The Celtics enter tonight’s draft as one of the most talked about teams in the league due to their three first round picks. The C’s own the third overall pick, a pick they acquired in the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade with Brooklyn, along with the 16th and 23rd picks. Celtics GM Danny Ainge has never shied away from trading picks, but unfortunately for Celtics fans, this draft is essentially a two-man show.

With LSU’s Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram being the presumptive No. 1 and 2 overall picks, there is quite a substantial drop off in talent with the next tier of players.

There is Dragan Bender, an 18- year-old forward playing overseas, Kris Dunn from Providence and Cal’s Jaylen Brown – just to name a few players in the second tier. What do they all have in common? Each is a work in progress and will likely need some grooming despite projecting as future starters.

Typically, the third overall pick carries good weight, however this year No. 3 is just another pick in the bunch and will force the Celtics to have a modest draft night.

Sure, it’s fun to picture the Celtics making a splash on draft night and catapulting themselves atop the league like we saw in 2007, but unfortunately it is unlikely we see any headline deals being made.

Free agent Kevin Durant is almost certainly out of the picture at this point, and Jimmy Butler is now the top dog in Chicago with Derrick Rose being shipped to the Knicks. Boston has dropped on the pecking order for most top-10 stars, so if the Celtics hope to make a trade they must accept the fact that the return will be unimpressive.

The rumor mill has been spinning this week with rumors connecting the Celtics with Philadelphia and Milwaukee regarding players such as Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and Khris Middleton. Although none of these players are stars, each is a young player and a solid starter.

At this point, patience is the smartest route for the Celtics.

It is tempting to create hypothetical trade packages, especially considering how close the C’s are to being a legitimate contender. However, the ping pong balls bounced away from Boston on lottery night once again and Ainge and the Celtics must make the best with what they have.

If the 76ers or Bucks were to trade away one of the aforementioned names, it would likely require parting ways with the third pick, along with one, maybe even two players on the roster.

Although these players from the outside would be solid additions, the Celtics don’t need any more role players … they need superstars.

Ainge should be all ears for trade propositions, but the easiest and safest bet is to use the picks wisely, and explore alternatives in free agency, especially considering the Celtics have over 20 million in salary cap space to use.

Although seeing Ainge and the Celtics make draft day history would be exciting, it is unlikely and could possibly hurt Boston in the long run. Sometimes risks pay big dividends, but the Celtics simply do not have enough ammo or appeal to do so this year.

A 2016 draft day trade is very possible, but just don’t expect Celtics fans to remember it down the road.

— Sports Staff Writer Alex Sponseller can be reached at [email protected] or at 282-1535 ext. 323. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @ JournalTsports.