Celtics Trade Speculation Grows as Team Waives Kris Joseph, Jarvis Varnado

by NESN Staff on Sun, Jan 6, 2013 at 10:08PM

The Celtics opened up two roster spots Sunday by waiving Kris Joseph and Jarvis Varnado, sparking speculation that the team could be clearing space to make a big-time trade.

While a blockbuster deal is not impossible, the Joseph and Varnado moves may have been mostly clerical in nature.

Joseph and Varnado’s deals were set to become guaranteed if they were still on the roster Monday evening, so by waiving them Sunday, the team saved itself a few hundred thousand dollars under the $74.3 million “hard cap” it has as a result of using the mid-level exception on Jason Terry this summer. That money could be used to bring in a free agent or two on a veteran’s minimum deal.

At the same time, there was speculation that the Celtics could complete a trade for Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins by the end of Sunday night, although Joseph’s and Varnado’s departures appeared to have little to do with that rumored deal.

Joseph, the 51st overall pick in last June’s NBA Draft, appeared in six games this season for the Celtics, scoring seven points. Varnado made five appearances and scored six points in 18 minutes.

Photo via Facebook/Kris Joseph