Report: Celtics' existing guard talent factored into decision to pass on Fultz
The Boston Celtics didn't need the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft because they already had an overabundance of talented guards.
Boston will ship the No. 1 pick - passing on blue-chip talent Markelle Fultz - to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for three future selections. Part of that decision came from having their existing talent, sources told Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.
The Celtics' overflowing backcourt also factored into their decision to pass on Fultz, sources say.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) June 18, 2017
Had they kept the pick and used it on Fultz, there was no guarantee the top selection would even land a rotation spot, let alone start.
Isaiah Thomas is an All-NBA talent who draws most of the minutes at point guard, the franchise is very high on backup guard Terry Rozier, and there is the likes of Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, and Marcus Smart soaking up minutes on the wing.
But that same problem of overlapping talent could arise if the Celtics draft a small forward with the No. 3 pick from the Sixers. One of Josh Jackson or Jayson Tatum would be competing with Crowder and last year's third selection Jaylen Brown for minutes.