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The Celtics just traded the No.1 pick, now what?

In a move that is par for the course for Danny Ainge, the Boston Celtics traded the first overall pick in Thursday’s draft earlier this week to the Philadelphia 76ers for the third overall pick and a future first round pick. The 76ers are expected to draft Washington guard Markelle Fultz with the pick, according to multiple reports.

There may be several reasons as to why Ainge traded out of the first pick, but it all boils down to the Celtics not buying into the Fultz being the best player in this draft.

"We think there’s a really good chance the player we’ll take at [No.] 3 is the same player we would have taken at [No.] 1. So this was a great opportunity to acquire an impactful asset," Ainge said on Monday.

Celtics fans will now have to separate themselves from the idea of Fultz becoming a Celtic, which seemed to be a forgone conclusion when the Celtics won the Draft Lottery last month. With Fultz likely going to Philly and UCLA guard Lonzo Ball expecting to go to the Los Angeles Lakers, we wonder who is the player that Ainge wants to draft with the third pick.

Jayson Tatum

The 19-year-old Duke forward is one of the prospects that Ainge may have his eyes on. Tatum averaged 16.8 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists per game in his only season at Duke. In four draft boards compiled from Draft Express and The Ringer, Tatum ranks as high as the second-best prospect in one draft board and as low as ninth two other draft boards. After trading down, the Celtics hosted Tatum for a workout on Sunday after seeing him in a private workout earlier.

Tatum’s game has been compared to the likes of Danny Granger, Rudy Gay, and even Paul Pierce.

The biggest strength in Tatum’s game is his ability to score. The forward can be a possible go-to scorer for the Celtics, a glaring need for them. He can also score in the post and create his own shot. At Duke, Tatum shot 84.9 percent from the free throw line.

The negatives that scouts see in Tatum’s game are that he isn’t effective without the ball on offense and lacks effort on the defensive end. He also shoots a lot of midrange shots, leaving scouts to question his three-point shooting ability, where he shot 34.2 percent from in college.

If the Celtics are looking for another scorer, Tatum would seem like the pick. His scoring ability seems to be the best out of any prospect in this draft. Scouts have also said that Tatum may be the most "NBA ready" player in this draft.

Josh Jackson

The 20-year-old Kansas forward is the other prospect that is rumored to have the Celtics interest. In his one season at Kansas, Jackson averaged 16.3 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, and 3 assists per game. In the four draft boards, Jackson ranks as high as three and as low as six. Although the Celtics are rumored to have interest in him, Jackson has yet to work out for the Celtics and he won’t work out for them unless they promise to pick him, ESPN reports.

Jackson has been compared to Tracy McGrady, Andre Iguodala, and Aaron Gordon.

The biggest strength in Jackson’s game is his athleticism. His athleticism made him an explosive scorer in the paint ad post in college. Jackson’s defense is also highly regarded.

Jackson’s biggest weakness is his ability to shoot. In college, Jackson shot 56.6 percent from the free throw line and 37.8 percent from three.

If the Celtics add Jackson, they’ll be adding another great perimeter defender to go along the likes of Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart. The issue that they may run into with this is that if they played Jackson and Smart at the same time, they would have a noticeable lack of shooting from a guard and forward spot. That may not matter though if Isaiah Thomas is scoring well enough and their defense is holding their ground.

The other prospects

Ainge may shock everyone with the third pick like he did last year when he picked Jaylen Brown. Two contenders to be a sleeper pick are Florida State forward Jonathan Isaac and North Carolina St. guard Dennis Smith Jr.

Isaac has shown the upside to be versatile scorer and defender. Isaac has good scoring ability in the post and has a promising three-point shot. On defense, some scouts believe that he can play power forward or center in a small-ball lineup and has shown shot-blocking ability and good perimeter defense. Isaac’s downside is that he lacks explosiveness on the offensive end.

Smith positives are his athleticism and his passing. Smith’s athleticism has shown scouts that he can become a top scorer. The downside to Smith is his shooting ability. Scouts believe that Smith lacks the shooting ability to be a top-scorer right now, but he can improve.

Trade the pick

Ainge could also trade again. The Ringer reported he could trade down to the fifth pick if he believes his guy will still be there.

Boston could also trade the pick for a proven commodity in a move to increase their chances of winning a championship. The Celtics have been rumored to go after Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler, 27, and Indiana Pacers forward Paul George, 27. Butler’s contract runs through the 2018–19 season and George’s contract expires after next season. George told the Pacers front office over the weekend that he planned to go to the Lakers when he becomes a free agent, The Vertical reported.

Another name that has come up is New York Knicks forward/center Kristapas Porzingis. Porzingis, 21, was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 Draft and is rumored to be on the market after it his reported dispute with team president Phil Jackson. The Celtics have shown interest in trading for Porzingis, the New York Daily News reported.

Whatever Danny Ainge does Thursday night, it will be the second decision he makes in an off-season that will define his legacy.


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