The Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers are working on a swap involving their first-round picks in the 2017 NBA Draft. Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical reported that the Celtics will trade the No. 1 overall pick to the 76ers in exchange for their No. 3 pick and a 2018 first-round pick. He said the 76ers plan to take Washington guard Markelle Fultz as first overall.
Wojnaworski said the talks are already in an advanced stage, with “Fultz could be on his way to Philadelphia for a meeting Saturday”. According to Wojnaworski’s sources, Fultz is in Washington, D.C.
and could travel to Philadelphia to meet with 76ers officials anytime. The 19-year-old Fultz played one season at the University of Washington, averaging 23.3 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds.
76ers to form own Big Three
With Fultz, the Sixers can form their own Big Three together with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Last April, Fultz said in an interview with CSN Philly that he envisions himself playing for the 76ers. "Oh, man, I can see it happening. I think it would be a great atmosphere, so it would be cool,” he then said. Fultz and Simmons will anchor the backcourt while Joel Embiid will man the shaded area for the 76ers.
Celtics gathering more first-round picks for Bulls’ Jimmy Butler?
Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog tweeted that the Celtics could also be acquiring more first-round picks to deal for Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls, per league source.
The Bulls tried to trade Butler to the Celtics before last season’s trade deadline but the deal fell apart as Boston was unwilling to give up Jae Crowder.
Earlier, there were reports that Butler will be "good as gone" in the summer. The Bulls signed Butler to a five-year, $95 million deal as part of their plan to turn him into the team's cornerstone.
If Butler joins Boston, the Celtics will get another scoring option that will help them challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers’ domination in the East.
After the Bulls shipped Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks, Butler emerged as the new main man in Chicago. He averaged 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 76 games last season as he led the Bulls to the playoffs as eighth seed.
They went up 2-0 against the Celtics but Boston took the next four games.
At No. 3, the Celtics will also have a chance of selecting Kansas forward Josh Jackson, who will fit perfectly into general manager Danny Ainge’s system. According to one general manager, Jackson’s toughness, athleticism and versatility are an ideal fit for the Celtics.
