Celtics, Sixers trade draft picks, Philly will select Markelle Fultz No. 1
The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics officially announced a trade that will send the No. 1 pick in the draft to the Sixers, who intend to select Markelle Fultz, the teams announced.
The Celtics will receive the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, and either the Lakers’ 2018 first-round pick. The 2018 Lakers pick will be protected and will head to Boston if it falls within the No. 2 and No. 5 pick in next year's draft. If not, the Celtics will instead receive either Sacramento’s or Philadelphia’s first round pick in 2019, whichever is more favorable. However, if either of those 2019 picks result in the first overall selection, Boston will instead receive the other first round pick.
A storm of reports trickled out late Friday afternoon linking Boston and Philadelphia via trade. Fultz, the talented guard out of Washington who has long been the presumptive No. 1 pick in the draft, worked out for the Sixers on Saturday instead of a previously scheduled meeting with the Celtics. His workout was the final domino for Philadelphia to OK the deal, according to Wojnarowski and other reports.
Boston has been linked to Kansas forward Josh Jackson at No. 3. The Lakers are sandwiched between the two teams and have interest in Jackson at No. 2, among other prospects including UCLA guard Lonzo Ball. Jackson has not yet worked out for the Celtics and it’s unclear at this stage whether that will happen.
The NBA draft is Thursday.
