On February 24, Celtics guard Nate Robinson (26) and center Kendrick Perkins (26) were traded from the Boston Celtics and will now be playing for the Oklahoma Thunder team. On the other hand, the Boston Celtics will be picking up Jeff Green (small forward) and Nenad Kristic (center) from the trade.
Typically, when a trade occurs in any professional sports league, it can spur from an array of reasons leading up to the final trade decision. The reasons can range from behavioral problems to performance inconsistency. One of the major decision influencers can also be the player’s contract and salary negotiations. The longer a consistent and successful player is in the professional league the more valuable the players become and the players know it.
For example, if you look at big name like Kevin Garnett, you will see that his salary is currently standing at $18,832,044. Even though the Celtics are losing a great player, it is said that the surprising trade of Perkins may have most likely resulted due to the conclusion of Perkins contract and the amount of money that he wanted for his salary increase.
Quite frankly, the Celtics were not ready to dish out more money for a recovering player who is good but not worth a large salary increase and retention to the team. As far as Jeff Green, it could be a good thing for the Celtics, since his stats are pretty consistent and he seems to make things happen on the court. This season, he is averaging 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2007 draft. However, Celtics are losing a very good defensive player and Oklahoma is making out like a bandit by getting Perkins and Robinson, which could really be a huge turn around for their team structure and success.
Even though many Celtics fans are upset right now, these new acquisitions may or may not be a blessing in disguise for Boston. It is also rumored that there could be some new faces on the Celtics in the future, but it is all to be determined at a later date. We shall see if Jeff Green can make something happen on the court for the Celtics against the Clippers on Saturday and if he is a blessing for the Celtics or not.
