Jared Sullinger Thanks Celtics After Signing With Raptors
BOSTON (CBS) -- It was less than a week ago that Jared Sullinger hinted that a change was on the horizon. We learned on Monday that the change is a few hundred miles to the north.
Sullinger has signed a one-year deal worth $6 million with the Toronto Raptors, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. Sullinger Tweeted about the news Monday afternoon, changing his avatar to the Raptors logo.
Sullinger spent the first four years of his NBA career with the Boston Celtics, who rescinded their $4.4 million qualifying offer to power forward over the weekend, making him an unrestricted free agent. He averaged 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists over a career-high 81 games last season, starting 73 of those contests, but conditioning and consistency issues followed the 6-foot-9, 260-pound Sullinger since Boston drafted him 21st overall out of Ohio State back in 2012. For his career, Sullinger has averaged 11.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, posting career-highs of 13.3 points and 8.1 rebounds during the 2013-14 season.
The talent, and his perceived ceiling, were there for Sullinger, which made his four-year run with the Celtics all the more frustrating. Whenever he seemed to have it all together, an injury would derail the progress, or a conditioning issue or some terrible decision on the court would land him in the doghouse. Sully was always an intriguing player, but that intrigue and promise was something the Celtics couldn't wait on any longer as they try to build a contender in 2016-17.
Sullinger took to Twitter shortly after the news broke on Tuesday to thank the Celtics organization:
