Philly did the right thing here: they have too many extra draft picks for their own good over the next few years, and with this trade finally puts them to good use, albeit at a rather steep price (two first-rounders to move up two slots is a lot, no matter how you slice it). The lackluster outside shooting ability of Josh Jackson and/or De’Aaron Fox -- the two best players available at #3 assuming Fultz-Ball go 1-2 -- was not going to fit well for the City of Brotherly Love. The 76ers finished last in offensive efficiency last season, and desperately need a scoring punch, a playmaker… someone who can take charge of the offense. Enter the all-talented and flawless Markelle Fultz, who fits perfectly into this role, seamlessly usurping Sergio Rodriguez/TJ McConnell as the starting point guard to spearhead an offense featuring some combination of Simmons, Embiid, Okafor, Covington, Saric, and Stauskas. After several years where the only faith in Philadelphia was that of dogma, The Process will soon officially become trustworthy.
I'm torn about this trade from Boston's perspective. On the one hand, they seemingly have more guards than first-round picks over the next few years, and drafting Fultz (or Ball) at #1 would've just made an overcrowded backcourt situation become a fire hazard for exceeding capacity. As well, Josh Jackson -- whom they plan to take at #3 I believe -- can compete for minutes at the small forward spot right from the get-go on this Celtics squad, and whose athleticism, motor, defense, and slashing ability will prove invaluable. Furthermore, getting TWO future first-rounders for trading back to grab a guy (Jackson) that already fits better on your team than the guy that you'd take at #1 (Fultz) just seems to make all the sense in the world.
So what is my hesitation with this trade exactly then? Well Josh Jackson's outside jumper is, at least at the moment, highly questionable (albeit not unfixable by any means) and Boston ranked ninth in offensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions) last season. For this reason, it pains me to see the Celtics actively trading away from a playmaking and scoring punch that either Fultz or Ball could provide for them. Furthermore, the ideal way, to me, that Danny Ainge could have used this pick is to ship it to Chicago in a Jimmy Butler trade. After all, they either beat Cleveland or they don't, and for that they're going to at least need another star on offense -- and go-to guy to guard LeBron -- to pair with Isaiah Thomas (and Al Horford). Whereas this continued stockpiling of first-rounders -- even though Philly really had nothing else to offer -- worries me should Ainge not be able to make a deal and have to draft more prospects with them all. That's not going to get them over the hump in the Eastern Conference Finals.
I'm torn about this trade from Boston's perspective. On the one hand, they seemingly have more guards than first-round picks over the next few years, and drafting Fultz (or Ball) at #1 would've just made an overcrowded backcourt situation become a fire hazard for exceeding capacity. As well, Josh Jackson -- whom they plan to take at #3 I believe -- can compete for minutes at the small forward spot right from the get-go on this Celtics squad, and whose athleticism, motor, defense, and slashing ability will prove invaluable. Furthermore, getting TWO future first-rounders for trading back to grab a guy (Jackson) that already fits better on your team than the guy that you'd take at #1 (Fultz) just seems to make all the sense in the world.
So what is my hesitation with this trade exactly then? Well Josh Jackson's outside jumper is, at least at the moment, highly questionable (albeit not unfixable by any means) and Boston ranked ninth in offensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions) last season. For this reason, it pains me to see the Celtics actively trading away from a playmaking and scoring punch that either Fultz or Ball could provide for them. Furthermore, the ideal way, to me, that Danny Ainge could have used this pick is to ship it to Chicago in a Jimmy Butler trade. After all, they either beat Cleveland or they don't, and for that they're going to at least need another star on offense -- and go-to guy to guard LeBron -- to pair with Isaiah Thomas (and Al Horford). Whereas this continued stockpiling of first-rounders -- even though Philly really had nothing else to offer -- worries me should Ainge not be able to make a deal and have to draft more prospects with them all. That's not going to get them over the hump in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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