Are the Celtics in the mix for the Knicks pick at #4?


The coming days are just going to be full of rumors about the Celtics potentially moving up in next week's NBA Draft.

Sheridan is hypothesizing about the Celtics' involvement:
The educated guess here is that he will go back and forth with Sam Hinkie of Philadelphia and Danny Ainge of Boston in an effort to restock the cupboard...Both Ainge and Hinkie can load up Phil’s wheelbarrow and restock his cupboard if that is what Jackson chooses to do. At this point, I would say it is more likely than not that Jackson trades the No. 4 pick before the draft.

So what's it going to take to get the fourth pick? If it's our two 2015 first rounders, next year's Brooklyn pick and a one of our handful of second rounders the next couple years, does Ainge pull the trigger? I would think so. One concern is that might not be enough.

Based on the Knicks desire to land Jahil Okafor, this trade is not happening if Okafor slides. But assuming Okafor remains in the top 3 and Karl-Anthony Towns is the top dog, the fourth pick would leave either Kristaps Porzingis or D'Angelo Russell for the Celtics at No. 4. Porzingis' stock is rising fast:

If Porzingis is off the board would the Celtics trade up to draft Russell? And if they do, could Marcus Smart/Isaiah Thomas/Avery Bradley be involved instead of picks? Would you trade Marcus Smart the stopper and the 16th pick for the playmaking D'Angelo Russell? That's a really tough call. Either way, Danny Ainge would love to have the Knicks' phone line open up on draft night if there's a possibility to move up to No. 4.

Photo Credit: FIBA Europe/Martins Silis

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