The Boston Celtics have traded center Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Jeff Green, center Nenad Krstic and a first-round draft pick.
Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Wednesday that Perkins is out at least a week after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. He missed 43 games this season recovering from right knee surgery.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Green. He was selected by the Celtics in the first round (fifth overall) in the 2007 draft. But he was traded with Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West to the then Seattle SuperSonics for Ray Allen and Glen Davis.
The Celtics’ pursuit of a perimeter player intensified when it became apparent that Marquis Daniels might miss the rest of the season with a spinal injury.
Green is averaging 15.2 points and 5.6 rebounds this season as the third option for the Thunder behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. In his third season in the league, he has averaged 14.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Green is a young talent who can play both the 3 and the 4 positions and could be part of a longer rebuilding strategy.
The deal gives the Thunder the big man that they’ve been looking for all year. Perkins has played in just 12 games this season, but the Thunder have felt for a while that they need a veteran big man to truly compete with the Spurs, Mavs and Lakers in the West.
The deal also gives the Thunder something for Green, who becomes a restricted free agent this summer. Green had rejected a contract extension offer from the Thunder earlier this year.
For the Celtics, they take a big risk that their big men — which are now Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett and Krstic — can lead them. But with O’Neal out with an Achilles injury, these are interesting trades for a Celtics team trying to win a championship. Krstic is an offensive talent down low, but isn’t known as a rebounder or a tough defender. He is averaging 7.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
The Celtics also receive the Los Angeles Clippers 2012 first round pick from the Thunder. The pick is top ten protected through the 2016 season.
Leave a Reply