Perkins to OKC for Jeff Green & Nenad Kristic




According to ESPNInsider, the trade is Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic and an unconditional draft pick.

The Celtics' drafted Green in the first round of the 2007 draft before shipping him to Seattle as part of a package that brought Ray Allen to Boston. This season, Green averages 15.2 points per game, 5.60 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Krstic is averaging 7.6 points a game, with 4.40 rebounds.

Orlando's Dwight Howard has always said that Perkins was the toughest defender he's had to go against. Now, with Perkins in OKC, Howard will likely be facing off against Krstic a lot more. A troubling stat for Boston fans, when OKC squared off against Dwight Howard earlier this season, D12 went off for 39 points and 18 rebounds.

Have to think that this trade would greatly affect Boston's standings as a serious contender for the title. Perkins is their best big and a fan favorite. It would be much harder for the Celtics to contend with Dwight Howard in Orlando and the Lakers' bigs with the unhealthy O'neals and Semih Erden. Also, their biggest advantage over the Miami Heat was their size, which they've sacrificed some of in this trade.

Pierce said at the beginning of the season that when the Celtics were completely healthy in the playoffs they'd be scary. Can that same thing be said now without one of their core? Doc had famously said that the starting five of Perk, Rondo and the big three had never lost a playoff series. Most fans and experts agree that the Celtics would be NBA Championships if Perk did not go down in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last year. Hard to see how the Celtics improved their chances in 2011 with this trade...