5:57pm: The Suns have officially waived Mitchell, the team announced in its press release.
5:27: The trade is official, the Celtics have announced in a press release.
5:07pm: The Suns will waive Tony Mitchell in order to clear a roster spot for Wright, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reports (Twitter link).
4:39pm: The Suns are set to acquire center Brandan Wright from the Celtics, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter links). Phoenix will be sending Boston the first-round pick that it owns from Minnesota, Wojnarowski adds. The pick is top 12 protected this season, and top 12 protected in 2015/16, and if it does not convey by the 2016 NBA draft, then the pick will turn into two second-rounders. Boston will also create a $5MM trade exception in the deal, an amount equivalent to Wright’s salary. Phoenix currently has 15 players on its roster, so a corresponding move will need to be made prior to completing the deal.
Wright was the centerpiece player in the trade with Dallas for Rajon Rondo, though Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge had recently informed Wright that he was on the trading block. Trading the 27-year-old big man out of North Carolina is the latest step in Ainge’s rebuilding plan in Boston, and the team is obviously valuing the future over the present with its moves this season.
In 320 career games, Wright has averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game. His career slash line is .609/.000/.685.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Ainge finally doing the inevitable, I feel like Boston should have been doing this all last year if not for sure this summer. Anyways as a bulls fan, I can see the light starting to appear at the end of the tunnel for the Celtics.
i read that the celtics will have as many as 10-11 future first round picks.. they need to draft a sure fire stud with one of those picks other wise they’ll be in this same postion 3 yrs from now
They’ll package them to move up, guarantee it. A smart team would happily offer the Celtics the 6th or 7th pick for a 10th +15th or whatever they wind up having.
This is an interesting move. I suppose the Suns anticipate the 1st rounder to never materialize and then the two 2nd rounders will be middling by the time they’re conveyed.
Yea I don’t think that will happen honestly if it doesn’t materialize this year it will probably show up next year since the T-Wolves where actually playing good ball when all their main players where healthy (Rubio , Pekovic and Martin are out).