The 2014 NBA Draft Lottery took everyone through a loop when the Cleveland Cavaliers ended up with the #1 overall selection for the third time in the past four years. Fans from all around were waiting to see where their respective clubs would fall, and fans of the Boston Celtics were left surprised when the team fell out of the top-five, landing in the sixth spot.
In previous drafts, the sixth spot would seem terrible and call for an immediate trade. However, with this draft set to be the deepest one since 2003, a draft that featured LeBron James, the sixth pick isn't as terrible as it seems.
The Celtics have options. They may either keep the pick and draft a young stud who can develop into a nice complimentary player in the future, or trade the pick to the highest bidder. Whether it's trade up for a higher pick, pull a Bill Belichick and trade down, or trade away the pick for assets, Boston has multiple directions they can go.
If they decide to trade up, the Celtics could be looking for a talent to keep and groom. Danny Ainge is very high on Jabari Parker, and if the Celtics can find a way to sneak into the top three, then Ainge may have found his wing player for the future. However, Ainge can also trade down and acquire more picks. The Celtics right now have the sixth and 17th picks in the draft, either one could be traded for possibly a second rounder.
Then there's talk about Kevin Love. The big man has been the focal point for many NBA fans whose teams aren't currently in the conference finals. Boston has been swirling around Love discussions as of late and with the sixth pick in a deep draft along with even more draft picks which Danny Ainge has acquired and a player contract (Kelly Olynyk, Jared Sullinger), the Celtics could land the big guy, if he's willing to sign an extension, of course.
It's very possible the number six pick doesn't see any time in green next season, and knowing Ainge has no problem with gathering up undrafted rookies, that sixth pick could be no problem to get rid of for a decent reward. Even though the draft isn't until Thursday June 26th, the Boston Celtics need to think about their next move, because it could be a total game changer.