Memphis Grizzlies finalize three-team trade

(AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies hope Jeff Green can boost their offense and give them an edge in the tight Western Conference race after acquiring the forward from Boston in a three-team trade approved Monday.
In the trade, the Grizzlies sent forward Tayshaun Prince to Boston and forward Quincy Pondexter to New Orleans. The Grizzlies also received point guard Russ Smith, a 2014 second-round pick, from New Orleans, and a traded player exception. The Pelicans sent Austin Rivers, the 10th overall pick in 2012, to Boston in the deal.
Memphis also gave a 2015 second-round pick to New Orleans and a protected future first round pick to Boston.
The trade ends a long weekend for a deal that started coming together Friday with Prince not sure if he should warm up for a game in New Orleans. The Grizzlies held out both Prince and Pondexter from Sunday’s 122-110 double overtime win over Phoenix. Pondexter watched the game from a box with general manager Chris Wallace and had his locker boxed up ready to go.
“It’s a business,” Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph said Sunday night. “Tayshaun is like a brother. We’re real close here in the locker room. It’s a business, and he understands that.”
But Green is expected to provide more offense for Memphis, which has gone 5-5 over its past 10 games. That left the Grizzlies tied Monday with Houston atop the tight Southwest Division at 26-11 just ahead of Dallas. The Celtics (12-23) are busy rebuilding.
The 6-foot-9 Green averaged a career-high 17.6 points with 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 33 starts with Boston this season. He is shooting 43.4 percent from the floor and 30.5 percent from beyond the arc. The fifth overall draft pick in 2007 by Boston, Green was traded to Seattle on draft night.
“Anytime you lose you’re leading scorer, there’s going to be challenges that come with that,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said before Monday’s game against New Orleans.
It’s another in a line of trades the past few years for Boston’s president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, who also dumped point guard Rajon Rondo last month during his free agent season.