct, he's already offering more than enough. Time to move on to Phoenix or someone else.

The Celtics worked Jaylen Brown out twice, and so did the Sixers. I believe he has a high likelihood of going #3. I believe all trade talk for the #3 pick between the Celts and Sixers is over selecting Brown.

[sixerswillrule]

Jaylen Brown is an option for Boston. He's not a guard...

They already have Crowder who is one of their top players.

I don't think any NBA team wouldn't draft a position because they already have a player of Crowder's caliber on the roster.

Crowder was a top 10 SF this season and a big reason they won 48 games. If they think there's a good chance Brown can be a star then sure. I wouldn't bet on it though.

[Ericb5]

Jaylen Brown is an option for Boston. He's not a guard...

You are correct in that he's a swing man with great athleticism. He's also potentially a few years away, doesn't do anything to solve Boston's issues up front, and may be a bit of a reach at #7. Maybe not though. Hey, if that's who Boston wants at #3, perhaps it works out and he turns out to be a great pick. I don't see even remotely how it advances the Celtics in the short or long term though. Maybe they have other moves in mind. Maybe a deal just isn't there to be made with Boston. I just hope like hell Colangelo doesn't blink. If the reported offer is correct, he's already offering more than enough. Time to move on to Phoenix or someone else.

The Celtics worked Jaylen Brown out twice, and so did the Sixers. I believe he has a high likelihood of going #3. I believe all trade talk for the #3 pick between the Celts and Sixers is over selecting Brown.

I would be shocked if that were true, but stranger things have happened.