As each of the 30 teams in the NBA were figuring out who they'd select in the 2013 Draft held on Thursday, June 27th in Brooklyn, New York, the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets looked to strike a major deal that would potentially shift the balance of power in the Eastern Conference.
Coming to an agreement late Thursday night, Yahoo Sports reports the Celtics will send Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets in exchange for a selection of players and multiple draft picks. In addition to receiving the Boston duo - who helped the team win the 2008 NBA Championship - Brooklyn will also get veteran sharpshooter Jason Terry.
Sending 3 first round picks for the 2014, 2016 and 2018 NBA Drafts, the Nets also ship Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Keith Bogans and Kris Humphries' expiring contract to Beantown. In addition to the aforementioned deals, Boston will have the right to swap first round draft selections in 2017 with the Nets if Brooklyn has the higher pick.
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Boston has been at the center of NBA attention in recent days since they pulled off a prior deal before talks heightened with their Brooklyn rivals. Sending former head coach Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for a 2015 first round draft pick, the Celtics began their mission to clear up a significant amount of cap space heading into next season.
Rivers was set to earn $7 million dollars over the next 3 years and since the Celtics looked like they were about to enter a rebuilding phase, Rivers expressed his interest in the west coast job while Boston wasn't to keen on paying a coach a high amount of money to run a mediocre-at-best squad.
Amid growing speculation that a deal was in place, Nets general manager Billy King repeatedly denied the agreement, noting that there wasn't much he could say about any talks between the two teams even though rumors began to swirl.
"Guys, honestly, I can't go any further," King said to ESPN. "Honestly, you can ask all the questions. Honestly, I can't. At the time that it's appropriate, I will address it if possible, but at this time, I can't."
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Adding seasoned players still capable of playing at high level to a team that made the postseason for the first time since leaving New Jersey for Brooklyn a year ago, the Nets will now showcase a starting 5 that will surely be capable of competing on a nightly basis. A stellar point guard in Deron Williams along with All-Stars Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson, the capable trio will now be joined by Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Pierce averaged over 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists last season for a Celtics team that lost in the first round of the playoffs to the New York Knicks. Kevin Garnett was strong as well last season, averaging 14.8 points per game to go along with 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Adding this duo to an already stellar trio of starters will surely put the Nets in the Eastern Conference mix with teams like the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks.
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