Boston Celtics exploring trade for top 10 draft pick

The Boston Celtics are interested in trading up for a top-10 NBA draft pick.

The Boston Celtics are interested in trading up for a top-10 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft and have already made contact with one team, reportsSI’s Chris Mannix.

The Celtics currently have the 16th pick in the draft. Two NBA executives in contact with the Celtics front office say no one on the roster is untouchable and Mannix noted Charlotte (ninth pick), New York (fourth pick) and Sacramento (sixth pick) as teams that may trade out of the top 10.

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge confirmed the report on Tuesday morning.

“We’re having discussions to move up with both of our picks in the first round,” Ainge said. “We’re hoping to move up with at least one.”

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Ainge added that the Celtics are interested in drafting the best player available as opposed to picking players according to positional needs. He also said that with the Celtics having an abundance of draft picks over the next few years, the team is interested in making fewer picks.

“We don’t know where we’re drafting or what position we’ll be in,” Ainge said. “We think there’ll be a lot of activity on draft night, so stay tuned.”

The Celtics finished last season 40–42 before they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.

- Christopher Chavez