2016 Boston Celtics Offseason Thread

I'd take The Dragan, Sabonis and Zizic. If even just one of them hits, hey that's awesome and it significantly helps the team. The Celtics really need some good bigs.

I'm starting to like Murray as a player at 3... Bender or Murray...

I hope they finally use a draft and stash strategy. I'm surprised they haven't already.

The more i research Bender, the more I like him. At this point I like Murray or Bender. I wouldn't want to be Danny, though choice. Kevin Pelton WARP projection has Bender at #2 only behind Simmons.

With all the picks we have and what to me looks like strong group of international prospects I would look at picking 2-3 of them.

So often we have seen 2 things happen in the NBA Draft:

1. Someone who wasn't expected to go in the lottery (or, at least, top 16 picks or so - yes, I cherry-picked that number to include Rozier) does

2. Someone who many thought would go higher in the draft drops a bit.

This is especially true when you're looking at a draft that is not considered to be particularly strong or when a bunch of players are grouped together in relative talent (teams start going with need over pure talent).

If we assume that Simmons/Ingram are Tier 1 and, for argument sake, Bender/Murray/Dunn/Brown/Hield, in some order, are Tier 2 (looking at 15 mock drafts updated as of last week, Ellenson is on the outside looking in but, given his "big man" status, he could sneak in). All it takes is one team from pick 8 to, say, 12 to take a flier on someone they love who is ranked lower (if he's as good as he thinks he is, someone could take a flier on Ulis, for example) and that next Tier of Ellenson/Poeltl/Labissiere/Chriss/Davis/Etc becomes attainable for Boston.

Point is, I could easily see them taking Bender and then, if the above happens, packaging 16/23 to move up and get someone who starts to drop a tad. Don't think they have enough to get into Tier 2.

Then again, Tier 3 may be broad enough that they don't have to move up.

I'm going solely based on the 15 mocks I'm looking at (Ford, DraftExpress, DraftNet, 2 CBS, 4 Basketball Insiders, the primary Bleacher Report draft guy Wasserman, CSNNE, SI, NBA.com, TSN and Fox).

Of those, 67% have him at #4 to Phoenix and another 20% have him going to Denver at 7. Absent of any other information, I'm going with that for now.

I'd also argue that (and this is based on what I read, not what I've seen - never having watched him), his raw skills fit the direction the NBA is going (guys who have the flexibility to cover multiple positions). Also, unlike many raw players who don't currently have basketball skills, apparently he's wicked smaht and is a hard worker (suggesting, in theory, that the basketball aptitude could come quickly).

While I agree, his current skills might not put him in the #2 tier, he's the type of guy teams fall in love with. He could easily be the Swing version of this year's Aaron Gordon.

Yea Ford has Brown at 8 in his mock and #10 on big board. Says his range is 3 to early 20s. I don't question his Basketball IQ only his Basketball skills. Right now his best skill is driving to basket finishing at rim or drawing fouls. Now everyone says he needs to improve handle and only has one move going to basket, not good for a guy known as a slasher. Poor shooter that had poor ft% also. Seen as good defender yet with his body and athleticism he averaged under one steal and block per game, which is major red flag for me. Put up a very bad PER for a top 10 pick. Also a couple front office people called him worst interview at combine, said he came across as arrogant.

Also the Sun's have TJ at SF and they both have same skill set. I don't get the Brown to Sun's at 4, yet like you said tons of them have him going there.

Chriss is definitely a guy that teams could fall for. He's raw but his athletic ability could make teams drool.

76ers are reportedly exploring trading Okafor and Noel. I think Okafor is the most likely Boston trade target this offseason. Okafor for #3 is in play, but I'm still a little undecided.

I think he's for sure better than whoever they would draft at 3 this year, but he comes with one fewer year of cheap team control, which matters. I agree that if it's just for 3, I probably do it, but I have to think about it a little bit.

Name a better offer that Philadelphia can get for Okafor that they can get to grow a young core with the number one pick and their young core of the other big men. There is none. Okafor is Boston bound, I'm sick of getting killed because the Celtics get out rebounded in every game that they lose.

I don't think it's fair to say they couldn't get a better offer, we know nothing about what they have been offered. I will say this I would take Okafor over Ingram and rated him #2 in this draft and you could debate if he should be #1 over Simmons.

The #3 pick in this draft has a lot less value then the #3 pick in last year's draft had. I would think at Minimum it's # 3 and players like Rozier and Hunter.

Ugh