By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
Vincent Poirier won’t have to worry about rotting at the end of the Celtics’ bench next season.
That’s because Poirier is officially officially out of Boston’s rotation thanks to a Thursday trade that sent the French center (and cash considerations) to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a conditional future second-round pick.
Signed away from Baskonia (Spain) last year after finishing the 2018-19 year as the EuroLeague’s top rebounder, the 27-year-old Poirier appeared in just 22 games with the Celtics last year, and logged the third-fewest minutes on the entire team, with 130 minutes of action over that run. (The only players who played less than Poirier were Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters, the team’s two two-way talents with obvious usage limitations.) Poirier’s averages were understandably minimal in such a sample, as he averaged 5.9 minutes per night, and just 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.
It was an issue for Poirier, too, as he explained earlier this month.
“I just told [Brad Stevens] that I will do a year like this but not two,” Poirier told France’s We Sport. “I don’t know where I’ll be, but in my head it’s obvious that I’m not doing one more season at the end of the bench to applaud.”
Poirier’s trade comes after Enes Kanter officially opted into next season, and with Fall extended a qualifying offer, potentially giving the Celtics four centers between Kanter, Fall, 2018 first-round pick Robert Williams II, and Daniel Theis.
