Josh Jackson says he would 'love' to play for Celtics

I think that's one of his strengths, that he can play on or off the ball.

Boston selected Jayson Tatum (Chaminade) with the No. 3 pick Thursday in NY, adding a 6-foot-8 small forward who was a polished scoring threat during his lone season at Duke. In Tatum, a 6-foot-8 small forward, Boston gets a player who was a polished scoring threat during his lone season at Duke, averaging 16.8 points while shooting 45.2 percent from the field.

Josh Jackson smiled as his mother, Apples Jones, planted a kiss on his cheek, the former Kansas guard and his family members noticeably pleased Thursday night upon hearing from commissioner Adam Silver he'd been selected by the Phoenix Suns as the No. 4 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Ojeleye also gives the Celtics more depth, but he'll most likely spend most of his time in the G-League, as with Kadeem Allen and Jabari Bird.

Three players were chosen in the top ten with Duke's Jayson Tatum (No. 3 to Boston), Florida State's Jonathan Isaac (No. 6 to Orlando), and N.C. State's Dennis Smith Jr.

Not a single senior was selected in the first 28 picks, but that record-setting drought ended with a pair of four-year players going back-to-back.

"I have absolutely loved coaching Jayson Tatum", Krzyzewski said when Tatum declared for the Draft.

"It's great", he said.

Projected at No. 4 overall to the Phoenix Suns, Jackson said that much of his misconduct allegations have "been blown out of proportion", insisting teams know who he is. "I just can't wait to go out and prove it".

Jackson had been eyed by the Celtics at the no. 3 pick but sources told ESPN's Chad Ford on Tuesday that Jackson refused to work out for the Celtics without an assurance the team would hang on to the pick and that he was the top player on their draft board.

He turned out to be correct.

When Ainge said in a press conference following the trade announcement with the Sixers that "there is a good chance the player we take at No. 3 will be the exact player we would have taken at No. 1".

"Kobe was always my favorite player, but I'm a Celtics fan now", he said.

Demps said trading Frazier "was a tough one", but added that it happened partly because "our style of play changed a little bit" to a slower tempo after the acquisition of Cousins. "We anticipate being very active to try to improve our roster".

Anyone who is concerned about Jayson Tatum being someone offered to the Pacers in a trade can relax. "And I've watched him grow since he was in high school and playing at Michigan State", Jackson said of Green, the emotional leader of the champion Warriors who was suspended one game in the Finals previous year for swatting LeBron James in the groin. I was all for it.

Jackson though, has talked to Celtics president Danny Ainge and head coach Brad Stevens over the phone last week.

Maybe sending the first overall pick to Philadelphia earlier this week was a way for Ainge to sniff around the trade market.

It made Tatum not the compromise, but the best fit for a team that's still in position to be a big player in free agency this summer. "And I think I'm only a couple of weeks out here from really going 100 percent", Jackson said. "When I kind of got reintegrated into this process, right after the season was over, he was one of the guys that it was clear that we were targeting".

But the moment was all worth it, Jackson said.

"I was mad", Ainge said.

The 76ers acquired the top overall pick from Boston in exchange for their No. 3 selection and a future first-round pick, according to statements released by both teams.

Here's the full list of picks the Suns hold in the 2017 draft, which will be updated with grades and analysis as each selection is made.

Only 19 No. 1 draft picks have won the rookie award since it started in 1952-53.

DraftExpress.com now has the Celtics taking Tatum at No. 3, while ESPN's Chad Ford has him going to the Phoenix Suns at No. 4.