NBA Trade Grades: Boston Celtics deal No. 1 pick to Philadelphia 76ers

Boston Celtics

For Celtics fans, the perception of this deal really boils down to two things: 1) How good Markelle Fultz becomes and 2) What general manager Danny Ainge is able to do from here.

Fultz looks the part of a future NBA superstar, and now that he has the extra chip on his shoulder of being traded as the projected No. 1 overall pick, you can guarantee the TD Garden will not be looking forward to seeing this young man come to town every year.

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If Fultz becomes a superstar, he could very easily make the Celtics look foolish for dealing this pick away, especially if they fail to surmount that LeBron James-sized hurdle in the Eastern Conference.

There would have been a backcourt logjam, sure, but with Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart all approaching free agency in 2018, the Celtics would’ve had a whole year to test out different pairings to see what worked before making any decisions.

Josh Jackson, Boston’s most likely target at No. 3, is a great prospect. But it’s a bit troubling the Celtics weren’t impressed enough with Fultz during his workout with the organization to the point of holding out for a Kansas wing who has a far more worrisome NBA flaw — a jump shot that needs consistency at the next level.

Jackson could very well be the next Jimmy Butler or Paul George, but there’s also a good chance the Los Angeles Lakers — Boston’s greatest nemesis — could completely throw a wrench in the works by drafting him at No. 2 before Ainge is even on the clock. Most have assumed Lonzo Ball to the Lakers is a done deal, but Jackson’s second workout for the Lakers suggests he could very well be in the mix at No. 2.

However, this move is not just about trading down to get Jackson (or Jayson Tatum, an even better potential fit who brings the scoring Boston needs and would definitely be available at No. 3). As reported by Zags Blog’s Adam Zagoria, this move was being made in order to stack picks for another trade centered around Jimmy Butler:

Real GM‘s Keith Smart, Sporting News‘ Sean Deveney and ESPN‘s Ramona Shelburne all echoed similar sentiments once the deal became all but official: The Boston Celtics are not done wheeling and dealing here.

More than likely, these extra picks will be used to negotiate another blockbuster deal for someone like Paul George or Jimmy Butler. Then, Boston could turn its attention to free agency, and though they’d have to clear out significant cap space to make it happen, someone like Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin could be in play.

To that end, the protections on the Lakers pick doesn’t really matter as much for Boston.

That’s good news, because the Lakers’ first-rounder next year could very well fall outside of that limited 2-5 range next year, especially as Magic Johnson tries to improve his roster so it’s as attractive as possible for Paul George in 2018.

If the Lakers improve internally and start to posture themselves for a run at PG-13 next summer, that pick could very easily turn into Sacramento’s 2019 first-rounder, and though the Kings have been perpetually miserable for a decade now, they suddenly have a decent young core and two top-five picks in this year’s draft to build on between now and then.

However, teams considering a full-scale rebuild by away trading their star players like the Chicago Bulls or Indiana Pacers may not care as much about waiting on picks to convey if it means adding another top-10 selection in a potential deal. The Celtics already had an abundance of assets they could offer before this deal went down, after all:

In terms of Boston’s free agency picture, trading down from No. 1 to No. 3 in this year’s draft also clears out some precious salary cap room:

As of right now, the Celtics have about $19.8 million in cap space and can create more with additional moves.

Their treasure trove of assets, including three potential first round picks in 2018 or four potential first-rounders in 2019, is impressive — even without Markelle Fultz in the picture.

However, it’s hard to feel great about this deal until we see what Ainge is able to string together next, and even then, until the Celtics are hoisting their 18th NBA championship banner, this potential gambit to assemble a new super-team in the East feels like sacrificing the long-term outlook.

There are plenty of promising young cores throughout the league, but even if a Celtics squad with Butler/PG-13 and Hayward/Griffin finally ends LeBron’s reign in the East, is that team good enough to challenge the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty that’s already in progress?

This deal could easily come back to bite Boston if Fultz becomes a stud, especially since a young core with him, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, next year’s Nets pick and all the other future first-rounders the Celtics have stored up could’ve been the NBA’s next contender after the Dubs’ reign ends.

Now, Ainge must seek out another blockbuster deal, clear the cap space to sign a marquee free agent over the summer, and most likely sacrifice a Nets pick that could potentially go No. 1 again.

There are worse problems to have, but after years of posturing for a killer move with all those assets, Celtics fans are left waiting again. They might not have to wait long, but the pressure is on for this summer, and Fultz’s bright NBA future outshines anything but the gleam of another Larry O’Brien trophy.

The grade for this deal could look unfair a few months from now depending on how the Celtics proceed from here and what Fultz becomes at the next level. For example, a deal out of left field for, say, Anthony Davis would immediately, retroactively bump this grade up to an A.

For now though, with The Vertical‘s Chris Mannix reporting that there is no imminent blockbuster deal on the horizon, this is a good but not great haul for a potential star point guard…especially since it might not push Boston past the Cavs and Warriors on the NBA food chain, even if they do find a way to max out this summer.

Grade: C+