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Boston Celtics: 2017 NBA Draft Lottery odds

By Brendan Galella

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jaylen Brown (California) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number three overall pick to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jaylen Brown (California) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number three overall pick to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Boston Celtics have a 25 percent chance of claiming the top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jaylen Brown (California) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number three overall pick to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

The Boston Celtics are simultaneously legitimate championship contenders and have the best odds of landing the first overall pick at the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery.

Typically teams on the verge of advancing to the conference finals aren’t too worried about the results of the NBA Draft Lottery. Only the Boston Celtics are in prime position to add another dynamic piece to an already talented roster.

As the result of a 2013 deal with the Brooklyn Nets centered around Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in exchange for two future first round picks and the right to swap picks this season, Boston has managed to contend for the 2017 title and have the best odds in the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery.

The Celtics finished the regular season with a 53-29 record, the best in the Eastern Conference, while Brooklyn posted the worst record in the NBA.

The struggles of the Nets proved to be extra beneficial for Boston, as the right to exchange positions in the draft carries the additional caveat of a 1-in-4 chance of landing the first overall selection.

Even if the pick doesn’t result in the top choice at June 22’s NBA Draft, the Celtics are guaranteed one of the first four draft slots.

Here’s a complete breakdown of the odds for the Boston Celtics at the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery:

  • 1st:  25%
  • 2nd:  21.5%
  • 3rd:  17.8%
  • 4th:  35.7%

In each of the past two seasons, the team with the best odds to capture the top pick ended up winning the draft lottery and in every year since 2010, the team with the worst record in the league wound up choosing second.

Incredibly, for a team with 32 ties to Hall-of-Famers, 21 retired jersey numbers and 17 NBA championships, the Celtics never drafted a player first overall that has appeared in a game for them.

In 1950, Boston selected Charles Share, a center from Bowling Green, with the first overall pick but traded him a day later for Bill Sharman, an eight-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion and was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996.

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    • Sharman is one of four people inducted to the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach, along with John Wooden, Tommy Heinsohn and Lenny Wilkins.

    While Boston will select no lower than fourth in next month’s draft, the team has a 64.2 percent chance of landing a top-3 selection.

    Historically, the Celtics have capitalized seemingly every time it has chosen in the top-10.

    Since 1970, the team has chosen Dave Cowens (fourth overall in 1970), Larry Bird (sixth overall in 1978), Kevin McHale (third overall in 1980), Len Bias (second overall in 1986), Eric Montross (ninth overall in 1994), Antonie Walker (sixth overall in 1996), Chauncey Billups (third overall in 1997), Paul Pierce (10th overall in 1998), Joe Johnson (10th overall in 2001), Randy Foye (seventh overall in 2006), Jeff Green (fifth overall in 2007), Marcus Smart (sixth overall in 2015) and Jaylen Brown (third overall in 2016).

    Boston has the luxury of selecting an elite prospect to an already loaded roster.

    The team has an All-Star in point guard Isaiah Thomas, along with a promising young core of talented players. Of the 15 to make an appearance this season for Boston, the eldest player on the team to average more than 12 minutes per game was 30-year-old Al Horford.

    Boston has dynamic perimeter defenders in Smart, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder along with exciting wings in Brown and Terry Rozier.

    The Celtics can use the first overall pick to add an enticing point guard prospect with either Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball. The possibility of adding another versatile wing exists if the team opts for Josh Jackson or Jayson Tatum.

    The team could even use the draft pick as a trade chip to land a superstar player, providing even more options for a team 48 minutes away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

    Boston co-owner Wyc Grousbeck will be in attendance Tuesday night representing the Celtics at the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery.

    Next: 5 potential landing spots for Gordon Hayward in free agency

    No matter the result, if the team lands the first or fourth overall pick, the Celtics are on the verge of adding an exciting piece to an already dynamic roster.

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