On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics veteran guard Sam Cassell was traded to the Sacramento Kings in 2009. Cassell was traded to the Kings for a conditional second-round draft pick halfway through the 2008-09 season after winning a championship with Boston, and never actually played for Sacramento.
Instead, the Florida State product served as something of an assistant for the team’s head coach Doc Rivers before the trade while not playing any games despite being listed as an active player. It was, oddly enough, the second time in his pro career that he was traded on this day.
Cassell had previously been shipped to the (then) New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets by the Dallas Mavericks.
Cassell, perhaps as much known for his celebratory dance as much as the titles with Boston and the Houston Rockets, averaged 7.6 points and 2.1 assists in his time in green.
He is currently an assistant coach with the Celtics, back working with the team he won a title with in 2008.
Today is also the birthday of former Celtics point guard Phil Pressey, born this day in 1991 in Dallas, Texas.
Going undrafted after declaring for the 2013 NBA draft, Pressey played his way onto the Celtics roster after a strong showing in that summer’s Orlando Summer League. He was no doubt aided by the fact that his father, Paul Pressey, was a former assistant coach for the club.
Phil would spend two full seasons with Boston, averaging 3.1 points and 2.9 assists in just under 14 minutes per game.
That’s impressive for such a small amount of time but was not enough to earn him a longer-term roster spot.
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