With news from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Memphis Grizzlies have traded away star point guard Mike Conley, a battered Boston Celtics franchise has found a stroke of luck.
While rumors the team was interested in trading for Conley themselves were most likely tied to securing Anthony Davis’ future in Boston — now a non-issue with the latter player now headed to the Los Angeles Lakers — the move still has significance for the Celtics.
Now looking to be headed towards a partial rebuild focused on what some have already dubbed “Plan J” after all that’s gone wrong of late (named for the team’s top two young prospects, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown), future assets to add to this core have taken on added importance. The most valuable such asset remaining in Boston’s warchest is the 2020 first-round pick owed them by none other than the Griz.
That pick now looks to be lottery-bound for at least the next two seasons. Memphis’ pick is top-six protected in the 2020 NBA Draft and unprotected in the 2021 NBA Draft. Should Memphis not convey their pick in the next draft lottery (new draft odds make that proposition dicier in the past), Boston could find itself in position to select a top-five pick in 2021.
A lot can happen between now and then, however, as the Celts know too well. Boston has seen their pick swap with the Philadelphia 76ers produce a Sacramento Kings-controlled pick that was projected to go in the top-eight but that slid all the way to 14th this year.
As a result, don’t be surprised to see the team try to leverage the immediate promise to move up in this year’s draft, or perhaps deal it for a younger impact player.
Whatever the outcome, it almost certainly just got a little more likely to break Boston’s way and after this week and month, it’s most welcome news indeed.
