Report: Sixers shopping Nerlens Noel, working on deal for Boston's No. 3 pick
Could Philly add two top-five picks in the draft?
By
Matt Moore
•
1 min read
The Boston Celtics have too many picks, the Philadelphia 76ers don't have enough guards. They've been flirting for months with a trade, and it sounds like talks are once again increasing with the Sixers interested in nabbing a second top-five pick.
Numerous rivals describe Philly as the most active team in circulation ... with a trade involving Nerlens Noel looking more and more likely
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 23, 2016
League sources tell @chadfordinsider and me: Philadelphia is ramping up its efforts to acquire tonight's No. 3 overall pick from Boston.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 23, 2016
The Sixers have been peddling Nerlens Noel all over, most notably in connection with a potential Jeff Teague trade earlier this month. Teague was dealt to Indiana in a three-team deal on Wednesday. Noel would provide Boston with a top-end big man rim protector. They could pair him with Amir Johnson or Kelly Olynyk for a fearsome defensive frontcourt. (I'm still amazed at how far Olynyk has come defensively that I consider him part of a terrifying combo on that end.)
The trick is with what the Celtics will want. On one hand, the third pick is not a good spot for them. They need bigs and only Dragan Bender is really viable at that pick. If they were sold on him, they wouldn't be shopping the pick. They don't need another guard; the last thing they need is another guard. But you have to get return for the third pick in the draft, and Celtics GM Danny Ainge almost always holds out for what winds up being unreasonable value for his assets.
Is Noel, another of the Sixers' three first-round picks (outside of No. 1) enough? Do the Sixers need to throw in Saric? Can the two teams construct a third team to send assets to Boston?
It's clear that the Sixers want to add a guard (Kris Dunn, Jamal Murray, Buddy Hield) to their big-man plethora. Whether they can acquire that will be one of the fascinating stories headed into Thursday's draft.
