The Philadelphia 76ers will officially trade for the No. 1 overall selection in this year's NBA Draft, giving the Boston Celtics a package of the No. 3 overall pick, the 2018 first-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers, and the 2019 first-round pick from the Sacramento Kings, according to TNT's David Aldridge, who first reported the news. The deal is expected to be finalized on Monday and the Sixers will be selecting University of Washington point guard Markelle Fultz with the top pick.
Trade between Philly and Boston will be finalized on Monday, per source. Sides have agreed. Sixers will get first pick and take Fultz.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) June 18, 2017
https://twitter.com/WojVerticalNBA/status/876267930572513282
The Sixers have been one of the many teams salivating for the scoring machine, who registered a 40-inch vertical during his workout on Thursday with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Celtics president Danny Ainge hinted at his intentions of having every talk possible with those interested in the No. 1 selection, reaping a hefty package in exchange for the top-of-the-box commodity.
Fultz arrived in Philadelphia on Friday afternoon and worked out with the Sixers before meeting with members of the media. The meeting with the team came after assurances of the trade.
Fultz wouldn't have gone into workout with No. 3 without assurance trade was agreed upon. Sides have been locked into deal for 24 hours. https://t.co/IiWBLU8A6z
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 18, 2017
A BIT OF HISTORY
It is a rare sight to see a No. 1 pick traded before draft night, feat which hasn't happened since the 2014 NBA Draft, when the Cleveland Cavaliers traded top selection Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for All-Star forward Kevin Love upon LeBron James‘ homecoming.
Prior to that, the Orlando Magic traded Chris Webber to the Golden State Warriors after the Michigan star declined to play for a team without veteran influence. The Magic consequently drafted Penny Hardaway with the No. 3 overall selection.
THE WAY-BACK TIME MACHINE
The last time the Celtics held the No. 1 pick, back in the 1950 NBA Draft, they also traded their 6-foot, 11-inch forward Chuck Share to the Fort Wayne Pistons soon after he was selected. Ironically enough, Share would wind up with the St. Louis Hawks, who beat Boston in the 1958 NBA Finals, with him as the team captain.
Fultz has every bit of the dynamic to be a game-changer in the league and could be a permanent nightmare for the Celtics, playing against them four times a year as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.
A 1-3-5 combo of Fultz, point-forward Ben Simmons, and 7-footer Joel Embiid could terrorize defenses for the years to come, if they happen to flourish under some good coaching.
TOP FLIGHT
The 19-year-old point guard played only one season for the Washington Huskies, finishing sixth in the nation in scoring with 23.3 points, along with 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game — shooting a blazing 41.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Markelle Fultz has also impressed at the defensive end, thanks to his 7-foot wingspan at a mere 6-foot, 4-inches — adding to the list of reasons he's considered the consensus No. 1 choice in this year's draft.
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