NBA GM is convinced Celtics will take Josh Jackson #1

Two of the top prospects don't want to play in Boston or work out for us. Luckily the consensus #1 pick Fultz is dying to be a Celtic. Yet Ainge prefers Jackson?
ESPN:
Markelle Fultz has been atop my Big Board since version 2.0, and his only real challenger most of the year has been Lonzo Ball.

But Josh Jackson, who was No. 1 on Big Board 1.0, has emerged as an intriguing option for the Celtics and team president Danny Ainge (even though he canceled a workout with Boston this week, according to ESPN's Jeff Goodman and Marc Spears).

"I've picked Danny's brain for years," one GM said. "Jackson is an Ainge player all the way. Tough, athletic, long, versatile, elite motor. If he's keeping the pick, Jackson just to me, far and away, is the most Celtics-type player for them to draft. From all my conversations with them, I'm convinced they'll take Jackson No. 1."

Fit is a question mark for Jackson as well, with both Jaylen Brown and Jae Crowder already on the roster.

Don't the Celtics need players with differing skill sets? Isn't Jackson a bit duplicative, especially given the arrival of Brown last year?

Another GM doesn't see it that way.

"Jackson will be better than all of those guys [at his position in Boston]," the GM said. "Danny's looking for a star, and I think Jackson has as much or more star potential than Fultz or Ball. Everyone on the Celtics is an asset. Danny can move them all. He'll take the player he likes the best. Period. He'll figure out fit in the summer."

What do the Celtics have to say about this? They're staying mum on whom they're taking No. 1, but a source says the franchise is strongly considering options other than Fultz and that Jackson is one of those options.

"We like him a lot," the Celtics source said. "But we like several guys a lot. We've got a week to figure it out."

If Jackson doesn't work out for Boston, would that scare the Celtics away? "Absolutely not," a Celtics source said. "That's true for Josh and Lonzo and anyone else. We've done our homework. The workouts are nice, but they're not mandatory. We'll select the best player."

The Lakers would be thrilled to have
Markelle Fultz lead them for the next 15 years
I REALLY hope the anonymous GM is Danny Ainge using his soon to be played off friend Chad Ford to float this rumor in order to see if the Lakers will trade up to #1 to draft Jackson. But the Lakers aren't that dumb. If the Celtics pass on Fultz, the Lakers will gladly take the consensus #1 player in the draft, have him win Rookie of The Year in L.A, and then use him to recruit LeBron and George next summer. The Lakers would be extremely lucky if Fultz fell to #2. And the Celtics would be extremely stupid to let that happen.

Danny does his own thing. His draft board is always completely different than the norm. It's been beneficial towards drafting rotation players and failed at finding stars. Typically consensus #1 overall picks don't work out for multiple teams, but that's because the team at the top of the draft let's them know that "you're our guy." The Celtics didn't give Fultz such assurances and today he worked out for the Lakers.

Jackson is the type of player Ainge likes. And if we were drafting #3 or #4, I'd be fine with him as the pick. I'd be jealous of whoever got Fultz #1, but would simply lament the lottery balls not going our way. But the lottery balls finally went our way and Ainge still might screw this up. Why can't it ever be easy? I won't be calm until Fultz signs with the Celtics (still would be nervous after the draft that he would be subsequently traded). If any other team had the #1 pick, I'd know that Fultz would be going #1. With Ainge, who knows?



Related: Video: Markelle Fultz talks following workout with Lakers
Josh Jackson cancels draft workout with the Boston Celtics
Ainge is the only GM in the NBA who would have the balls to pass on Fultz at #1 and that's frightening
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