The Memphis Grizzlies completed a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics and New Orleans Pelicans in which they acquired forward Jeff Green from Boston and guard Russ Smith from New Orleans. In exchange, Memphis traded forward Tayshaun Prince and a protected future first round draft pick to Boston and traded guard/forward Quincy Pondexter and a 2015 second round draft pick to New Orleans, Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace announced today. As part of the trade, New Orleans also has traded guard Austin Rivers to Boston. In addition, Memphis will receive a traded player exception.
Green (6-9, 235) has averaged a career-high 17.6 points to go with 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 33.1 minutes in 33 games (all starts) with Boston this season, shooting .434 from the field, .305 from three-point range and a career-best .840 from the free throw line. He has scored 10+ points 29 times, 20+ points 10 times and 30+ points twice, including a season-high 35 points on Nov. 3 at Dallas, and has posted one double-double.
Drafted by Boston in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft and traded to the Seattle SuperSonics on draft night, Green joins Memphis with career averages of 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 32.8 minutes in 511 games (395 starts) with Seattle/Oklahoma City and Boston. The seven-year veteran has career shooting percentages of .440 from the field, .340 from three-point range and .788 from the free throw line. Green netted a career-high 43 points on March 18, 2013 vs. Miami.
The 28-year-old owns career postseason averages of 12.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 31.2 minutes in 21 playoff games (12 starts) for Oklahoma City and Boston. Green posted 20.3 points on .435 shooting (.455 three-point shooting) in six games in the Celtics’ first round series against New York in the 2013 NBA Playoffs.
A native of Hyattsville, Md., Green averaged 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 33.2 minutes in 102 games over three years (2004-07) at Georgetown University. Serving as the Hoyas’ co-captain in his junior season, Green led Georgetown to its first NCAA Final Four appearance since 1985 and was named the 2007 Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Regional and was selected as the 2007 Big East Player of the Year and Big East Tournament MVP.
Smith (6-0, 165) has made six appearances for New Orleans in his rookie season, totaling five points in 29 minutes. In three assignments with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League, the 23-year-old has averaged 15.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 24.9 minutes in seven games, shooting .549 from the field.
Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round (47th overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft, Smith was traded to New Orleans on draft night for Pierre Jackson. The New York City native averaged 14.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 24.3 minutes in 133 games over a four-year collegiate career (2010-14) at the University of Louisville. He averaged a team-high 18.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.08 steals in 30.3 minutes as a junior to lead the Cardinals to the 2013 NCAA Championship.
Prince (6-9, 215) averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 24.3 minutes in 26 games (nine starts) for Memphis this season. The 34-year-old shot .420 from the field, .455 from three-point range and .833 from the free throw line. Drafted by Detroit in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2002 NBA Draft following a three-year collegiate career (1999-2002) at the University of Kentucky, the Compton, Calif. native holds career averages of 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 32.3 minutes in 908 games (851 starts) for the Pistons and Grizzlies.
Pondexter (6-7, 220) recorded 4.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 18.0 minutes in 30 games (two starts) for the Grizzlies this season. The 26-year-old shot .356 from the field, .233 from three-point range and .700 from the free throw line. Drafted by Oklahoma City in the first round (26th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft after a four-year collegiate career (2006-10) at the University of Washington, the Fresno, Calif. native holds career averages of 4.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 234 games (19 starts) for the New Orleans Hornets and Grizzlies.
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