With just a few days remaining until the 2016 NBA Draft, both the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics appear to be active on the trade front.
None of that is really a surprise considering the two teams have a combined 12 picks in the draft itself.
What is a surprise here is that the two teams, both picking in the top three, are discussing a trade with one another. Not only this, said talks have reportedly heated up recently.
Celts and Sixers trade talk heats up. Philly really really wants Dunn per Tim Welsch. @CSNNE
— Gary Tanguay (@Gary_Tanguay) June 20, 2016
Even more interesting, the talks here surround Boston yielding its first pick (No. 3 overall) to Philadelphia in exchange for a proven player to help the Celtics take that next step in the Eastern Conference.
Both Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor have been involved in trade rumors since the regular season ended with Philadelphia reportedly more interested in dealing Okafor (more on that here).
Whether the Sixers can pry the third overall pick away from Boston for the big man remains to be seen.
Though, NBC Sports NBA insider Sean Highkin is reporting that Philadelphia’s primary target at three would be former Providence point guard Kris Dunn if it’s able to pull off this deal.
That makes sense with the Sixers likely selecting former LSU standout Ben Simmons with the first pick. Based on the surplus of front-court talent Philadelphia boasts, moving one of these big’s for a back-court player is the right move.
From Boston’s perspective, the decision to make this deal would be two-fold. First off, does the team think Okafor can be a building block with Isaiah Thomas? Secondly, is last year’s third overall pick a better option than the player Boston could select with the same pick this week?
If the answer to both of these questions are in the affirmative, the Celtics could very well move on this deal.