Doc Rivers has agreed to a deal in principal with the Los Angeles Clippers that would make Rivers the Clippers’ new head coach, the Boston Globe is reporting.
The Celtics would receive a 2015 first-round draft pick in the exchange, the Globe’s sources said. Rivers would sign a new contract for three years worth $21 million, which is what was left on the five-year extension he signed in Boston.
The agreement brings a weeks-long back-and-forth between Rivers and the Clippers to an end. Initially, Kevin Garnett was reported to be part of the exchange, but the Celtics forward is not a part of the current package. Garnett and other players were removed from the negotiations after NBA commissioner David Stern raised concerns about the deal being a trade for a coach, which is forbidden by the collective bargaining agreement.
The deal still needs to be cleared by the league but could be finalized as early as Monday.