The latest NBA rumors suggest the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics are discussing a trade involving the third pick in the NBA Draft.
It is no secret the Philadelphia 76ers are trying to get the third pick from the Boston Celtics in order to draft Providence point guard Kris Dunn. The 76ers also have the first pick in the NBA Draft, which they will be using to select Ben Simmons from LSU.
League sources tell @chadfordinsider and me: Philadelphia is ramping up its efforts to acquire tonight's No. 3 overall pick from Boston.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 23, 2016
While Simmons will be a great addition to the 76ers as the most talented player in the draft, the 76ers have been in desperate need of a point guard the past few seasons. In his senior season at Providence, Dunn averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.
Even though the Celtics made the playoffs last season, they are sitting pretty in the draft with the third overall pick, with a chance to really improve this offseason. While Dunn is a great talent, the Celtics already have a crowded backcourt with Marcus Smart and Isaiah Thomas. Both of those two guards were big parts of the Celtics’ success last season, and adding Dunn to the backcourt makes little sense.
With a need for some help in their frontcourt, the Celtics are eyeing former sixth overall pick Nerlens Noel in exchange for their third pick in this year’s draft. Noel has battled some injuries in his first two seasons in the NBA, but he has proven to be an athletic defender on the inside.
In two seasons, Noel has averaged 10.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.8 steals per game. Noel appears to be a great fit in Brad Stevens’ fast-paced offense, and he will provide the Celtics with some rim protection on the defensive end.
The two teams seem to be able to meet the other’s needs, but we will have to see if a deal gets done before or during the NBA Draft.
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