Report: Ainge wanted to trade Isaiah last year for another lottery pick

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As rumors inevitably fly about what the Celtics will do with their No. 1 overall pick in the draft next month, ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan shared a story about what the C’s were trying to do before last year’s draft.

Trade Isaiah Thomas? Yes, and just about everyone else on the roster.

MacMullan told another Hall of Fame basketball writer, Bob Ryan, on Ryan’s podcast that Danny Ainge was looking to trade Thomas last year to try and get another lottery pick in addition to the No. 3 choice, which the Celtics used to take Jaylen Brown. 

“Before the draft last year, Danny was trying to get two picks, not just Jaylen Brown,” MacMullan told Ryan. “He was on the phone with everybody from coast to coast, and he was offering everybody. That includes Marcus Smart and Isaiah Thomas, and anything else they needed to get where he wanted to go. There were no untouchables on that team last year.” 

The Celtics had three of the first 25 picks in last year's draft and took Brown and international big men Guerschon Yabusele (16th) and Ante Zizic (23rd). 

Is everyone, including Thomas, 27, whose scoring improved from 22.2 points a game last season to 28.9 this season, untouchable again this year? 

“The only untouchable now I would say is Al Horford,” MacMullan said. 

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