Sources: Grizzlies agree on three-team trade to acquire Jeff Green
The Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans have agreed on a three-team, five-player trade that sends Jeff Green to the Grizzlies, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The trade will send the Grizzlies' Tayshaun Prince, New Orleans' Austin Rivers and a future Memphis first-round pick – likely coming in 2019 – to the Celtics, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Memphis will send forward Quincy Pondexter and a 2015 second-round pick to the Pelicans and the Pelicans will move guard Russ Smith to the Grizzlies, sources said. The Grizzlies held Prince and Pondexter out of Sunday's game against the Phoenix Suns.
The teams will have a trade call with the league on Monday to make the deal official, sources said.
Rivers is unlikely to play for the Celtics, sources said. Boston has discussed a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers to reunite Rivers and his father, Clippers president and coach Doc Rivers, league sources said.
Doc Rivers told reporters on Saturday he’d be open to coaching his son, and several members of the organization, including general manager Dave Wohl and assistant coaches Lawrence Frank and Mike Woodson, have encouraged Doc Rivers to forget the perception of nepotism and take on Austin Rivers, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The case they’ve made is this: With Austin Rivers at 22 years old and no contract obligations beyond this season, the Clippers can use the rest of the season to evaluate him and see how salvageable his future can be in the NBA. He has virtually no value on the trade market, but there's interest with taking a look at him as a developmental player to come off a team's bench.
Austin Rivers is shooting 38 percent this season, but the Clippers have a roster spot and need for a young backup point guard and had been scouring the league. Los Angeles doesn’t have many assets to trade, and Rivers could be worth a look. Nevertheless, Doc and Austin Rivers would have to deal with the perception and pressures that comes with beliefs that bringing the son to the franchise is simply a father trying to benefit his son – not the organization.
The Celtics don’t want to take contract salary beyond this year, but the Clippers have been working to find a third team to help deliver Boston an expiring deal to go along with the second-round pick the Celtics want for Austin Rivers, sources said.
Green gives the Grizzlies a versatile veteran who can score and defend both forward positions. He is averaging 17.6 points and 4.2 rebounds this season. Green makes $9.2 million this season and holds a player option of $9.2 million in 2015-16 – the final year of his contract.
The Celtics are unloading assets – they traded forward Brandan Wright to the Phoenix Suns for a future first-round draft pick earlier Friday – and gathering assets for a rebuild. With this trade, Boston will have accumulated 11 first-round picks over the next four drafts.
Prince's contract expires at the end of this season, freeing additional salary-cap room for the Celtics. He is averaging 7.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 25 games this season.
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