Sixers – Celtics, No. 1 and Markelle Fultz: Anatomy of an NBA Draft rumor – Billy Penn

James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Will a trade happen? Maybe. Is there a trade rumor? No. Well, yes. Now.

May 22 2017 11:15 am

Despite the rampant speculation over the weekend, the Sixers have shown little to no indication they are in the process of trading up to No. 1 in the NBA Draft to select Washington point guard Markelle Fultz. At least not yet. The Sixers have a ton of valuable trade pieces both in picks and players so for the next month every basketball pundit and fan and talk show host worth a damn is going to spend more time on this potential trade than the Sixers and Celtics probably will. (That includes us.)

This isnt about a trade as much as its about how one sports guy speculating about a trade on his popular podcast can turn into a full-fledged rumor. Lets be clear: This is not a rumor. A rumor is something overheard (or leaked) by one of the teams involved (or one the agent of a player that could be involved in a deal) that is spread through unnamed reports, off-the-record verifications and good ol fashioned sleuthing.

Bill Simmons saying the Sixers should trade up for Fultz, and speculating what the Celtics a team he unabashedly roots for should ask for in return, is not a rumor. Its wishful thinking.

Heres what Simmons said on his podcast, via Crossing Broad:

Philly is the team I keep looking at. So Phillys three. Philly moves up to one and they get Fultz or Lonzo. Probably Fultz. You put Fultz with Ben Simmons and Embiid and thats it if you keep Embiid and Simmons healthy, those are your three guys for the next 10 years. So if they love Fultz, and I dont know if they do, would you offer the number three pick, Saric, who you dont need because you have Ben Simmons coming, and the Lakers pick next year to move up two spots? That Lakers pick might not be a great pick, because theyre gonna try to get better this summer. Is that too much for that pick?

This is important: That is SPECULATION. Even Simmons, himself, said is that too much for that pick.The conversation continued on with how Saric would fit into the Celtics, and if Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo is that sold on Fultz to give up two first-round picks and a guy who could win Rookie of the Year for him.

Simmons, for what its worth, thinks DeAaron Fox of Kentucky doesnt go lower than three, and pegged the Sixers with taking what could be the third-rated point guard in the draft behind Fultz and Lonzo Ball, over a forward like Josh Jackson or Jayson Tatum. Again, its all speculation, and yet NJ.com (and other nationally-platformed Sixers blogs hoping to tap into some of that sweet Sixers trade rumors SEO juice) think Simmons saying it is the same thing as one of the teams saying it. Look:

Thats NJ.com starting a rumor they think they are reporting on. Only, the author of that post didnt even call it a rumor:

Bill Simmons thinks the Sixers could trade up to No. 1 for Markelle Fultz is NOT the same thing as NBA Draft trade rumors: Sixers moving up to Celtics No. 1 pick for Markelle Fultz?

The question mark doesnt soften it either. So now its a rumor, because one headline writer made it a rumor. But lets not put this on one local SEO-focused content farm. Sixers insiders, fans and even those who have steadfastly refused to trust the Process all these years will make this rumor grow because they want it to happen. Fultz would be a phenomenal addition to the young players the Sixers currently have, so it stands to reason that at No. 3, with some additional things worth dealing, the next few weeks will make this speculation become that full-on rumor its destined to become.

A deeply-connected local TV reporter spelling out the options for a trade? There may be no stronger way to monger a rumor in this city.

A Sixers beat writer responding to the trending topic with validation for one of his fan followers? Let that rumor grow.

Naysayers coming out of the social media woodwork to use the speculation-turned-rumor into a reason to rip Saric? Say nay, naysayers. Its all part of the process. (Lowercase p in that process, btw.)

Fultz to Sixers is great for business. No, not the business of basketball (though it would be that), but the speculation or rumor or innuendo or suggestion or anything that keeps the conversation going other than absolute fact is great for local media business (waves politely), with all of us trying to figure out if the deal is worth making for both sides, and if the city would get behind the deal, and how much attention we can get for ourselves when we talk about the deal.

Facts: We know that everyone in town would want the Sixers to trade up to No. 1 for Fultz and we know the Celtics may entertain offers.

Weve heard the Celtics are high on Tatum so much so that CBS Sports put out an attention-grabbing mock draft where Boston stays at No. 1 and takes Tatum, which will NOT happen when there are teams willing to trade up to get Fultz. Alas, those are the things we know, and actual rumors and reports. The rest is just hammering out the details.

Do you want to trade Saric? Do you think he fits with Simmons or not? Do you want to give up the Lakers 2018 pick or not? The 2019 Kings pick?

Would the Celtics make any or all of those deals, or would they not?

This is the game, and its giving the talking heads hours of conversation and tens of thousands of words (hello again, friends) on what the Sixers would have to give up to get Fultz.

Nowhere is this as obvious as sports talk radio, sojust imagine how easy the next month will be to talk Sixers.

Everything is fair game, from if the Sixers should take Fultz based mostly on YouTube clips, mind you to if trading up is worth it, to Sarics value on the team moving forward (gotta love giving callers a chance to rip on a guy who might win an NBA award this year) to whether building through the draft is even the right path at this point.

Not all of those topics are without merit. Sixers principle owner Joshua Harris said this week he thinks the Sixers roster is stacked with young talent and is eager to add some veteran presence to it.

By the way, we now are stacked for the future, Harris told Keith Pompey of the Inquirer. We have a young team already. So that leaves some slots for some vets to put around our young guys and teach them about what its like to be in the NBA. So it staggers it very nicely for us. And by the way, we are going to get a stud in this draft.

If by stud he means top veteran in the NBA via trade that can help the Sixers win now, lets get that speculation-turned-rumor going!

The Sixers reportedly an actual report tried to get George at the deadline, offering either Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel, plus Robert Covington plus two picks and the Pacers said no.

So thats an actual rumor. So, according to Adrian Wojnarowskis The Vertical at Yahoo, is the rumor the Sixers could trade down, maybe with Sacramento again, and take Malik Monk and acquire even more picks. Or maybe that was just speculation too. Its hard to keep track.

The thing is, the Sixers dont need anymore picks. They have No. 3 and three second rounders this year, two first rounders next year their pick and the Lakers pick two first rounders in 2019 their pick and Sacramentos pick and six second-round picks over those two years. Plus 2016 NBA first round pick Furkan Korkmaz has indicated he wants to come over soon.

So, sure, lets speculate about the Sixers making a trade for
Fultz and giving up two picks and a player. Even three picks. The only problem? The one team that needs draft picks less than the Sixers is the Celtics.

Boston has the top pick and three second rounders this year, two first rounders next year their pick and Brooklyns, which again should be awesome potentially three first rounders in 2019 theirs, the Clippers top-14 protected for two years and the Grizzlies top-8 protected in 2019 and top-6 in 2020 and a couple of second rounders in 2019.

The last thing the Celtics need is another draft pick. They need current NBA talent. Any more rumors about the Sixers trading up to No. 1 should start and end there.

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Sixers - Celtics, No. 1 and Markelle Fultz: Anatomy of an NBA Draft rumor - Billy Penn