18 May 2017

Boston Celtics Gets The Top Pick in the 2017 Draft

Boston Celtics' Draft Pick
The Boston Celtics is having a good season this year. Just one night after earning a spot in the Eastern Conference finals, they also won the 2017 NBA draft lottery last 16 May.

For the first time in the common draft era, the Celtics hold the right to make the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.

The Celtics finished the season with a 53-29 record, earning the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. But they still entered the pre-Draft with a 25 percent chance of landing the top selection, the best odds in the field.

Boston luck was a result of the deal that gave them the right to swap picks with the Brooklyn Nets, who finished an NBA-worst 20-62, thanks to the 2013 draft-night deal that sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn. Then-Nets general manager Billy King swung that deal in hopes of building a veteran-heavy, championship-level squad that could go toe-to-toe with the LeBron James/Dwyane Wade/Chris Bosh Miami Heat.

That didn’t work out so well for Brooklyn, but it’s panned out beautifully for Boston. The Nets have cratered as the Celtics have climbed over the past few years, with Boston developing into a conference finalist that already has one of the sport's most explosive scorers in Isaiah Thomas, a do-everything max-contract big man in Al Horford, an All-Defensive Team wing in Avery Bradley, and a slew of versatile pieces to carry out head coach Brad Stevens' game plans.

Now, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge can take whichever potential game-breaking prospect his heart desires — Washington point guard Markelle Fultz, UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball, Duke forward Jayson Tatum, or any other player who strikes his fancy — with an eye toward making the Celtics a title contender for years and years to come.

It is also worth noting that the Celtics get Brooklyn's unprotected first-round pick next year as well.

"This is pretty good," said Celtics part-owner Wyc Grousbeck, the team’s representative at the lottery drawing in New York. "It’s a good time to be a Celtics fan. I wish the draft were today, and we could get a little help for tomorrow night. This is a great night. We really appreciate it."

The full first-round order is now set:
  1. Boston Celtics (from Brooklyn Nets)
  2. Los Angeles Lakers
  3. Philadelphia 76ers (from Sacramento Kings)
  4. Phoenix Suns
  5. Sacramento Kings (from Philadelphia 76ers)
  6. Orlando Magic
  7. Minnesota Timberwolves
  8. New York Knicks
  9. Dallas Mavericks
  10. Sacramento Kings (from New Orleans Pelicans)
  11. Charlotte Hornets
  12. Detroit Pistons
  13. Denver Nuggets
  14. Miami Heat
  15. Portland Trail Blazers
  16. Chicago Bulls
  17. Milwaukee Bucks
  18. Indiana Pacers
  19. Atlanta Hawks
  20. Portland Trail Blazers (via the Memphis Grizzlies, who traded it to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who traded it to the Denver Nuggets)
  21. Oklahoma City Thunder
  22. Brooklyn Nets (via the Washington Wizards) ... 49-33
  23. Toronto Raptors (via the Los Angeles Clippers, who traded it to the Milwaukee Bucks)
  24. Utah Jazz
  25. Orlando Magic (via the Toronto Raptors)
  26. Portland Trail Blazers (via the Cleveland Cavaliers)
  27. Brooklyn Nets (via the Boston Celtics) ... 53-29
  28. Los Angeles Lakers (via the Houston Rockets)
  29. San Antonio Spurs
  30. Utah Jazz (via the Golden State Warriors)

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