The Celtics were going to take someone other than Markelle Fultz if they held onto the top pick in Thursday night's draft, Ainge said.
The Philadelphia 76ers made a big splash over the weekend in landing the No. 1 overall pick from the Boston Celtics, presumably in an effort to select Markelle Fultz.
History will say the Boston Celtics passed on the No. 1 overall pick in this years National Basketball Association draft, not only trading it away but doing so in a deal with one of the teams fiercest rivals. He draft record is not quite as good as his trading record, but after all the work Ainge has put in to get the Celtics to this point, he deserves the opportunity to make the best decision for this team with the third overall pick.
"History suggests that No. 1 has the greatest odds of producing franchise-level talent, and we are confident that this year's draft class has that very potential", Colangelo said. "Thursday night will see us take another significant step toward building a successful and sustainable basketball program".
If the Lakers do win the 2018 NBA Draft Lottery, the 76ers get that pick, and their obligation to the Celtics shifts back a year.
In his only season with Washington, Fultz averaged 23.2 points and 5.9 assists.
For now, Boston has seven first-round picks in the next three years.
Celtics president Danny Ainge: We are getting the player we want
With Thomas, the Celtics didn't necessarily need a point guard - which is the piece Philadelphia apparently wanted most. Boston , meanwhile, could potentially own the draft rights to seven first-round selections over the next three seasons.
"We've been evaluating these kids for a couple of years", Danny Ainge, Boston's president of basketball operations, told reporters via conference call on Monday.
The Los Angeles Lakers' 2018 first-round pick (which the Sixers now own the rights to) if it ends up being pick 2, 3, 4, or 5 overall. The Los Angeles Lakers pick at No. 2. If not, the Celtics get a higher floor (getting the more favorable of two picks, rather than just one wherever it lands) and a lower ceiling (no No. 1 pick) with the 2019 selection. "We felt it was very close in the top handful of players; we still feel that way".
For the Sixers, the addition of Futlz would give them an impressive young core which also features Rookie of the Year finalist Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016. That being said, it is a major red flag that the Celtics have not shown interest in those players, and it appears as though the names we should be paying attention to are Dennis Smith Jr. and Jayson Tatum, who have both worked out for the Celtics. How numerous second overall picks from the Lottery era can you name in six minutes?
If the Sixers go through with their promise to select him, they will now have a scoring guard that can make plays and a passing forward that can be a scoring threat, making them a ideal complement to each other night in and night out.
California guard Jabari Bird raved about Pac-12 rival Fultz after the Sixers' Monday predraft workout with the Sixers in a group that featured Kansas guard Frank Mason III and Duke forward Amile Jefferson, a Philadelphia native.
"First of all, how I carry myself as a player and as a young man", he said.
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