David Pick: Ainge scouting Bender and Zizic in Europe

[Eddie20]

David Pick ‏@IAmDPick 
Danny Ainge, I'm told, saw Ante Zizic collect 12 & 13 in Croatia. @DraftExpress has him going to Celtics at 23.

David Pick ‏@IAmDPick 
Source: Boston's Danny Ainge, Austin Ainge headed to Israel to watch Dragan Bender work.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Great news.  Zizic is going to end up a top ten player in this draft

[Eddie20]

Great news.  Zizic is going to end up a top ten player in this draft

It would be cool to take the 2 Croatians bigs that have already been playing together for years. Would probably help the transition to the states.

[Tr1boy]

David Pick ‏@IAmDPick 
Danny Ainge, I'm told, saw Ante Zizic collect 12 & 13 in Croatia. @DraftExpress has him going to Celtics at 23.

David Pick ‏@IAmDPick 
Source: Boston's Danny Ainge, Austin Ainge headed to Israel to watch Dragan Bender work.

Hold your horses. Just to go scout

Zizic is a definite option at 23

[Eddie20]

David Pick ‏@IAmDPick 
Danny Ainge, I'm told, saw Ante Zizic collect 12 & 13 in Croatia. @DraftExpress has him going to Celtics at 23.

David Pick ‏@IAmDPick 
Source: Boston's Danny Ainge, Austin Ainge headed to Israel to watch Dragan Bender work.

Hold your horses. Just to go scout

Uh, look at the subject title...attention to detail.

[PhoSita]

Bender seems like the guy at three if a trade doesn't happen.

Zizic would make sense as a draft and stash. Gonna have a few of those this year I bet.

[Eddie20]

Pick-


With the 2016 NBA draft on the immediate horizon, Boston Celtics President Danny Ainge and Director of Player Personnel Austin Ainge are Euro-touring. Both were in Israel this past weekend to evaluate top-five-projected draft pick Dragan Bender in a series of workouts through Monday. 

The Celtics secured the No. 3 draft selection in the draft lottery in mid-May and have serious intentions of picking the Croatian wunderkind, according to sources in Bender's camp. Not long ago, Celtics international scout Benas Matkevicius spent time in Tel Aviv watching Bender and filed an encouraging report.

Most mock drafts have Zizic falling in the 20-30 range, and Boston also has the 23rd pick. Zizic recently inserted an out clause into his Cibona contract, but sources from Zizic's camp believe he is open to the draft-and-stash route. Regardless of whether he jumps to the NBA or returns overseas, he is not continuing in Zagreb.

Anadolu Efes shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz—a 6'7", 18-year-old projected to go to the Boston Celtics with the No. 16 pick, according to DraftXpress—will return to Turkey next season, opting for the draft-and-stash route, his agent Misko Raznatovic told Bleacher Report.   

[BornReady]

Would like zizic with our 23rd pick
Nice draft and stash or can bring him out immediately to fill our C position

Also nice to see ainge and scouting team do their diligence in scouting international players
Especially with our wide range and number of picks this year

[Eddie20]

A possible option could be to draft and stash the 16 and 23 picks with Korkmaz and Zizic. This way we don't clutter our roster with players unlikely to contribute next season. Instead, we can overpay some vets (Deng, Joe Johnson, Dudley etc.) on Amir Johnson type deals and carry over the cap space to the summer of 17.

[elcotte]

A possible option could be to draft and stash the 16 and 23 picks with Korkmaz and Zizic. This way we don't clutter our roster with players unlikely to contribute next season. Instead, we can overpay some vets (Deng, Joe Johnson, Dudley etc.) on Amir Johnson type deals and carry over the cap space to the summer of 17.

I agree. This would make perfect sense if there isn't a good trade deal out there.

[Surferdad]

DA smokescreen.  It's the season. 

[blackbird]

Can you imagine the reaction on this board if Ainge uses all three first round picks on Europeans?

[Otsje P]

Can you imagine the reaction on this board if Ainge uses all three first round picks on Europeans?

I wouldn't mind Bender, Korkmaz en Zicic. If the first comes over right away and the other two play another season in Europe, I'm totally cool with it.

[TheSundanceKid]

Can you imagine the reaction on this board if Ainge uses all three first round picks on Europeans?

I wouldn't mind Bender, Korkmaz en Zicic. If the first comes over right away and the other two play another season in Europe, I'm totally cool with it.

Depending who's on the board obviously but I'd be happy with that. Ideally I'd like to use some of our picks, perrhaps a guy like KO too, to move up into the back end of the top 10 and get another solid rookie like Poeltl or Davis.

[arctic 3.0]

Can you imagine the reaction on this board if Ainge uses all three first round picks on Europeans?

I wouldn't mind Bender, Korkmaz en Zicic. If the first comes over right away and the other two play another season in Europe, I'm totally cool with it.

Depending who's on the board obviously but I'd be happy with that. Ideally I'd like to use some of our picks, perrhaps a guy like KO too, to move up into the back end of the top 10 and get another solid rookie like Poeltl or Davis.

Deytona Davis!
Big man may be the steal of the draft