Celtics: Oden, Durant, or Bust.

In her Aeschylusian opus to Paul Pierce this morning, the Boston Globe's Jackie MacMullen also apparently scooped a highly important story: If the Celtics don't get a top-two pick, they will look to trade it.

MacMullen cites team sources who say Greg Oden is the franchise's first choice, Kevin Durant is #2, and everyone else can go to hell. Danny Ainge would look to trade the pick for a veteran who can help Paul Pierce bring the Celtics back to respectability if the pick doesn't result in one of these two once-in-a-lifetime studs.

With names like Brandan Wright and Joakim Noah and Al Horford and Yi Jianlian floating aroud that top half of the lottery, I think there would be tremendous interest around the league for teams seeking to move up. Would Golden State give up Baron Davis and their late lottery pick for Yi, with Monta Ellis waiting in the wings at point? Would Sacramento ship Bibby for Horford and Delonte West? Would Utah move Andrei Kirilenko for someone like Wright or Jeff Green and a young chip? Would any of those vets slotted with Pierce and Al Jefferson make Boston a sure-fire playoff squad?

Portland's front office shook last June up in a major way, and an urgent Ainge could do the same this summer. All this does is make me hope for picqued interest's sake that Boston does slip into third when the ping pong balls fly.