Thunder trade Perry Jones to Celtics
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Having inked Enes Kanter to a senselessly overpriced contract, the Oklahoma City Thunder are now looking to shed salary.
The Thunder traded swingman Perry Jones, a 2019 second-round pick and cash considerations to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a protected 2018 second-round pick, the team announced Tuesday.
The play for Oklahoma City is to shed salary. The Thunder are $13 million over the luxury tax after matching Kanter's offer sheet, and shedding Jones's deal will save them $5 million in salary and luxury tax commitments.
For the Celtics, it's an opportunity to grab a talented (if mystifying) player on the cheap. Jones has never averaged more than 4.3 points per game and it's unclear what role he can play in the NBA, but he has shown occasional flashes of brilliance.
His 32-point performance from October of last season comes to mind.
The 6-foot-11 Jones was drafted 28th overall by the Thunder in 2012. He averaged 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game last season.