Love spotted in Boston

Via Dirty Water News

It appears that Kevin Love doesn't mind being the center of attention.

All eyes are now on Love after he was spotted in Boston last night, according to Dirty Water News.

He spent last night with a few friends at The Greatest Bar in Boston, and said he was in Boston to "check out the city and see what it's like."

Love's name has been involved in trade rumors with the Celtics.

Move on up

Via NESN.com

So now what?

After the ping pong balls failed to bounce the Celtics' way, Danny Ainge and company are left with a few options: keep the pick, trade the pick for a veteran star (cough cough Kevin Love), or even trade up into the top two or three spots.

Celtics principal owner Wyc Grousbeck told 98.5 The Sports Hub this afternoon that there are "six guys in this draft that Danny [Ainge] loves." He also told the Boston Globe last night that Ainge "will like the guy they get."

If the Celtics decide to stay put, they are going to get a good player. Whether that player is Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle or someone else, the Celtics will certainly be a better team with whoever they pick.

But only slightly better.

And this is exactly why the Celtics should try to move up to one of the top three spots. Drafting from one of those spots can make your team a lot better.

As far fetched and unlikely as it may be, this is the path the Celtics should take.

Free agents are not walking through that door. They never have and they most certainly never will. The Celtics got lucky in 2007 in trading for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, but those kinds of trades don't happen every year.

Draft classes like these don't come around every year.

Joel Embiid is drawing rave reviews, and many feel he can develop into a special big man that a team can build around. Jabari Parker is widely regarded as the most polished player in the draft, and everyone knows the hype surrounding the explosive Andrew Wiggins.

Ainge should do all he can to move up. The three aforementioned players are instant game-changers. They are the type of players a franchise can build their team around. The Celtics need one of those guys.

Now there will be people who will bring up the idea of building around Rajon Rondo. How many teams in the NBA have constructed their teams with the point guard being the focal point? With the exception of the Chicago Bulls -- Derrick Rose is their superstar, but they have still been a playoff team without him -- no one.

Would the Oklahoma City Thunder be as good with only Russell Westbrook and no Kevin Durant? How about the Clippers with Chris Paul? There's no question that having a good point guard is an important part to a successful team, but it's not the end all be all.

And speaking of Rondo, trading up will make the mercurial point guard more apt to stay on with the team beyond this season. The 28-year-old is entering the final year of his deal, and the Celtics have to show Rondo that they are doing all they can to put the best team possible around him. Trading up in the draft demonstrates this effort.

Why would Rondo stay with a team that is in rebuilding mode when he has the chance to sign a max contract and play for a contender?

We've seen with star-laden teams can do in the NBA: win championships (i.e. the Miami Heat). Pairing up stars is the new NBA trend, and it has deemed successful. Just look at the Celtics, the Heat, the Spurs. What all these teams have in common is that they each have a core of star players. Not just one star. Multiple. The more star players on your team, the better you are. I would hope that goes without saying.

Pairing Rondo with a Wiggins, Parker or Embiid would make for a lethal combination. Add in Jared Sullinger, Avery Bradley and another piece or two and you are right in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference.

Everyone thought trading for Garnett would be a long shot, but Ainge pulled that off.

Celtics fans better hope Ainge has some more magic in him.

Celtics get sixth pick

Once again, the luck of the Irish was not on the Celtics' side.

They will have the sixth pick in the upcoming draft.

The last time the C's were in the lottery, they got the fifth pick.

The C's still have never had a number one overall pick.

Breaking down the NBA Lottery

Via AP

The first domino of the offseason falls tonight.

As you all may know by now, the Celtics have a 10.3% chance to win tonight's NBA Draft Lottery and a 33.4% chance to land a top-three pick.

Where the Celtics land will have a lot to do with how Danny Ainge operates going forward.

If Boston lands outside the top five, they will most likely keep the pick and draft a player.

If the C's earn a top-three pick, then they're in business.

They could either pick a player from that spot or use the pick as a trade chip. The three players projected to go in the first three picks are Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Joel Embiid. Many believe these three are cornerstones that franchises can build around.

The Celtics could even trade this pick -- cough, Kevin Love, cough -- for a superstar like they did so famously back in 2007.

A lot could happen between now and June 26, which is when the NBA Draft takes place.

But it all starts tonight.

Report: Celtics willing to offer first rounder for Love

With the NBA Draft Lottery just two days away, the rumor mill is beginning to churn.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Celtics are one of four teams willing to trade a 2014 first round draft pick in a deal for Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Kevin Love.

Love has made it clear to the Timberwolves that he intends on becoming an unrestricted free agent after this upcoming season by utilizing his Early Termination Option (ETO). He also has no interest in signing a contract extension.

ESPN.com is reporting that the Golden State Warriors and the Chicago Bulls are likely the front-runners to make a deal for Love.

Boston certainly has the assets to acquire Love, but signing him is another story. Love is almost certainly going to demand a max-contract in the 5-year, $100 million dollar neighborhood. 

Boston can certainly make that happen, as they only have five players under contract beyond this season, with Jeff Green holding a player option and both Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk with team options. 

The first domino that should fall is Rajon Rondo. Rondo has one year remaining on his deal, and Rondo has expressed interest in staying with the Celtics. 

However, Rondo will want to get paid. His last contract was a very team friendly five-year, $55 million dollar deal before the 2010-2011 season. 

The following point guards made more money in 2013-2014 than Rondo: Chris Paul ($21.4 million), Deron Williams ($19.7 million), Derrick Rose ($18.8 million), Russell Westbrook ($15.7 million), Tony Parker ($12.5 million), and Ty Lawson ($12 million). 

Rondo certainly deserves to be paid among the upper echelon of point guards. He also knows that if he wants to remain with the Celtics and have a chance to win a championship, he cannot afford to sign a max deal. He knows he needs help.