Paul Pierce has a recommendation for what the Boston Celtics should do with the pick that he helped them land.
In an appearance on ESPN’s “The Jump” on Wednesday, the 10-time All-Star expressed his belief that the Celtics should trade the No. 1 overall pick.
“You trade this pick, because he [Markelle Fultz] cannot help the Celtics get over the top,” said Pierce, per Chris Walder of theScore. “The window is now. You’re a 50-win team, the No. 1 seed. You have to build on this momentum.
“If you can acquire a Paul George, Jimmy Butler, or Gordon (Hayward) from Utah, you have to do it,” he continued. “You need these guys. You want to get over the top. Boston doesn’t praise winning the Eastern Conference. They’re going for a championship.”
On one hand, owner Wyc Grousbeck has implied that the Celtics will keep the pick, and there’s real value to be had in a young, cost-controlled talent like Fultz who can assimilate into the identity of the team instead of hijacking it like an established star might. But Pierce, who posted this fantastic tweet in reaction to Boston landing the top selection in Tuesday’s lottery, is also right that the Celtics need to strike while the iron is hot with this core. The result of their Eastern Conference Finals series against Cleveland could go a long way towards determining what Boston decides to do between now and the draft.
