Doc Rivers to the Clippers is dead. For now.
A league source confirmed a Boston Herald report that talks between the Celtics and Clippers to bring the man who coached the 2008 NBA champions are off.
The newspaper reported the Celtics’ asking price of a first-round pick as compensation for Rivers was too high for the Clippers.
“The Clippers weren’t willing to do that,” the source told the paper.
The crumbling of the talks was another twist in an already strange day. The Celtics had planned a noontime press conference with Rivers, who has three years and $21 million left on his contract, and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. But that event was pushed back until Monday at the team’s Waltham, Mass. facility.
It was not immediately clear what effect the Rivers situation held on the trade talks centering around the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett and Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, plus a first-round pick.
Rivers has been linked to the lengthy trade discussions between the Celtics and Clippers. He has been prominently mentioned as part of the deal but the league stepped in and warned both sides collective bargaining rules prohibit coaches from being traded. Those talks temporarily were put on the back burner until the Rivers matter cleared.
“If we know that what the parties really wanted to do as one [trade] they’re going to break into two for purposes of trying to avoid the restrictions the Collective Bargaining Agreement places on it, we know how to deal with that as well,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said this week on ESPN radio.
Numerous reports expanded the deal to include another pick from the Clippers for Rivers. Then additional reports suggested the Clippers had not offered any compensation. But league sources say that has changed and both sides are assessing all options.
Teams have surrendered draft compensation in the past. The Magic gave the Heat a second-rounder for the ability to hire Stan Van Gundy in 2007, for example.
The Boston Herald, citing sources close to Rivers, said the 2008 championship coach never intended to be part of a massive rebuilding project with the Celtics. With the looming possibility of Garnett being traded and Paul Pierce facing one more contract season — with a possible buyout — the Celtics are undeniably headed down that path.