Rumor: Celtics trying to get into late first round

With only #53 in tonight’s NBA Draft, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens might be looking to get into the first round. According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Celtics are willing to even trade a player from their Eastern Conference champ rotation:

Indiana, Utah, Boston and Detroit have all been described as teams looking to acquire picks in the back half of the first round.

To do so, the Celtics appear willing to engage in conversations on rotation players like Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard, but only for the right price.

That tracks with an earlier rumor from Heavy’s Sean Deveney that the Celtics were interested in trading for the Warriors’ #28 pick.

By the end of the regular season, Williams and Pritchard were Boston’s best three-point shooters at over 41%, but both showed limitations in the playoffs. Williams is in a curious position with the Celtics. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and eligible for an extension this summer. He proved to be a valuable piece with his outside shooting and versatile defense last season, but as Stevens looks to add pricier veteran pieces this summer, it’s possible that Williams is the odd man out.

Per The Athletic’s Zach Harper, Celtics scouts are high on Tari Eason, but so are the Rockets at #17. Harper also included Aaron Nesmith as a possible trade chip. Former CelticsBlogger and current Ringer Kevin O’Connor also pegged Eason as a possible Boston target.