Celtics Trade Jordan Crawford To Warriors, Acquire Joel Anthony In Three-Team Deal

With Rajon Rondo expected to make his return this week, the Boston Celtics saw no better time to make a deal.

The Celtics traded guards Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks in a three-team deal with the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat on Wednesday, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski. The Warriors acquired Crawford and Brooks, and the Celtics received center Joel Anthony and a future first- and second-round pick from the Heat. The Warriors sent guard Toney Douglas back to Miami in the deal.

Here’s a quick breakdown from Wojnarowski’s Twitter account to help clarify the details.

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Rumors sprouted up earlier Wednesday that the Celtics were looking to trade Crawford, but the deal occurred far quicker than anyone likely expected.

Crawford, 25, was something of a revelation for the Celtics this season, starting 35 games and averaging 13.7 points (third on the team) and 5.7 assists (first on the team). The Celtics acquired Crawford from the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline last season in exchange for center Jason Collins and guard Leandro Barbosa.

Brooks, 24, has played in just 10 games with the Celtics this season, averaging 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He was acquired during the offseason in the trade that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets.

Anthony, 31, is a seven-year NBA veteran. He’s played his entire career with the Heat but has appeared in just 12 games this season, averaging 0.5 points and 0.6 rebounds in 3.1 minutes. The Heat’s decision to trade him appears to be a straight salary dump, as Anthony is on the books for $3.8 million this season and the same amount in 2014-15. The Celtics, meanwhile, will be able to use Anthony’s expiring contract as leverage in a trade or merely for salary-cap relief after next season.

Douglas, 27, will head to his fifth team in five NBA seasons. He’s played in 24 games with the Warriors this season, averaging 3.7 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.

Update: The Celtics confirmed the trade in a press release shortly after 4 p.m. Boston will receive Anthony, a conditional future Philadelphia first-round draft pick, Miami’s 2016 second-round pick and cash considerations.