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Celtics trade Kendrick Perkins to Thunder

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December 30, 2011|By Gary Washburn and Julian Benbow

Kendrick Perkins (Barry Chin/Globe Staff/File )

DENVER - The Celtics overhauled their bench yesterday with a flurry of unexpected trades, the most prominent being a deal that sent popular workhorse center Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City along with guard Nate Robinson for small forward Jeff Green, center Nenad Krstic, and the Clippers’ first-round pick in 2012, which the Thunder owned.

The Celtics then shipped rookies Luke Harangody and Semih Erden to Cleveland for a second-round pick in 2013 (Minnesota’s). Finally, they sent Marquis Daniels, who bruised his spinal cord Feb. 6 against Orlando, to Sacramento for cash considerations and a second-round pick in 2017.

“It’s a part of the game,” said Delonte West, who was traded by the Celtics in 2007 and brought back last summer. “I’m eight years in. So I’m not really shocked by anything. Of course, we’re sad to see one of our brothers go, a couple of our brothers go, but they’ll be all right. You’ve just got to see them around.”

Perkins, a Celtic since entering the NBA out of high school in 2003, was a fan favorite in Boston because of his tough-minded style and exponential improvement over the years. But he is due to be a free agent this summer, and the Celtics sensed issues with re-signing him. Perkins is from Texas and will get a chance to play closer to his home.

The trade was a necessity and a gamble. Because of Daniels’s injury, the team needed to find a backup for Paul Pierce, who was averaging close to 40 minutes per game after Daniels was injured. But by giving up Perkins, their enforcer who could guard Orlando’s Dwight Howard by himself, and Erden, they were banking that Shaquille O’Neal, who’s missed the past seven games with an inflamed right Achilles’ tendon and has struggled all season with leg issues, will be healthy by the playoffs.

“It’s a key proponent of this,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “We need to get Shaq healthy. Shaq will be healthy, but if Shaq plays great, then this deal was obviously really, really good for us. That’s on Shaq, getting Shaq in great shape, getting him ready, getting him healthy. It’s really going to be important for us in the playoffs.”

Celtics president Danny Ainge said, “It’s tough to play the O’Neals and Perk at the same time. Shaquille O’Neal has proven to be better with our starters. We beat all of the top teams without Kendrick.”

Ainge also believed Perkins was expendable because of his impending free agency and the expected return of Shaq and Jermaine O’Neal.

“He wasn’t interested in doing a contract extension,” Ainge said. “He wanted to test the market.”

At the hotel in Denver, Robinson said he spoke with Perkins after finding out they had been dealt.