The Celtics tried to trade up to draft Kelly Oubre but couldn't work out a deal, according to Sporting News' Sean Deveney. This latest report only seems to confirm the terrible, terrible draft night the Celtics had.
The Celtics tried and failed to trade up for Kelly Oubre, per report
Danny Ainge wanted a wing but had to settle for another point guard.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Danny Ainge reportedly tried to move up to the top 10. He came closest to pulling it off when he offered the Hornets a package of six draft picks in exchange for moving up to the No. 9 slot to select Duke's Justise Winslow, but Charlotte decided against it. Once he failed to do that, we now know that he tried to nab another wing in Oubre, to no avail. In the end, Boston settled for Louisville's Terry Rozier, contributing to a massive logjam at point guard.
The Celtics are finding it hard to turn their assets into the players they want. They can offer multiple picks, but other teams still rebuff them because those picks aren’t that good.
Boston had two first-round picks in the past draft but both were outside the lottery. Next year they could have five first-round picks but it's very unlikely any of those land in the top 10. The best of the bunch is expected to be the Nets' pick, but Brooklyn made the playoffs last season and is returning most of its core players.
The players on the Celtics' roster are similarly good-not-great. Avery Bradley, Isaiah Thomas and Amir Johnson are nice veterans but none can really be the centerpiece of a trade for a star. Neither can Rozier, Marcus Smart, Tyler Zeller or Kelly Olynyk, for that matter. Unless someone asks to be traded to Boston specifically, the Celtics might have a hard time putting a good enough package together to land a franchise cornerstone player.
Of course, everything can change quickly. Someone already on the roster could emerge as a true game-changer, or one of the picks could unexpectedly become more valuable a year from now than it looked this offseason. On the next draft night, the Celtics will certainly have ammo at their disposal to make something happen. For the sake of their rebuild, they need a run of good luck.
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