Yesterday, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge revealed in a radio interview that Boston was close to pulling off a potential ‘blockbuster’ deal involving the Brooklyn Nets 2016 first round draft pick. The unprotected pick that the Celtics are in possession of due to the Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce trade the Brooklyn Nets did with Boston in 2013.
The pick right now sits with the fourth best odds to land at number one overall and the prized player in the 2016 NBA draft is LSU stud, Ben Simmmons. The Australian product has been touted as a potential franchise-changing player and has received comparisons to LeBron James, for obvious reasons. Other top talents if that pick doesn’t translate into the number one overall pick include young Duke star Brandon Ingram and international sensation, Dragan Bender.
The Nets pick is highly coveted and according to reports, the Celtics were willing to part with it in the blockbuster deal for a young star from Philadelphia, 76ers rookie big man Jahlil Okafor.
Following from Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
It’s why he spent the last several days trying to get the kind of magnetic player needed to lift the Celtics from the NBA’s middle earth. While a league source has indicated the late target Ainge has referred to in radio interviews was Philadelphia’s Jahlil Okafor, Ainge has turned silent on the matter.
There’s two sides to this potential deal. One is that Boston did not make a move with that pick and it could translate into great future success for Boston. Celtics players did not want a trade to happen on trade deadline day and for obvious reasons. The C’s are rolling this season and currently sit third in the Eastern Conference, seemingly just one player away from making that title push. They have continuity and adding a player midseason could have disrupted their flow especially a player like Okafor who commands the ball in the post and slows down a rather pass-happy, fluid Celtics offense. Would that franchise-changing player be Okafor? Probably not, but could it be Ben Simmons? If all scouting reports are accurate, he might be that guy and the C’s could be better off not making a deal.
Also consider that earlier this year, Jahlil Okafor was involved in a fight after a game in Boston so his standing with the Celtics fans might not be in the best regard and we would have to hear about that story all over again, which would be just beating a dead horse. If reports from Ainge are accurate, the 76ers are the ones who pulled out of the deal and this might be a true sign that Sam Hinkie is not in complete control anymore and the Jerry Colangelo influence has really started to change the 76ers.
Whether for better or worse we won’t know right away but give it five, six seasons and maybe we will see who made a better move by not making the deal.
