Kris Dunn speaks with Andy Katz about his journey to the NBA draft, what he'll be thinking about when he gets drafted and how he expects to help the team that drafts him next season. (1:34)

Ever since the pingpong balls delivered the Boston Celtics the No. 3 pick in a 2016 NBA draft headlined by two players, most Celtics fans have had two preferred draft-night outcomes. Plan A: Trade the pick for an established talent. Plan B: Draft any of the next-tier players not named Kris Dunn.

If there weren't enough angst as the Celtics reportedly struggle to find a willing and desirable trade partner, some Celtics fans cringed when ESPN's Jeff Goodman and Andy Katz both reported on the eve of the draft that Dunn would draw heavy consideration from Boston if it held onto the No. 3 pick.

The anti-Dunn sentiment is, in part, no fault of the player's. The Celtics are simply well-stocked at guard. The depth chart is topped by All-Star Isaiah Thomas, All-Defense first-teamer Avery Bradley and 2014 No. 6 pick Marcus Smart. For a team that desperately needs shooting, adding another defensive-minded guard with an inconsistent offensive game seemingly delivers redundancy.

That Dunn did not engage in any team workouts made some observers only more leery of him. The decision diminished some of the possible hype, had he performed well in those workouts, but Dunn maintained that he was willing to work out only against one of the other top bodies in the draft, such as Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram or Jamal Murray.

Toss in concerns about Dunn's health (two shoulder surgeries limited him to 29 games in his first two seasons at Providence) and his age (at 22, there's a perception that Dunn doesn't have as much room to grow as some of the teenagers in the draft), and it's easy to see why some Celtics fans prefer the team go in another direction.

Drafting Kris Dunn would make the Celtics' already stingy perimeter defense even better. AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File

But here's a handful of reasons Boston shouldn't hesitate to pick Dunn with the first of their eight selections in Wednesday's draft:

• Defensive DNA: The Celtics drew heavy praise from opposing teams last season, and most of those compliments were in regard to the team's perimeter defense. Adding Dunn to a backcourt that already has certified pests in Smart and Bradley would leave opposing ball handlers under consistent duress.

Consider this: Dunn ranked in the 85th percentile among all college guards while limiting opponents to 0.728 points per play, according to Synergy Sports. Filter down to the college players who defended at least 300 plays the past season and Dunn ranked 15th out of 149 eligible bodies. What's more, opponents shot a mere 32.8 percent from the field overall against him, according to Synergy data.

• Another ball handler: Boston coach Brad Stevens often leaned on reserve lineups that featured two ball handlers in Smart and Evan Turner. With Turner an unrestricted free agent who seems unlikely to return, the Celtics will need to find someone who can create offense. Synergy has a "play + assists" metric that incorporates a player's assist numbers into his overall offensive production. Although Dunn ranked in the 52nd percentile on his own offensively, he vaulted to the 89th percentile in "plays + assists," which isn't terribly unexpected for a point guard but is an encouraging spike.

The Celtics are surely interested in seeing what sort of leap 2015 top pick Terry Rozier (16th overall) can make after a solid late-season cameo the past season. But as the playoff injury to Bradley reminded us last season, the Celtics could benefit from additional depth at the guard spot. Dunn's playmaking abilities would allow players such as Smart and Thomas to play off the ball more.

• Immediate impact: While some of the teenagers in the draft -- guys such as Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss -- have intriguing room for growth and development, Dunn would be able to immediately help a Boston team that wants to take another step forward this season, after winning 48 games the past season.

• Savory salary: Even as the No. 3 pick, Dunn's Year 1 salary would be a modest $4.7 million (assuming he's signed at the typical 120 percent of the rookie scale). That's a measly 5 percent of the $93 million salary cap. Trading for established talent could come with a hefty price tag, while a No. 3 pick would be under the team's control long-term at modest money.

There are obvious caution flags with Dunn. The scouting report says he must improve his shot selection (though he shot 37.2 percent beyond the 3-point arc last season). Also, he has been turnover prone (3.5 per game last season) at the college level.

Ultimately, as we hear repeated each year, it comes down to the best player available. Every possible No. 3 pick has at least one question mark. You can find better shooting with Murray or Buddy Hield, aiding an area of obvious need for the Celtics, but rosters have a way of changing quickly, and the Celtics can't pass on the best player -- assuming they believe that Dunn is such -- just because there's a logjam at the moment.

The Celtics and Stevens are trying to establish a defense-first identity. Dunn's abilities would only make Boston's perimeter defense that much more intimidating. The team still has seven more picks to -- one way or another -- fill areas of need.

Of course, the reported interest in Dunn could be just a smokescreen, with the goal of increasing the value of the No. 3 pick. With a number of teams rumored to be interested in Dunn, the Celtics can get a team to overpay if it believes Boston -- or another possible trade partner -- might pull Dunn off the board.

The Celtics tend to zig when everyone thinks they'll zag. Although many would groan if Dunn were the choice at No. 3, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge won't hesitate to select a player if he believes he is the best choice for the team at that spot.