The Boston Celtics need minor tweaks to rekindle their winning tradition, but a past transaction with the Brooklyn Nets just made it sweeter. With the Nets on course to finish the 2016-17 NBA season with the worst record, the Celtics are assured of getting the no. 1 spot in the NBA Draft Lottery.

It should be made clear that the Draft Lottery and the actual NBA Draft hold something different.

The only thing the Celtics won was higher chances of selecting first at the 2017 NBA Draft. By picking first, they have a 25-percent chance of landing the top pick and a 64.2-percent chance of a top three pick.

Boston Celtics see greener days ahead

With those odds, the Boston Celtics should have the best chances over others in getting the top players for the 2017 NBA Draft. Two names come to mind – Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball. The two are point guards; a position is filled looking at the current roster.

Then again, the Celtics could always tweak their lineup. Isaiah Thomas carries an affordable contract but could ask for the sky in 2018 when he becomes a free agent.

Team president Danny Ainge could look into that or probably trade off Thomas’ backup, Marcus Smart.

Whether it be Ball or Fultz, the point here is that Boston has options. Keeping their pick means relegating them to a backup role at first. Being promoted to the starting role could depend on how they fare through the course of next season.

The case of Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball has made headlines recently because of the antics of his father, Lorenzo Ball. While all that is driven by the on-court savvy of Lonzo, it has brought in too much attention and pressure to the former UCLA Bruin.

Also, Lonzo reportedly prefers to play for the Los Angeles Lakers and at all cost. That may not be in his hands though Los Angeles is expected to be among the teams to get the chance to draft the 19-year-old point guard.

Boston could make things complicated by drafting Ball over Fultz. It could spark a possible trade, giving Ainge the freedom to target anyone on the Lakers’ lineup.

For now, the Celtics seem complete so potentially being privileged to pick first may be something they can use as trade bait. It could be one of the picks or some other players on their roster – particularly the guards.

The NBA offseason is expected to be a hot one with roster changes keeping general managers busy. The Celtics already have an established young group so tweaking it hardly seems a priority.