Boston Celtics: Latest Celtics Draft Buzz, News, Rumors

We are just days away from Thursday’s 2014 NBA Draft and the final wave of news and rumors are coming through thick and fast.

The media is frantically trying to keep up as information leaks (often intentionally) out of teams around the league and it can be impossible to keep up. As for the Celtics, we’ve taken some of the biggest, most relevant Celtics draft buzz and assembled it here, as well all try and make some sense amidst the chaos.

The Celtics currently own the sixth and 17th picks of the first round, although they appear to be one of the most active teams in trade talks coming up to the draft.

With multiple draft picks, young talent on the roster, non-guaranteed contracts and established veteran stars, the Celtics have a number of paths they could take depending on what presents itself on draft night. The one piece that could be a decisive factor is Minnesota All-Star Kevin Love, who has been the subject of much trade speculation and appears to be the Celtics’ priority target.

If another team swoops in and lands Love, or the Timberwolves decide to keep their disgruntled big man, the Celtics are looking at a range of options on draft night.

Could Embiid force his way to Boston?
Jay O, a contributor to redsarmy.com tweeted that Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski was hinting towards a possible steer to Boston or L.A. from Joel Embiid’s agent:

Embiid had firmed as the favorite for the No.1 overall pick until a stress fracture in his foot was discovered just days before the draft. An agile 7-footer with the potential to be a two-way force in the NBA, Embiid offers perhaps the highest upside of any player in the entire draft. While he is unlikely to go in the top two after the injury news, he will still be hard to pass on for any of the teams drafting third through fifth. If by chance he does fall, or his agent does in fact withhold information in order to get him to Boston or L.A., you can be sure Danny Ainge would take him without hesitation. The latest is that the 76ers also have access to his records, making it likely it goes at No. 3. Could the Celtics move up, all the way to No.1? CSN New England’s A. Sherrod Blakely has reported that the Celtics have spoken to the Cleveland Cavaliers about potentially trading up for the No. 1 pick in the draft:

The Cavaliers looked to have their sights set on Embiid prior to the injury and it has thrown their plans into disarray. Numerous teams are calling the Cavs, trying to move up to the top of the draft in what appears to now be a two man race at the top between Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins.

The Celtics would include the No. 6 pick and have a collection of assets including high value future picks from the Nets. If Embiid dropped to No. 6, the likelihood of a deal like this being possible would be far higher.

Saric has signed a new deal keeping him out of the NBA, or has he?
ESPN reported that Croatian star Dario Saric had signed a three-year deal with Turkish team Anadolu Efes, effectively keeping him out of the NBA until at least a player option is reached after year two. Saric remains in the draft but where he appeared to be a certain lock for the lottery, he may slide down draft boards. The Celtics are still said to be interested despite the report.

"However, it’s possible that Saric won’t slide too far. Sources say the Hawks at 15, the Celtics at 17, the Suns at 18 and the Bulls at 19 are all looking at Saric and are more comfortable drafting him and keeping him in Europe for the next two seasons. The Celtics, Suns and Bulls all have multiple picks in this year’s draft."

However, there have been come conflicting reports as to whether the deal has actually been signed yet. Dario’s agent, Misko Raznatovic himself tweeted that the reports were “far from reality” meaning a deal may not be complete as was first reported.

Could this perhaps be Dario and his agent trying to scare teams off to land him on a team of his choice? There had been earlier reports that he preferred to play in Boston or L.A. but neither team appeared likely to consider him at No. 6 or No. 7, respectively.

It was unlikely he would fall to No. 17 originally but with conflicting reports over his NBA availability, he could potentially fall to the Celtics’ second pick.
Smart and Gordon joined by Vonleh as Celtics’ favorites
The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn tweeted that Indiana freshman Noah Vonleh has joined Marcus Smart and Aaron Gordon as the Celtics’ primary targets with the No. 6 pick.

Vonleh has been impressing many teams with excellent workouts and his measurements at the NBA combine significantly boosted his draft stock. Danny Ainge likes versatile, defensive players and all three fit the bill if the Celtics do stay at No. 6 and Embiid doesn’t fall into their laps.

Could Rondo be on the move?
ESPN’s Andy Katz has reported that the Sacramento Kings have three deals lined up for their eighth overall pick and after showing interest in Celtics’ point guard Rajon Rondo in the past, rumors are swirling that Boston could be involved.

"Sources said the Kings have two deals that could be done prior to Thursday’s 2 p.m. trade deadline to change the draft order and one would be a draft night deal, depending on which players are available when the Kings select."

The three deals would return multiple draft picks and a veteran player to the Kings for the No. 8 pick.

If Ainge is unable to secure Kevin Love, he may be forced to move his All-Star point guard who has just one year remaining on his contract and nearing 30 may be less inclined to stick around for a long rebuilding project. The Kings seem a likely candidate as they try to put a winning team around big man DeMarcus Cousins and Rondo has a friendship with Kings forward Rudy Gay.

Ben McLemore and other pieces could be added from the Kings’ side in order to make the deal work.

Who have the Celtics worked out?

The full list of who the Celtics have brought in to work out is too long to list, but there are definitely some names of interest when it comes to the existing picks.

At the top end of the list are the likes of: Noah Vonleh (twice), Doug McDermott, Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle and Marcus Smart.

Mid-first round prospects include: Nik Stauskas, Gary Harris, Zach LaVine, Elfrid Payton, Kyle Anderson, T.J. Warren, P.J. Hairston, K.J. McDaniels, Adreian Payne and others.

They have also brought in a huge number of potential second-round picks, adding fuel to the rumor they may look at acquiring a second rounder on draft night.

So what can we make of all this? Ainge is open to just about everything and with just a couple of days left until the draft, he will need to make a decision sooner rather than later. He could swing for the fences and put all his chips on the table for Kevin Love, but needs to be ready to move his veterans if he misses out.

The top end of the 2014 draft is strong and if they do stay at No. 6, the Celtics should get a top prospect, while the class is also being praised for its depth and the No. 17 pick should offer some interesting possibilities.

One thing is for certain, Danny Ainge will leave no stone unturned in his quest to return the Celtics to the top of the NBA and could well produce the “fireworks” on draft night he hinted at earlier in the season.