The Boston Celtics have traded guard Avery Bradley to the Detroit Pistons for forward Marcus Morris, the team announced Friday.
Boston will also send Detroit a second-round pick in the deal.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge shopped Bradley and other players this week after landing top free agent Gordon Hayward. Ainge needed to clear space under the salary cap to make way for the All-Star forward.
“Avery did a lot of the dirty work and often didn't get the recognition that he deserved, but our coaches, staff, his teammates, and our fans who watched him play every night appreciated what a special player and person he is,” Ainge said in a statement provided by the team.
Morris is a versatile big man on a reasonable contract. He has two years remaining at about $5 million per season, ESPN's Jeff Goodman reported.
“We are excited to add a high quality player with the versatile skillset that Marcus possesses. He will be a great fit for our team,” Ainge said.
Bradley is in the final year of his contract, and is likely to demand big money in free agency. With star point guard Isaiah Thomas also entering free agency, Bradley’s future in Boston was unclear.
The Celtics longest-tenured player, Bradley has developed into a formidable two-way threat and is considered one of the top on-ball defenders in the league.
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Ainge drafted Bradley with the 19th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft.
Meanwhile, big man Kelly Olynyk has agreed to sign with the Miami Heat.
Agent Greg Lawrence confirmed the decision to The Associated Press on Thursday night. ESPN reported it would be a four-year deal worth in excess of $50 million.
A 7-foot center with 3-point range, Olynyk spent his first four NBA seasons with the Boston Celtics and played mostly as a reserve. He averaged 9.5 points in 278 regular-season games shot a career-best 51 percent last season.
Olynyk's deal means that for the Heat to complete the re-signings of James Johnson and Wayne Ellington - who are both still wanted by Miami - a deal will have to be swung to get rid of some salary and create more cap space. Josh McRoberts, who has played in only 81 games during his three injury-plagued seasons in Miami, would be the most likely candidate for a trade.
McRoberts is due to make just over $6 million next season.
Olynyk had a run-in with Heat center Hassan Whiteside in 2015. Whiteside elbowed Olynyk in the head and was suspended for a game, though he tracked down Olynyk's number and offered an apology.
Now they'll be teammates.
"He's a good guy," Olynyk said after the apology.
The Heat value the corner 3-pointer, as many teams have in this NBA, and Olynyk could be a huge addition on that front. According to the NBA's stat-tracking page, Olynyk was 18 for 32 this past season on corner 3-pointers and was also a strong finisher at the rim, connecting on 73 percent of his tries in the restricted area.
