Kevin Garnett wasn’t the only NBA player who got to go back home Thursday.
In a move finalized just before the 3 p.m. deadline, the Boston Celtics traded veteran wing Tayshaun Prince to the Detroit Pistons, according to multiple reports.
ESPN’s Marc Stein was the first to report the deal, which netted Boston forwards Jonas Jerebko and Luigi Datome.
Jerebko has played in 46 games for the Pistons this season, averaging 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists, while Datome has appeared in just three. Both players are on expiring contracts, though the Celtics can extend Datome a qualifying offer this summer if they so choose.
For Prince, this trade means a return to the team of his heyday. He was drafted in the first round by Detroit in 2002, spent his first 10-plus seasons with the Pistons and helped lead them to an NBA championship in 2004.
The 34-year-old was praised for his performance both on the court and in the locker room during his brief Celtics tenure, which was cut even shorter by a hip flexor injury. Prince played in nine games for Boston, averaging 8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
The Pistons also acquired point guard Reggie Jackson from the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday in an unrelated deal, and the Celtics brought in point guard Isaiah Thomas from the Phoenix Suns, according to reports.
UPDATE (12:00 a.m.) — The Celtics officially announced their acquisition of Jerebko and Datome in exchange for Prince on Thursday night.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Rempel/USA TODAY Sports Images
