Stern might not announce any picks for the C's tonight.

Though there were reports earlier in the day that Kendrick Perkins was involved in a package that would move the Celtics into the lottery, Danny Ainge said the Celtics are not trying to move up in the draft. (Boston Herald)

“We’re not trying to move up,” said the Celtics president of basketball operations, seemingly putting to rest a prevalent rumor that the team was attempting to package the 19th pick and Kendrick Perkins in an attempt to move into lottery range.

Instead, Ainge said, he is open to either moving down in the draft or out altogether – the latter option a move that could save them a scintilla of money for a veteran free agent.

The rumor seemed silly in the first place. Who wants a center that just tore two ligaments? A rebuilding team in the lottery? Please.

In other news, Perkins is waiting to have surgery until his swelling goes down, but the surgery could be tomorrow. And the recovery time will not be known until after Perkins has the surgery.

It's weird to think of Perk on another team.

Kendrick Perkins is the latest Celtic on the trading block, according to Fanhouse’s Sam Amick.

A league front-office source told FanHouse that the Celtics have been dangling center Kendrick Perkins and their No. 19 pick to teams with high lottery picks in attempt to add a dynamic young talent to their aging core. It’s a tough sell, considering Perkins is facing surgery as early as Friday after tearing his medial collateral ligament and partially tearing his posterior cruciate ligament in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

If the Celtics could trade Perk and the #19 for DeMarcus Cousins or Derrick Favors, count me in. But it’s not happening. That package isn’t nearly enough. These talks are interesting and it’s weird to think Perk might be on the way out, but no team with a high lottery pick is biting on that. Perkins is the type of player every contending team needs, but rebuilding teams need the guys with higher ceilings. Plus, the guy’s got torn ligaments. This trade isn’t happening, unless the Celtics offer more.

Ainge is trying to spin a move.

Andy Katz reports that the Celtics are shopping their 19th pick in tomorrow night’s NBA draft. (ESPN)

According to a source close to Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, the Celtics have put their first-round pick in the NBA draft — No. 19 overall — on the market Wednesday, looking for a suitor.

Ainge hasn’t been enamored with anyone at the spot, according to the source, and is willing to get a return of a future pick.

This doesn’t mean the Celtics will definitely trade the pick. All it means is that Danny Ainge is exhausting all measures to see how he can best improve his ballclub.

Here’s Chris Forsberg’s view:

Boston’s desire to flip the pick will likely depend on the activity in the 18 spaces before them. The team might not be enamored with the bodies they currently project to be remaining by the time their selection comes around, but there’s always the potential a lottery-type player slips within the Celtics’ reach.

President of basketball operations Danny Ainge is likely examining the market that exists for that No. 19 pick and considering whether the talent available in that range is outweighed by the value in moving the selection. If Boston thinks it can get the same style of player at No. 19 at the latter stages of the first round, or into the second, it makes complete sense to trade down the board.

I want the Celtics to keep the pick, if only because it will make draft night a whole lot more interesting.

As part of our draft coverage, we are profiling wings and big men the Celtics might be interested in with the 19th pick. Next up is Damion James, a forward from Texas. We made these profiles using our own personal knowledge of the prospects combined with research from numerous sites, including NBADraft.net and Draft Express.

Draft Express projection: 20th pick NBADraft.net: 27th pick

Should the Celtics draft for ready players, or those with upside?

The Celtics had James in for a workout yesterday, and reportedly really like his versatility. And versatile he is. James is long, athletic, and has a nose for the ball. Despite playing on the perimeter, James averaged 9.3 rpg for his four year college career at Texas (he DID play more power forward as a freshman). As a senior, he averaged 18 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.  At 6’7 3/4″, he’s average height for an NBA small forward, but he has a wingspan of 7’3/4″. James uses his wingspan to his advantage: he has a very high release point on his almost unblockable  jump shot, and he is very active defensively.

Offensively, James is a jack of all trades, master of none type player. He can shoot with consistency and accuracy… but isn’t a deadeye shooter. He can slash to the hoop with authority… but his somewhat suspect ball-handling keeps him from being an elite penetrator. He isn’t selfish… but doesn’t get very many assists. James’ game is well-rounded, but its hard to point to any part of his game and say “AH! He’ll definitely excel doing that in the NBA!”

Defensively, Draft Express notes, James has been knocked as a bad defender. His lateral quickness isn’t great, making him a sort of ‘tweener on defense. He’s seen as too slow to defend perimeter players and too small to defend post men. That view of James’ defensive game is wrong, says Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony. In Givony’s expert opinion, James is a far better defender than given credit for. Though his lateral quickness isn’t great, he makes up for it with his terrific length, outstanding hustle, and high level of awareness.

There’s little to dislike about James, besides that he played four years of college ball and probably doesn’t have as high a ceiling as a younger player. If that is true, is that such a problem? James is ready to contribute right away, tough as nails, and has a game that’s tailor-made to make him a solid role player in the league. You can doubt his ceiling, but I find it difficult to imagine James being unable to contribute in some fashion when he gets to the NBA. He’s not destined to be a star, but James could settle into a Wilson Chandler-type role in the big league. And back to the reasoning that James doesn’t have a lot of room to grow? His ppg the past four years: 7.6, 13.2, 15.4, 18.0. Still think he isn’t improving?

(Forgive the highlight — it’s from a year ago. Serphin has bulked up significantly since.)

As part of our draft coverage, we are profiling wings and big men the Celtics might be interested in with the 19th pick. Next up is Kevin Seraphin, a center from France. We made these profiles using our own personal knowledge of the prospects combined with research from numerous sites, including NBADraft.net and Draft Express.

Draft Express projection: 22nd pick NBADraft.net: 32nd pick

Beast.

I’m officially on the “Draft Kevin Seraphin” train. Where else are the Celtics going to find a 6’10″, 270-pound wrecking ball of strength and athleticism, at the 19th pick? Let me tell you, nowhere.

There are a lot of intriguing big men prospects projected to be drafted in the later part of the first round — Solomon Alabi, Larry Sanders, Hassan Whiteside and Daniel Orton among them. But none of them are as physically ready (read: strong and athletic) as the French Beast, Seraphin.

You’ve probably never heard of the French Beast, so let me give you a little background. He’s from France (obviously), plays in France’s top league, and had a little bit of a disappointing season this past year (only 6.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 20.5 minutes during EuroCup play, although he was starting for France’s top team). He’s 20 years old, had a huge showing at the Nike Hoops Summit (where a team of top European youngsters plays a team of top American high schoolers), and looks like a freakish combination of Amare Stoudemire and Nene. He is big, strong, and has rise. He pounds the offensive glass, hammers home finishes, and runs the floor too. With the body of a Greek god, the wingspan of an even larger man than himself and only five years of basketball experience under his belt, Seraphin oozes potential, absolutely oozes potential. According to Draft Express, he also has good hands, good touch around the basket and “is known as a smart and humble player.”

And the best part? He actually knows what he’s doing defensively. Listen to Draft Express: “He shows a much greater comfort level on the defensive end, where he’s a terrific presence inside the paint with his superb combination of length, strength and athleticism. He displays nice timing when rotating from the weak side and is especially effective at hedging pick-and-rolls, while still having the mobility to recover back onto his man thanks to his nimble feet and nice lateral quickness. He’s difficult to post up due to his wide frame, and he puts in a good effort on top of that. This puts him in a pretty rare class of prospects when considering his physical tools.”

Now, that’s not to say he has no faults. Seraphin is hardly a go-to player in the post. He lacks the footwork to be a reliable back-to-the-basket scorer. Draft Express notes that his focus sometimes drifts (I remind you, he’s only 20 years old). Even though he’s in the draft this year, he might not leave for the NBA next season. According to SI’s Ian Thomsen, Seraphin has had injury problems in the past (although it might just be a recent injury that only kept him out of play for a couple weeks and didn’t affect his draft status.) Seraphin also isn’t as great a defensive rebounder as he is on the offensive glass.

But I pose the question again: Where else are the Celtics going to find a 6’10″, 270-pound wrecking ball of strength and athleticism, at the 19th pick? I don’t care that he’s raw offensively — so are all the other centers the Celtics could draft. I don’t care this his focus drifts sometimes — he’s young, that’s what young players do. I don’t even care that he might not play in the NBA next season — none of the other centers the C’s could draft at #19 would help next year, either. (Okay, I admit it. I’d like Seraphin to play in Boston next season if the C’s draft him — they need frontcourt help right away, and he’s the only player in the draft I see helping them.)

The French Beast is the next Nene, with a higher ceiling. If you want the Celtics to pass that up, with a pick as low as 19th, be my guest. But you’ll regret it when this kid turns into a monster. And for next season? He’s the C’s best bet to replace the almost-definitely-retiring Rasheed Wallace in the draft.

I suggest the Celts pick Seraphin, make sure he comes to the States, and then let him contribute right away as he blossoms into a legitimate piece for the future.

As part of our draft coverage, we are profiling wings and big men the Celtics might be interested in with the 19th pick. Next up is Daniel Orton, a center from Kentucky. We made these profiles using our own personal knowledge of the prospects combined with research from numerous sites, including NBADraft.net and Draft Express.

Draft Express projection: 21st pick   NBADraft.net: 18th pick

Orton should have stayed at Kentucky

Daniel Orton is everything that’s wrong with college basketball and the transition to the NBA. I admit, there is an argument for him leaving Kentucky for the NBA draft. Yes, he’s going to be a first round pick. Yes, he played behind DeMarcus Cousins. Yes, hes a physical freak at 6’9.5″, 269 pounds with a 7’4″ wingspan.

But let’s be realistic here. Orton couldn’t get off the bench for a college team–he played just 13 mpg–and now he’s supposed to make an impact in the NBA? Not a chance. Orton averaged just 3.4 ppg and 3.3 rpg in the big man deficient SEC.  He lacked intensity and toughness in most of the time he did see, not putting to use all the physical advantages he had on his opponents.

And that’s what pisses me off. Orton will be drafted highly–hopefully not by the Boston Celtics–because of his “potential.” But how much NBA potential does a guy who only reached double-figures in scoring twice in 38 games, according to Draft Express, really have?

Orton is the type of player who NEEDED to stay at least one more year in college to improve his fundamentals and learn how to be a dominant college player before trying the NBA.  Orton needs the reps, the experience; not only did he play just 13 mpg as a freshman at Kentucky, but he also missed most of his senior year of high school after undergoing surgery on his left knee. The kid is talented, but based on experience, he’s basically a high school senior. And a high school senior is not ready to play in the NBA.

Orton has the physical tools and the skill-level to be a great player, but he has shown no signs yet of reaching his potential. While at Kentucky, Orton rarely received post touches, and when he did, seemed almost too eager to impress his coach. Offensively, he showed range out to 15-feet on his jumper, but he rarely shot from the outside and was relegated mostly to defensive duties. Most of his offensive production came from offensive rebounds and put-back lay ups.

The lone–and major–bright spot of Orton’s game comes on the defensive end. Despite his limited playing time, Orton averaged 1.4 bpg, which translates to about 4 block per 40-minutes. With his long arms, big frame, and decent leaping ability, Orton is an imposing force in the lane–deterring opponents from finishing in the paint.

If Orton develops offensively, he will be an asset on some NBA team because of his prodigious defensive talents. However, Orton has a lot of growing to do offensively, and he’s not going to get the reps he needs sitting on an NBA bench. The only way to get better offensively is to play, and Orton will not be doing that next year on an NBA roster.