NBA free agency rumors: Boston Celtics trying to trade the no. 3 pick

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The Boston Celtics currently have the no. 3 in the draft but instead of actively using it to pick up new talent, the team is shopping it around. According to a report from ESPN, the Celtics are aggressively trying to trade their draft spot for seasoned players but so far four teams have already turned the offer down.

According to the report, the Celtics attempted to trade the draft pick to get Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls, Gordon Hayward from the Utah Jazz, and either Jabari Parker or Khris Middleton from the Milwaukee Bucks. It is unclear if the Celtics are making the same offer to another team for a different player as of the time of writing. 

However, according to SB Nation, there is at least one team interested in trading with the Celtics and that is the Philadephia 76ers. According to the report, the 76ers are aiming to use their no. 1 pick to get Ben Simmons, the most desired player in the draft, and then trade either Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel for the no. 3 pick from the Celtics.

Despite this, the Celtics have reportedly turned down the offer from the 76ers and it remains a mystery what kind of player the Celtics are hoping to get and what kind of team they are trying to build. It is further noted that the Celtics have yet to reveal whom they will pick from the draft if no team agrees to a trade. 

The Boston Celtics also have the no. 16 and no. 23 pick for the draft as well as five second-round choices but the team and its management have yet to give any indication what plans they have with these options. The team has yet to announce which players from the draft they are interested in and which veterans they are interested to tade for.