Will Celtics Trade Washington Huskies Markelle Fultz NBA Draft Night?

Washington Huskies Markelle Fultz is consensus top talent in 2017 NBA Draft. But Boston Celtics have solid backcourt, which incubates rumors of trade on Draft Night

Washington Huskies point guard Markelle Fultz is the consensus top talent in the 2017 NBA Draft. Right now, the Boston Celtics hold the rights to that pick, and the early indications are that the team will simply use that pick and add Markelle Fultz’s skilsets to their roster.

But after the Adrenalin fades, breathing slows, and the impact of that first pick of the NBA Draft begins to hit the reality of how Fultz fits on the Celtics roster, there are some questions to resolve.  Rookies need playing time to become productive. Playoff teams need production to achieve post-season play.

And that’s an issue.

Balance Back Court Talent With Front Court Need

How do the Boston Celtics plan to balance so many guards’ playing time throughout the tightrope of the 2017-2018 season?   The quandry is enough to persuade Hoops Habit’s Gil Alcaraz IV to consider various trade scenarios that could involve that first pick in exchange for a quality front court player.

While many Celtics fans want the team to hold onto the future with Fultz, the team’s needs exist in the front court. And that gives NBA pundits plenty of argument why the Celtics need to trade that first pick.

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Lottery (Bad) Luck

While Markelle Fultz is a hugely talented player, his skillset aligns with those already on the Celtics roster.  That translates into marginal improvement for the team for the next few years. As a playoff team, that may not be enough for the front office.

Were he to land on a front court heavy team like the Philadelphia 76ers or New Orleans Pelicans, the full value of his play would show up on the court next season. That is not the case, however. So the forces of horde-for-the-future are clashing with the forces of the-future-is-now in Boston.

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The tension is tangible. And perhaps that is the objective of the NBA Draft after all.  But I would not develop a taste for New England Clam Chowder just yet, Markelle.   I am not certain that is where you end up.