After speculation mushroomed about a possible trade including Celtics guard Jordan Crawford, the team finally pulled the trigger.
According to Yahoo! Sports, the Celtics shipped Crawford and guard MarShon Brooks to the Golden State Warriors as part of a three-team deal. In return, Boston will receive center Joel Anthony from the Miami Heat and two draft picks — projected to a first- and second-round selection — while the Heat will receive Toney Douglas.
The Warriors have been in the market for backcourt depth, the report indicates, and the Celtics proved to be the perfect trading partner after acquiring Jerryd Bayless earlier this winter and with Rajon Rondo set to return to the lineup as soon as Friday night, giving the team a crowded backcourt that also includes Avery Bradley and Phil Pressey.
Crawford was enjoying one of his better seasons under first-year coach Brad Stevens. The guard has averaged 13.7 points, 5.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game in a career-high 35 starts thus far. He owns an assist-to-turnover ratio if 3-to-1 and is shooting 41 percent from the field, and may be a candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.
Meanwhile, Douglas was playing just 11 minutes per game off the Golden State bench, averaging 3.7 points per game. Anthony has fallen out of the Heat’s frontcourt rotation was averaging a mere 3.1 minutes per game this year, and exiling the center frees up a few million dollars in cap space.
