Clippers & Celtics Trade Will Send Doc Rivers to L.A. for Draft Pick

By Justin Sarachik, Christian Post Reporter Monday, June 24, 2013

NBA teams the Los Angeles Clippers and the Boston Celtics are pulling off a rare trade in sports, a swap for a coach.

Boston's current head coach Doc Rivers will become the new head coach of the Clippers upon approval of the league.

In exchange for the coach, the Celtics will get the Clippers first round draft pick in 2015.

Rivers will get $21 million for the three remaining years on his contract, according to CBSSports.

Initially the trade for the two teams would have seen Celtics forward-center, Kevin Garnett with Doc Rivers go to the Clippers for center DeAndre Jordan and point guard Eric Bledsoe.

Commissioner David Stern did not allow the trade because active players can not be traded for coaches.

Los Angeles is still interested in having Garnett with Rivers, but they will need to complete a separate deal. The 37-year-old still has two years left on his contract and is owed 23.5 million.

According to Sports Illustrated, Rivers had told friends he would not coach for at least one year following a stint with the Celtics, out of respect for the franchise he won a title with in 2008. However, with this trade, he does not really have a choice.

The coach helped change the culture of the team after the franchises longest title drought when he joined the team in 2004. Rivers coached the original "big three" of Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.

Allen was the first to go when he joined the Miami Heat this season, and Pierce is not expected to be back after more than 15 years with the team.

The team is now rebuilding around point guard Rajon Rondo who was out for half the season with an injury.

Rivers was 416-305 in his career as Celtics coach.

The last NBA coach trade was in 2007 when Stan Van Gundy was traded to the Orlando Magic from the Heat.