Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens didn’t coast into the holiday weekend as he continues to make changes to his team’s roster.
On Friday, Stevens pulled off yet another trade when he acquired power forward Juancho Hernangómez from Memphis in exchange for guards Kris Dunn, Carsen Edwards and a 2026 second-round pick swap, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski also reported that the trade can’t become official until Sept. 15 when the contracts of Dunn and Edwards are allowed in the deal.
The 6-foot-9 Hernangómez, who will turn 26 at the end of the month, has spent five seasons in the NBA playing for the Denver Nuggets and most recently the Minnesota Timberwolves. Far from a star acquisition, Hernangómez gives the Celtics another veteran off the bench, which has been a focal point for Stevens when constructing the roster this offseason.
Hernangómez, who was already involved in a trade this summer when the Timberwolves dealt him to the Grizzlies for Patrick Beverley, averaged 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 52 games last year. He could be utilized as a floor spacer for the Celtics as he boasts a 35.1 career three-point percentage.
Dunn’s stint with the Celtics ended up being extremely short as Boston traded for the former Providence College product in early August as part of a three-team deal that sent Tristan Thompson to Sacramento.
Dunn was going to be hard-pressed to find minutes with the Celtics due to the additions of Dennis Schroder and Josh Richardson that made a once bare backcourt now packed with options.
The same is true for Edwards, a 2019 second-round pick who never established himself as a regular rotation contributor during his two seasons in Boston. Edwards’ tenure with the Celtics will probably be most remembered for his red-hot shooting performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2019 preseason when he hit 8-of-9 three-pointers in five-minute span and finished with 30 points.
As Stevens continues to tinker around the edges of the roster, the new-look Celtics are scheduled to open training camp on Sept. 28.
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