KG Signs Off; Celtics-Nets Reportedly Pull Off Blockbuster Trade
BOSTON (CBS) - The Boston Celtics' rebuilding phase is in full swing, as Kevin Garnett has reportedly agreed to a trade that will send him, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets.
The deal cannot become official until July 12.
In return for two of the key contributors to their 2008 NBA Championship team, Boston is set to receive a package of forwards Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, and Kris Joseph, guards Keith Bogans and MarShon Brooks, and three first-round draft picks.
The Celtics will receive Brooklyn's first-round selections in 2014, 2016 and 2018.
Veteran guard Jason Terry is also heading to Brooklyn with Pierce and Garnett. Pierce is in the final year of his contract, worth $15.3 million, while Garnett and Terry each have two years remaining on their deals.
While the compensation the Celtics are set to receive isn't comparable in talent, it gives Boston a chance to move forward in their rebuilding process. They now own two first-round picks in four of the next five drafts (after receiving the Los Angeles Clippers' 2015 first round pick for Doc Rivers), and Humphries' deal ($12 million) comes off the books next summer.
As for the players they received, Boston will certainly look a lot different than they have over the last five seasons.
The 31-year-old Wallace, who averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 69 games in 2012, still has three years and over $30-million remaining on his deal. He's averaged 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game over his 12-year NBA career with four different teams.
Humphries, who was involved in a bit of a shoving match with Rajon Rondo last season, averaged 5.8 points and 5.6 rebounds over 65 games played for Brooklyn in 2013. The nine-year veteran stands at 6-9 and 235-pounds, and has averaged 6.6 points per game over his career.
Bogans, a 10-year veteran, averaged 4.2 points and 1.0 assist per game in 2012, and comes over to Boston as part of a sign-and-trade.
It will be tough for Boston fans to picture Pierce in anything other than a Celtics uniform. Pierce has spent all 15 seasons of his NBA career in green since being drafted 10th overall by the Celtics in 1998 out of Kansas. Pierce was the go-to-guy on Boston for much of his career, averaging 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game over his career. He was named the 2008 NBA Finals MVP after averaging 21.8 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in Boston's win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Pierce finishes his Celtics career first All-Time in team history in three pointers made with 1,823, and steals with 1,528.
Garnett changed the face of the franchise upon arriving in Boston in the summer of 2007. He won NBA Defensive Player of the Year in his first season in Boston, and was named to the NBA's All Defensive 1st Team three times while with the Celtics. The 15-time All-Star averaged 14.8 points and 7.8 rebounds over 68 games for Boston last season, and though slowed by age, can still make a difference on a contender.
With Doc Rivers in Los Angeles and Pierce and Garnett now in Brooklyn, the Celtics will rebuild around guards Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley (unless they trade Rondo, but that's a whole other story) and forwards Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger.
