Examining how Kings and Grizzlies picks will impact future C's draft stash

The 2018 NBA Draft got off to an intriguing start on Thursday night with some pick swapping in the top-5 (Atlanta dealt Luka Doncic to Dallas for Trae Young and a future first-round pick top-5 protected).

The more pressing matter from the Celtics' perspective though was the choices of the Kings and Grizzlies in the first round, since those players will have a direct impact on Boston’s future draft choices in 2019 (and potentially beyond). Boston owns a top-1 protected pick from Sacramento in 2019, while the Grizzlies’ pick is top-8 protected in 2019.

Are the selections of Marvin Bagley III (Kings) and Jaren Jackson (Grizzlies) good or bad news from Boston’s perspective? Let's take a closer look at the impact each rookie could make in their new destination and how that could impact the Celtics:

Sacramento (No. 2) takes Marvin Bagley III: This has to be considered an ideal scenario for Boston given the options that were on the board at No. 2. Bagley should eventually be a double-double machine at the NBA level, but he has a long way to go from a defensive standpoint at age 19. The Kings were the third worst defensive team in the league last year and don’t have anyone within their own pipeline right now that could turn the tide for them much on that end of the floor.

The Kings frontcourt will be crowded with Zach Randolph, Kosta Koufos, Harry Giles, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Skal Labissiere all fighting for minutes on a nightly basis, so it’s going to be tough for Bagley to make a major impact immediately. A wing like Luka Doncic would have addressed a far greater area of need for the Kings right out of the gate, and his creative ability on offense separates him from the rest of this rookie pack. He would definitely have been more capable of pulling the Kings out of the West basement than Bagley III would in year one.

It remains to be seen who the better player will be in the long haul, but the Celtics can feel better that the Kings pick will be stuck in the bottom half of the lottery for 2019 yet again.

Grizzlies (No. 4) take Jaren Jackson III: The freshman big man out of Michigan State enters another crowded frontcourt situation in Memphis. He’ll likely play behind Marc Gasol and JaMychal Green initially. He has a pretty solid jumper for a young big man, but he struggles finishing around the basket and with his turnover rate. His off the dribble game is a work in progress, but he should be a net positive on this end of the floor for Memphis out of the gate, with talent that places him ahead of reserves like Deyonta Davis and Jarell Martin offensively.

Jackson’s greatest upside should come on the defensive end initially. He has great length and shot blocking potential (5.5 per 40 minutes at Michigan State). He has good defensive versatility for a big man with the ability to contain on the perimeter, something that the Grizz desperately need behind Gasol. He was foul-prone at the college level, so staying on the floor could be an issue early on.

Memphis standing pat with this pick without trying to move any veteran pieces of their core is a sign that this group intends to compete next season. Martin won’t make much of an impact in the win-loss column, but from a defensive standpoint, he’s probably the best NBA-ready big in this draft after Ayton. If Gasol and Mike Conley return healthy next season, this group could pull themselves closer to the .500 mark in 2018, which would put the Celtics in position to receive the Memphis pick in 2019.

Clippers (No. 11 and No. 13) take Jerome Robinson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Boston gets the Clippers pick in 2019 if they make the postseason. Robinson and Gilgeous-Alexander (acquired from Charlotte) are two guards that are expected to contribute right away in the NBA. Gilgeous-Alexander has more defensive upside with his length (6-foot-6) and athleticism, while Robinson is one of the best pure scorers in this draft. They both project as bench pieces for a thin Clippers backcourt in year one, and their presence should help the Clips stay in contention for a playoff spot as long as the likes of Danilo Gallinari and Milos Teodosic stay healthy (no sure thing).

Bottom Line: The odds of the Celtics having four first round picks to work with next June went up tonight.