BOSTON — The Celtics will welcome two new players into the fold when they arrive on the West Coast this weekend.
Shavlik Randolph and Tayshaun Prince, who were acquired in the trades for Austin Rivers and Jeff Green, respectively, are expected to join the Celtics in Los Angeles, head coach Brad Stevens announced before Friday’s matchup with the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden.
There was speculation that Prince might be bought out before he ever played a game for the Celtics, but it appears he will in fact be a part of Stevens’ squad, at least for the time being.
Randolph, meanwhile, returns to Boston after playing 16 games for the C’s in 2012-13, the season before Stevens took over the reins from former coach Doc Rivers. The 31-year-old power forward then spent a brief stint in the Chinese Basketball Association before signing with the Phoenix Suns last March.
Randolph averaged just 6.3 minutes per game in 16 contests with the Suns this season before being dealt as part of the three-team trade that send Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers.
“I talked to (Randolph) right after I got the job; he was still on our roster,” Stevens said. “I obviously look forward to coaching him. I’m pretty sure his career high in college came against us (Butler), which was disappointing at the time, obviously.”
Stevens’ memory was accurate. Randolph lit up the coach’s former club for 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting as a Duke freshman in 2003.
“He’s a guy that people just love having on their team,” Stevens continued. “He adds to the way that teams play from a physical standpoint. I know that the people in Phoenix felt that way, and everybody that you talk to in our organization feels that way. The guys that were with him — albeit there aren’t many of them left — are excited that he’s coming back, and I’m excited that he’s going to be back.”
The Celtics begin a six-game Western Conference road trip Monday against the Clippers.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports Images
