Report: Celtics considering moving down in draft again

The Boston Celtics already rocked the basketball world by trading down from the No. 1 pick in Thursday's NBA draft. Now holding the No. 3 pick instead, the Celtics are considering trading down once again, a source told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.

In exchange for No. 1, the Celtics not only received the Philadelphia 76ers' third overall pick in the upcoming draft, but also an additional first-rounder - either from the Los Angeles Lakers or Sacramento Kings in 2018 or 2019, respectively. The Celtics have been hoarding assets for years, and could conceivably add to their stockpile by dangling the No. 3 pick in the next 24 hours.

One factor that appears to be driving the team's willingness to trade down is that it doesn't seem particularly enamored with any one player in the draft. The Celtics traded the top pick because they weren't blown away by Markelle Fultz, and team president Danny Ainge expects they'll be able to draft the same player at No. 3 that they would've taken at No. 1.

The Celtics are reportedly highest on Josh Jackson, but he hasn't worked out for the team, and they're also giving strong consideration to another swingman in Jayson Tatum, according to the Herald's Mark Murphy.

At the same time, one rival executive told Bulpett that Ainge likes point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who he'd likely be able to draft even if he traded out of the top three.

There are also reports that Ainge doesn't even intend to use the pick to draft a player, but rather as a trade chip to reel in one of the many big fish currently on the trade market. He's reportedly interested in ostensibly available New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis.

Any or all or none of these things could be true. When it comes to Ainge, nobody seems quite sure what to believe.

"We call him the minister of disinformation," one NBA coach told Bulpett. "He's putting a lot of stuff out there."