The Boston Celtics traded forward Georges Niang and two second-round draft picks to the Utah Jazz to acquire rookie forward RJ Luis Jr., ESPN reported Tuesday.
In addition to helping Boston with luxury tax issues, the trade clears a roster spot for Boston because Luis is on a two-way contract. The Celtics are using that spot to sign forward Chris Boucher to a one-year, $3.3 million contract, Boucher’s agent told ESPN.
Niang, 32, was sent from the Atlanta Hawks to Boston in a three-team trade last month, but the Massachusetts native will not play a game for the Celtics.
Niang averaged a career-best 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last season across 79 games split between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Hawks. He has posted 7.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 39.9 percent from 3-point range across 544 career games (32 starts) for five teams.
Niang spent four seasons for the Jazz (2017-21) as a reserve forward.
In Luis, the Celtics acquired a 22-year-old swingman who went undrafted in June and missed Summer League with a knee injury. Luis played one season at UMass and transferred to St. John’s, where he was voted the Big East Player of the Year and an Associated Press second-team All-American.
Boucher, 32, appeared in 50 games off the bench for the Toronto Raptors last season and put up 10 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 17.2 minutes per game. He has averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds across 407 career games, 406 with Toronto and one with Golden State.
–Field Level Media
