A rumored blockbuster trade between the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets officially puts the Celtics in full rebuilding mode while curiously allowing the Nets, one of its Eastern Division opponents, to stockpile talent.
Sources told USA Today that Boston All-Star forward Kevin Garnett has agreed to waive the no-trade clause with the team, clearing the way for his trade to the Nets. That trade will also send his teammate, friend and fellow All-Star Paul Pierce, and guard Jason Terry to the Nets as well, USA Today said.
For this, the Celtics will receive from Brooklyn Keith Bogans, Kris Humphries (from Kim Kardashian fame), Gerald Wallace, Reggie Evans and three first-round draft choices, USA Today said it confirmed from sources on condition of anonymity.
Special: Should Gay Marriage Be Legal? Vote in Urgent Poll.
The departure of Garnett, Pierce and Terry comes days after the Celtics sent coach Doc River, who led the Celtics to an NBA title in 2008, to the Los Angeles Clippers for a first-round draft pick. The deal would end the so-called "Big Three" era in Boston.
Garnett and Ray Allen came to the Celtics in 2007 to join Pierce to rebuild the franchise. The signings worked as Boston won an NBA title in 2008 and reached the league's championship series again in 2010, when it lost to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ray Allen signed after last season with the Miami Heat, helping them secure its second consecutive NBA title earlier this month.
The Boston Globe reported that the deal cannot become official until July 10, when a league-wide moratorium on signings and trades is lifted.
The Globe's Baxter Holmes said the method to the Celtics madness of trading away two of its most popular players and future Hall of Famers lie solely in salary cap space and restricting its roster with young talent for the long haul.
"The ability to acquire first-round draft picks, highly coveted under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement that constricts teams’ financial resources, gives the Celtics extremely valuable assets with which to rebuild," Holmes said in his Globe story.
Editor's Note: Get the Navy SEALs Cap – Celebrate Our Heroes
"The Celtics had already acquired an unprotected 2015 first-round draft pick from the Clippers in exchange for allowing Doc Rivers to escape his coaching contract with the Celtics, which had three remaining seasons on it worth $21 million. And by trading Pierce and Garnett, as well as Terry after only one season in Boston, the Celtics will also clear considerable cap space that will further help their rebuilding efforts."
Related stories:
33-Year-Old GM Hired By NBA Phoenix Suns Was Celtics Exec
Jason Collins Comes Out as First Openly Gay NBA Player
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.