How NBA Draft Lottery results impact Celtics offseason possibilities - MassLive.com

For the just second time in the past six years, the Boston Celtics were sitting on the sidelines for the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night with no excess draft capital coming their way from other teams.

Despite Boston’s lack of direct involvement, the results of the lottery could still have a dramatic impact on the Celtics’ options this offseason as the trade and free agency market comes into greater focus. What rival teams added to their draft capital on Tuesday night? Which ones took a hit in their future? And how could all of this impact Boston’s potential team-building strategies this summer? Let’s dissect some of the key results.

1. Raptors move up three spots to No. 4, giving them a new path forward: Some consistent tanking down the stretch of a miserable season for the Raptors paid off on Tuesday night as Toronto vaulted up from the seventh-worst record to the No. 4 overall pick in the draft lottery. Boston’s divisional rival has the ability to open up some serious cap room this summer (closer to $30 million) and the No. 4 overall pick will put a minor dent in that (due to a $7.1 million cap hold).

Whether or not Toronto wants to get back in the mix for contending in the East over the short or long term will be an intriguing choice for general manager Masai Ujiri. Kyle Lowry is an unrestricted free agent at age 35 and the team also has Gary Trent Jr. as a restricted free agent under team control. Bringing back that duo and using the No. 4 overall pick for a win-now upgrade would easily make the Raptors a formidable playoff team once again in the East after an injury-riddled year.

However, the likelier path for this group now could simply be resetting around a younger core, including the No. 4 overall pick (which should be a key building block in the top-heavy draft). Letting Lowry walk or arranging a sign-and-trade for him could signal a bit of a reset for Toronto. Will they make some of their more veteran players like Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam available in trade while focusing on a younger core including OG Anunoby and a top-5 pick? There’s no clear direction for this group right now but they should have a few more compelling trade options with the No. 4 overall pick no matter what direction they choose to go in. Either way, they don’t loom as much of a threat to sign Evan Fournier with their cap room if they go the younger rebuild route.

2. Warriors add a second lottery pick to make a splashy move: After missing the postseason for two straight seasons, Golden State will be hungry to maximize the remaining window of Stephen Curry’s prime this offseason. They got an extra tool for that on Tuesday night, landing the No. 7 overall pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves after the top-3 protection on the pick did not come through for the Wolves. Golden State also has the No. 14 overall pick, giving them two valuable trade chips on the open market to improve their core.

Beyond that, Golden State’s options are limited. They have a big movable contract in Andrew Wiggins (two years left at $64 million) if they attach a pick with it. They also have the 2020 No. 2 overall pick in James Wiseman coming off of an underwhelming rookie season. If general manager Bob Myers holds on to the team’s core (Klay Thompson, Draymond Green) around Curry, packaging those picks will be this team’s last best chance at making a major upgrade to that aging group.

Golden State’s draft capital, along with Wiseman, give them a leg up on the Celtics and other potential teams in the market for a third star. There’s no sign yet that Bradley Beal or another big name plans on pushing for a trade as early as this summer but the Warriors making a preemptive strike on that front with their increased draft capital could take away an appealing option for Boston in the trade market over the long-term.

3. The Bulls lost their first-round pick: Chicago shifted to win-now mode last season by acquiring All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic for a package of first-round picks and Wendell Carter. However, the revamped Bulls struggled down the stretch and finished in the middle of the lottery despite their upgrades. Since they only protected their first-round pick in the top-4, Orlando reaped the benefits of the ugly finish on Tuesday night, adding a second top-10 pick to their rebuilding project by way of Chicago when the Bulls failed to move up from No. 8.

Chicago is a team that can open up cap room this summer if they don’t guarantee the deals of several veterans (Thaddeus Young, Tomas Satoransky) but their big bet on a 30-year-old Vucevic puts a ton of pressure on the front office, particularly with All-Star Zach LaVine entering his contract year. If things go south in Chicago at the beginning of next year, it could force the Bulls to think long and hard about the future of LaVine, knowing he may walk away for nothing in free agency. Either way, the Celtics benefit here from a potential team with cap space having one more hole to fill after losing out on a lottery selection.

Here is the full draft order after Tuesday’s lottery.

1. Detroit Pistons

2. Houston Rockets

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

4. Toronto Raptors

5. Orlando Magic

6. Oklahoma City Thunder

7. Golden State Warriors (from Minnesota)

8. Orlando Magic (from Chicago)

9. Sacramento Kings

10. New Orleans Pelicans

11. Charlotte Hornets

12. San Antonio Spurs

13. Indiana Pacers

14. Golden State Warriors

15. Washington Wizards

16. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Boston)

17. Memphis Grizzlies

18. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami)*

19. New York Knicks

20. Atlanta Hawks

21. New York Knicks (from Dallas)

22. Los Angeles Lakers

23. Houston Rockets (from Portland)

24. Houston Rockets (from Milwaukee)

25. LA Clippers

26. Denver Nuggets

27. Brooklyn Nets

28. Philadelphia 76ers

29. Phoenix Suns

30. Utah Jazz

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