The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade center Aron Baynes and the No. 24 pick in Thursday night’s NBA draft to the Suns for Phoenix’s 2020 first-round pick (via the Bucks), sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Suns used the 24th pick to select Virginia shooting guard Ty Jerome.
Boston had acquired the Nos. 24 and 33 picks pick from the Sixers for the Celtics’ 20th pick earlier Thursday, league sources told Wojnarowski. Philadelphia used the No. 20 pick to select Washington small forward Matisse Thybulle.
Baynes, a seven-year veteran, was plagued by injuries in the 2018-19 season, averaging 5.6 points and 3.0 rebounds in 51 games.
The Celtics had been offering Baynes — with his $5.4 million expiring contract — into salary cap space elsewhere, league sources tell ESPN. Without Kyrie Irving and Al Horford on the books, Boston is now sitting at $25.8 million in room after the trade with Phoenix. That could increase to $34 million without guard Terry Rozier, who is a restricted free agent.
After acquiring Baynes and the rights to Jerome, the Suns now have a projected $14 million in cap space.
The Milwaukee pick going to Boston via the Suns is protected for picks Nos. 1-7 in 2020 and becomes an unprotected first-rounder in 2021 if not conveyed. That means Boston now has the potential to have three first-round picks in 2020.
Earlier Thursday, the Celtics selected Indiana’s Romeo Langford with the 14th pick. A 6-foot-6 guard, Langford played through a thumb injury and finished sixth nationally in freshman scoring, averaging 16.5 points.
Langford is the third wing player Boston has selected in the first round in the past four drafts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source : ESPN
