We won’t know if the Boston Celtics draft Josh Jackson with the third pick in the NBA Draft until it actually happens on Thursday night. But one thing we do know is that Jackson will not work out for the Celtics.
Jackson told reporters on Wednesday that he did not and will not work out for the Celtics before the draft, saying essentially that they ran out of time to meet with him.
Celtics finally received Josh Jackson's medicals, but he still won't workout for Boston. C's still debating but appear to be leaning Tatum
— NBA Big Board (@chadfordinsider) June 21, 2017
Jackson spoke to ESPN in a pre-draft interview on Wednesday and said the timing didn’t work out to visit Boston. He also admitted it may impact whether the Celtics actually take Jackson on Thursday night.
“They did a little bit of moving around with their pick,” Jackson said. “I felt like they made it pretty clear who they were going to draft with the No. 1 pick, so I didn’t really feel like it was worth either of our times for me to work out with them. But then when they, you know, did the flip and went to No. 3, by then it was too late.”
Jackson was asked if he was concerned whether the decision to skip a Celtics workout would affect him in Thursday night’s NBA draft.
“It could, it may or may not,” he said. “But like I said before, I’m just happy to be here. Wherever I end up Thursday, I’ll be happy.”
That’s all well and good, but Jackson reportedly cancelled his workout with the Celtics back when it was thought they were set on Markelle Fultz with the top pick. Jackson even appeared to subtweet Fultz when that pick was traded, so there might be more to this than that the two sides ran out of time.
Still, in a video that popped up on Wednesday, Jackson seemed sure he’s going to either the Celtics or Phoenix Suns, who have the fourth pick in the Draft.
Listen close 👂👂👂
Josh Jackson tells a curious kid that he's either going "3 or 4….Boston or Phoenix…"
🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/kzjseroVCv
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) June 21, 2017
Jackson’s right about one thing: it seemed pretty clear that Boston was taking Fultz until the Philadelphia 76ers swooped in and the two teams traded picks. After a murky weekend, things have become more clear with the top two—Fultz to Philadelphia and Lonzo Ball to Los Angeles. After that, it’s up to the Celtics to set the tenor of the Draft.
