Celtics keenly focused on NBA Draft this season

Boston Globe

6 hours ago

'Boston is in an interesting position because of Jayson Tatum's injury and that is likely to put him out for the entire year next year, and even if you were to make the speediest of recoveries, you're talking about bumping up on the playoffs in a best-case scenario,' said
Jay Bilas
, former Duke standout and college basketball analyst. 'So with all the salary obligations that they have, I mean, I still think they're a good team without Jayson Tatum.'
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The days leading up to Wednesday's draft could be significant for the Celtics. Players such as
Kevin Durant
and even
Giannis Antetokounmpo
could be moved, meaning there could be teams seeking
Jrue Holiday
or
Kristaps Porzingis
before the draft kicks off.
'It's really a question of what do they want to do for the year after and how do they want to approach it,' Bilas said. 'They've still got a championship core together, but it's going to cost to keep it together. And certainly keep it together past this year, but I'd be very surprised if you just start dismantling things because of Tatum's injury.'
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Cooper Fl
agg
will be the No. 1 pick and
Dylan Harper
is expected to be taken by the Spurs, but the Philadelphia pick at three and beyond is unpredictable. With that, the Celtics can astutely get two potential impact players with their picks. There have been gems taken late in the first round, such as Memphis's
Desmond Bane
(at No. 30), Detroit's
Marcus Sasser
(No. 25), Indiana's
Ben Sheppard
(No. 26), and Denver's
Julian Strawther
(No. 29) in recent years.
'You can get good players there,' Bilas said. 'You could get a guy like
Rasheer Fleming
from Saint Joseph's, who would fit in with any really good team because he can make a perimeter shot.
'He's got a ridiculous wingspan. And so he's a multi-position defender that can switch out on a guard, guard any wing, gets steals, deflections, offensive rebounds. You know he can rebound, kind of a prototypical three and D guy with a lot of potential and a lot of upside.'
Another potential target could be Final Four MVP
Walter Clayton Jr.
, a small scoring guard who potentially could switch to point on the NBA level. Clayton is slipping because he's already 22, but he's a career 38.6 percent 3-point shooter and a big-game player.
Bilas doubted Clayton Jr. would still be available, 'but somebody really good could be there,' namedropping Arkansas's
Adou Thiero
.
'There are some valuable pieces that could still be available 28 to 32 and you just have to make the decision you want somebody that's going to be able to come in and play now or is there an undervalued player out there that hasn't realized some potential, but people tend to forget that,' he said.
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Draymond Green
, Bilas noted, went 35th in the 2012 draft.
Nikola Jokic
went even later, taken No. 41 in 2014, with his pick announced during a commercial break in TV coverage.
'He was picked during a Taco Bell commercial in the second round and he wound up being pretty good,' Bilas said. 'He's the best player in the world right now.'
Maine native Cooper Flagg is a lock for the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.
Brynn Anderson/Associated Press
Time is now
Magic make move with Bane
The Magic made the biggest splash of this past week by acquiring sharpshooter
Desmond Bane
from the Grizzlies for
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
,
Cole Anthony
, and four first-round picks. It's the latest deal that involves multiple first-round picks for a player yet to make an All-Star team. The Knicks spent five first-rounders on
Mikal Bridges
on what they thought would be the final piece to their championship puzzle. New York lost to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Magic believe they are on the verge of being an elite team in the Eastern Conference and the field appears to be open. The Celtics will have to spend most of the season without five-time All-Star
Jayson Tatum
because of a torn Achilles'. The Pacers are one game from winning an NBA title but won just 50 in the regular season and likely wouldn't enter next season as the favorite in the East.
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The Knicks still don't have a coach and the Pacers exposed weaknesses in their roster. The Cavaliers faltered in the playoffs for the third consecutive season and may need to upgrade.
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'It was a pretty easy decision for us,' Magic general manager Jeff Weltman said. 'We valued [Bane] very highly. When I stood in front of you guys after the season I honestly didn't expect him to be available and when we learned about that we shifted gears and made it our focus.
'The guy is almost the player you would design if you could start from scratch. We've spoken about our need for shooting but we've also talked about playmaking. Desmond is such a unique player because he's one of the best shooters in the NBA but he's also a gifted playmaker and he generates shot creation for himself and for others.'
As evidenced in their series loss to the Celtics, the Magic desperately need shooting. Bane is a 41 percent 3-point shooter coming off his best offensive season with the Grizzlies. Weltman believes he can help unlock the Magic offense.
'He checks every box,' Weltman said. 'The guy's tough, he's physical and he's locked in every night. I think of him as an old-school tough guy. We compile data and we gather as much information on players and there aren't too many players teams regard as high as Desmond Bane.'
The sacrifice is two rotation players and major draft capital. Caldwell-Pope had a poor first season in Orlando and Weltman pointed out his inability to create his own shot. Anthony was a one-time potential cornerstone but lost his spot in the rotation and was nearly unplayable in the Boston series.
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'We don't know what the value of those picks are,' Weltman said. 'We're betting on ourselves. We feel like we're going to be a good team. Our age profile with our core players, hopefully we can have our group together wearing Magic uniforms for a long time. And that will determine how valuable those picks are and this is what the NBA is about, it's betting on yourself, putting pressure on yourself, elevating your standard.
'We gave up none of our own core pieces, so this was a draft capital trade. Our whole team struggled to shoot. Adding a guy like Des will give us an elite level shooter but also a playmaker.'
The hope is a healthy
Paolo Banchero
,
Franz Wagner
, and
Jalen Suggs
along with Bane and
Wendell Carter
will catapult the Magic into a deep playoff run. Acquiring Bane was a risky move, but the success of the Pacers encouraged several teams in the East that now is the time.
'Our goal isn't to win the East, it's to win the championship,' Weltman said. 'We're a real factor now and we're hopeful that this is a winning team and we can keep winning for a while. It's exciting to think about that because they should get better every year.'
The Magic made the biggest splash this past week by acquiring sharpshooter Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies.
George Walker IV/Associated Press
Close to the top
Thunder rebuilt after last trip
The Thunder are on the verge of their first championship after moving from Seattle 17 years ago. They have been close, losing the Finals in 2012 with the trio of
Kevin Durant
,
Russell Westbrook
and
James Harden
.
Harden was traded to the Rockets. Durant left via free agency in 2016 after the Thunder lost to the Warriors in the Western Conference finals, and Westbrook was eventually traded to Houston, beginning the franchise rebuild.
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Coming from that rebuild was
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
, acquired from the Clippers a few days before Westbrook was dealt. It required the Thunder to give up
Paul George
but they received a potential cornerstone coming off a solid rookie season along with five first-round picks.
That trade, one of the most lopsided in NBA history and comparable to the Celtics' acquisition of
Robert Parish
and the third overall pick (
Kevin McHale
), has singlehandedly regenerated the franchise and it's the reason they are one victory from a championship.
'It's been fun [but] the cusp of winning is not winning,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'The way I see it, winning is all that matters. It hasn't been fulfilled. We haven't done anything. I built great friendships along the way. Had a lot of fun playing basketball. I think that's where you start.
'The organization and the guys around me have done a really good job of building an environment that is fun to come to every day. Really just focus on working and getting better. I think that's why we made jumps.'
Perhaps the final piece to the puzzle was the hiring of coach
Mark Daigneault
, the 40-year-old Leominster native who was an assistant at Holy Cross and Florida before becoming coach of the Thunder's G-League affiliate.
After missing the playoffs in his first three seasons but seeing progress, Daigneault has fueled Oklahoma City's run with his leadership and ability to relate to players.
'Coach has done a really good job over the years of highlighting and really putting emphasis on the things that matter and the things that you can control in a basketball game,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'Your mental approach is one of them. He's always been big on those type of things.
'I think honestly now it's like a trained muscle. He does a really good job of always thinking big picture and zooming out of the moment.
'Even if we're in a losing season a couple years ago, and I don't approach the game the right way, he pulled me aside after and explained to me it's a muscle that I'm going to have to build, something that I can't turn off and on, and I have to approach it a certain way. I think that's his biggest strength as a coach.
'He understands the game, then he understands how to connect with players and give them the right information to benefit themselves and ultimately benefit this team. That's all coach, to answer your question. He has prepared us great in that way.'
A persistent discussion during the playoffs is whether the NBA has a face of the league with
LeBron James
,
Stephen Curry
, and Durant in the advanced stages of their careers. Gilgeous-Alexander is a prime candidate, but has a low-key personality. He has taken all of his accomplishments, including the MVP, in stride because he's far from finished.
'Really focused on the day-to-day things,' he said. 'You don't ever know what life is going to throw at you. I've just learned that over time. Trying to picture what it's going to look like or feel like, for me it's kind of pointless. Honestly, I try to make it an emphasis not to do so.
'Obviously, I'm human, so I naturally think about my dreams and my goals. As much as I can and as well as I can, I try to focus on the day to day, focus on what's gotten me to my dreams and my goals. That's where I hang my hat.'
Perhaps the final piece to the Oklahoma City puzzle was the hiring of coach Mark Daigneault.
Nate Billings/Associated Press
Layups
The Pacers made an astute move this past week by trading their first-round pick, 23rd overall, to the Pelicans, reacquiring their own first-round pick in 2026 that had been traded to Toronto in the
Pascal Siakam
deal. The Pacers are looking to clear salary and ridded themselves of a potential first-round pick salary. The Pelicans, led by new general manager
Joe Dumars
, now own the seventh and 23rd picks as they look to upgrade their roster after a disappointing, injury-riddled season … The Knicks are scheduled to interview former NBA coaches
Mike Brown
and
Taylor Jenkins
, the first interviews for their vacant position. Brown was fired by the Kings during last season, the team struggling after snapping a 17-year streak of missing the postseason. Jenkins had a successful stint with the Grizzlies before he was unceremoniously fired with nine games left in the season because the team had leveled off. Although Brown and Jenkins are quality candidates, neither was the Knicks' first choice and their coaching search is resembling a farce after they fired
Tom Thibodeau
. New York's front office had its sights on
Jason Kidd
or former Villanova coach
Jay Wright
. The Mavericks rejected the Knicks' request to interview Kidd and Wright pulled his name out of consideration quickly … There were rumors that Milwaukee coach
Doc Rivers
would assume a role in the front office and leave coaching to either former assistant
Sam Cassell
, now with the Celtics, or ex-Lakers coach
Darvin Ham
. But Rivers indicated he intends to return as coach as the Bucks are prepared to keep superstar
Giannis Antetokounmpo
and attempt to rebuild around him …
Russell Westbrook
is expected to opt out of the $3.4 million option on his contract and become an unrestricted free agent again. He mostly played well for the Nuggets and provided spark during their playoff run. If Westbrook decides to sign with another club, it will be his sixth team in six years as he vies for his first NBA championship. Westbrook showed he still has the athletic explosion and defensive prowess to contribute to a winning team, but he is prone to slumps and mistakes that have made him expendable. Considering his 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists this season, he comes as a financial bargain for teams willing to take on his off-court aura.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at