NBA Draft 2016: 5 options for Boston Celtics at No. 3

The Boston Celtics held steady and now hold the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Who should they be targeting with that selection?

With every single team holding steady in the draft lottery, the Boston Celtics will now hold the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Obviously, the 48-34 Celtics did not earn that pick by their own losing, but instead it is one of the major prizes to the team from the Brooklyn Nets in the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade.

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has assembled a strong roster for head coach Brad Stevens to work with. The Celtics were not major NBA title contenders this season, but their mix of players have proved to be dangerous. Also, armed with ample cap space and seemingly unlimited draft capital, the Celtics are in a great position to add to their core this offseason.

Setting the free agency chases of Al Horford, Kevin Durant and others aside for a moment, let’s specifically look at the Celtics’ ability to improve their team through the draft. However, even that does not end with the third overall selection.

On top of picking right near the top, the Boston Celtics also hold the 16th and 23rd overall picks in the first-round and the 31st, 35th, 45th, 51st and 58th overall pick in the second-round. Simply put, they are loaded with draft choices from the top of the 2016 NBA Draft, to the bottom.

Now, Boston could certainly look to trade some of these choices, but unless a huge offer for an established NBA superstar comes along, I fully expect them to make the choice at number three. Also, with Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram being the obvious top two prospects in this class, it is pretty easy to know who the available options will be for the Celtics at three.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top contenders. Here are the top five players for the Celtics to consider with the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Next: 5. Jaylen Brown