Today in Boston Celtics history, the storied ball club dealt guard Isaiah Thomas to the Cleveland Cavaliers with Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and draft picks for All-Star Kyrie Irving in 2017. Thomas’ hip injury would be cited as grounds for him to fail his pre-trade physical, triggering the addition of more draft picks to complete the trade later the same week.
“Kyrie is one of the best scorers in the NBA. He has proven that on the biggest stage, the NBA Finals, the last three years,” said Celtics President Danny Ainge in a press release at the time. “He’s been an NBA champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and (at that time) a four-time All-Star,” added Ainge. “For all he’s accomplished, we think his best years are ahead of him.”
We all know how Irving’s tenure went in Boston, but at the time, the deal made sense, as painful as it was to part ways with Thomas.
Other transactions
It was also on this date that former Celtics forward Jeff Green re-signed with the team in 2012, inking a four-year, $36 million deal. “We are thrilled to have Jeff back with the Celtics,” Ainge said in a statement at the time (via ESPN’s Greg Payne). “Jeff’s versatility on offense and ability to guard players out on the perimeter is something that we are looking forward to having on the court this season.”
Selected by Boston with the fifth pick out of Georgetown in the 2007 NBA draft, Green had been dealt to the Seattle SuperSonics. The former Hoya returned to the team in the trade in 2011 from the now-Oklahoma City Thunder (the franchise had moved to Oklahoma in the meantime). Green played a total of four seasons with the team, averaging 14.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game until he was traded again, this time to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Boston also traded for former Celtics center Hank Finkel on this date in 1969 as well, sent by the (then) San Diego (now, Houston) Rockets. Finkel played six seasons for Boston in a reserve role, winning a title with them in 1974 and averaging 4.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game with the team.
In 2008 on this date, the Celtics signed small forward Darius Miles as an unrestricted free agent. The East St. Louis native never suited up for Boston, however, and was waived by the team the following October before the regular season began.
Eleven years earlier (1997), point guard Tyus Edney signed with the team, and unlike Miles, he stuck with the team long enough to play 52 games the following season. The former UCLA standout put up a productive 5.3 points, 1.1 boards, 2.7 assists, and a steal per game during his time with the team.
Birthdays
It is the birthday of ex-Celtics center Harold Kottman, a graduate of Culver-Stockton College who was born in Forest Green, Missouri, on this day in 1922. The former Boston big man played 53 games with the Celtics in their inaugural season, putting up 3.1 points per game (rebounds were not yet recorded)
Rest in Peace
It is also the date of the passing of former Boston forward Lou Tsioropoulos in 2015. A hometown Celtic born in nearby Lynn, Massachusetts, Tsioropoulos played collegiately at Kentucky before being taken by Boston in the 1953 NBA draft. The former Wildcat spent time in the U.S. Air Force before joining the team, with whom he would win two titles, 1957 and 1959.
