NBA Trade Rumors: Celtics Trying To Acquire The Hornets’ Draft Pick


Reports come out of Boston that show the Celtics are looking to make a trade for a lottery pick from the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets have the 9th pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

Jared Sullinger, a current Celtic, may have hinted the possible transaction on his Twitter account, of all places. The Celtics big man has unfollowed his employer’s Twitter account and has begun to follow the account of the Charlotte Hornets.

This may mean nothing, but it may be a sign of a possible move for the Hornets pick in tonight’s NBA Draft.

Marcus Smart’s name has also come up in discussion as a possible trade item to bring the Celtics into the lottery, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.

The Charlotte Hornets have been very aggressive over the past 24 hours, making three separate moves that included Luke Ridnour, Noah Vonleh, and Matt Barnes, and Gerald Henderson to obtain Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lamb in return. It would not be a surprise if the team pulled off another deal in the waning hours before the NBA Draft on Thursday. Acquiring a big man, such as Sullinger, will come at a price. They might have to give up that NBA Draft pick or Cody Zeller, who the Hornets have been rumored to be shopping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88nQnJTbwwo

Sullinger, 23, is a young big man out of Ohio State with three years of NBA experience to his name. He was selected in the 2012 NBA Draft with the Celtics’ first round pick (21st). Last season, Sullinger averaged 13.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Evidently, Sullinger is a highly productive power forward/center in the NBA when healthy, which is rare.

If Sullinger were to be shipped to the Charlotte Hornets, he would start at power forward alongside Al Jefferson. The duo would create a highly feared front court.

If the Hornets kept their pick, they are expected to take Wisconsin center Frank Kaminsky. Kaminsky averaged 19 points and eight rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field.

The Celtics have the 16th pick in the NBA Draft, and are expected to select Kansas forward Kelly Oubre. Oubre raised his level of success throughout his freshman season in Lawrence. He scored nine points per game and averaged five rebounds. While the stats look underwhelming, Oubre brings great energy every time he is on the court, and great defensive skills. He will most likely have to spend a year in the D-League before coming to Boston.

If the Celtics want to move into the lottery, which they do, they may need to package both of their first round picks (16 and 28) and possibly a player like Sullinger or Smart.

[Image Source: Mark Runyon / Basketball Schedule / Flickr]

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