June 23, 2016
The Sixers and Celtics have been pegged as trade partners for weeks, and on the day of the NBA Draft, it appears that Bryan Colangelo and the front office are pushing hard for the No. 3-overall pick.
Unfortunately, that might mean parting ways with Nerlens Noel, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chad Ford:
Numerous rivals describe Philly as the most active team in circulation ... with a trade involving Nerlens Noel looking more and more likely
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 23, 2016
League sources tell @chadfordinsider and me: Philadelphia is ramping up its efforts to acquire tonight's No. 3 overall pick from Boston.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 23, 2016
If Philly is successful prying the No. 3 pick from Boston, it'll enable the Sixers to choose between Buddy Hield, Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 23, 2016
Jahlil Okafor might be the bigger name, but it’s reasonable that Boston would prefer Noel, a unique defender that has the ability to protect the rim and guard players out on the perimeter. He would fit in well with what Brad Stevens is doing in Boston. The Celtics finished fourth in defense NBA last season, and their offense is predicated on spacing and three-point shooting. Noel would have a lot of room to operate in the paint.
It would be also homecoming for Noel, who grew up and went to high school in Everett, Massachusetts.
We’ll see what the Sixers end up doing, but for now, this report indicates they're pretty serious about trying to acquire the third pick. The 2016 NBA Draft starts in a little over seven hours.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
