Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge would still like to add one more big piece and he will make one of the Brooklyn’s picks available for the right player, a source tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. “Danny will make it available in the right situation, but he’s not going to give it up with core players, too,” the source told Bulpett. “That’s going to be a good draft, and that’s going to be a high pick.”
Executives within the league believe Ainge will end up making a significant trade with one rival GM telling Bulpett that Jahlil Okafor may best fit on the trade market. “I still wouldn’t be surprised if something happened [with the Celtics and Okafor],” the anonymous GM said.
Here’s more from Boston:
- There is still no traction between the Celtics and Clippers for a deal that would send Blake Griffin to Boston, Bulpett adds in the same piece. Furthermore, a source tells Bulpett that teams are having concerns over Griffin’s health. “I still think there’s a concern with his leg,” an opposing team executive told Bulpett. “We looked into him, and we’re hearing that’s a pretty serious thing. I’m not saying you don’t go after him, but you’d better be really sure about that leg before you go making any big commitments.”
- The Celtics were willing to offer the No.3 overall pick and one player from their rotation, but the Bulls wanted two players and Ainge wasn’t willing to make that deal, a source tells Bulpett in that same piece.
- Whether or not No.16 overall pick Guerschon Yabusele will play overseas is dependent upon the Celtics making a trade and opening up a roster spot, a source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter links). Yabusele could play overseas during the 2016/17 campaign even if there is a trade, Himmelsback adds.
- James Young is on the Celtics‘ roster bubble, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald writes. “I think James is doing fine, but we have a lot of decisions to make,” Ainge said. “A lot is dependent on what deals we’re able to do or not do, like do we sign or not sign another free agent?”
- Out of all the Celtics whom participated in summer league, Young made the weakest case for a roster spot, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com contends.