Ainge aggressively seeking to move up

REPORT: C'S 'WORKING' TO GET IN LOTTERY
By: Kirk Minihane
According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Celtics are "aggressively working" to move into the late lottery, if not higher, in Thursday's NBA draft.

Wojnarowski does not report what the Celtics might deal to move up -- or which teams might be interested -- but the Celtics do own the No. 21 and No. 22 picks in the draft.

Danny Ainge mulls making a move

By Mark Murphy / Celtics Notebook
Thursday, June 28, 2012 - Updated 53 minutes ago
+ Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email
E-mail Print (9) Comments Text size Share

Danny Ainge is about as predictable as a coin flip, which is why the Celtics [team stats] general manager should be believed when he says a trade up in tonight’s draft is very possible.

Of course, a trade out of the first round, or no move at all away from the 21st and 22nd picks, are equally viable. But Ainge admits an upward move could make sense.


“It is worth trading up, but it all depends on the price,” he said. “We’re continuing to have discussions and will until the draft goes on.

“We might make a trade. Generally I would expect to keep them, and we’re preparing to keep them. But we’re also preparing to move up and back. There’s all sorts of things that will be on the table on draft night.”

By Ainge’s own estimate, the team has worked out 80 draft prospects. That makes for a lot of draft board possibilities, though the Celtics almost assuredly will be looking primarily for big man help.

A broad range of players, including St. Bonaventure power forward Andrew Nicholson and Iowa State small forward Royce White, are Celtics possibilities.

Ainge was noncommittal when asked about the possibility that Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, whose chronic back trouble has scared off several teams, could slide to the Celtics.

“I don’t know if he will. All I worry about is where we have him ranked, and if he’s the best player we have on our board when we draft,” said Ainge, who was more effusive about Sullinger during a WEEI interview last week.

Ainge said that contrary to reports, he hasn’t made a promise to White or any other player this year. . . .

Ainge declined comment on receiving, via NBA edict, the higher of Oklahoma City’s two second-round picks in the 2013 draft, a pick that may actually be relatively high since it originally belonged to Charlotte. OKC was forced to give up the pick after the league ruled that a Thunder cardiologist had information prior to a 2011 trade that would have shed light on Jeff Green’s heart condition. The Celtics filed a complaint after Green had heart surgery last January, though Ainge said yesterday he didn’t know when.

“I can’t talk about that situation,” he said.

112288