-
Tim BontempsESPN
As part of a busy trade deadline day for the Boston Celtics, they sent Dennis Schroder, Bruno Fernando and Enes Freedom to the Houston Rockets for Daniel Theis, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Schroder, 28, signed a one-year, $5.9 million deal with Boston last summer, hoping to use it as a springboard into a more lucrative deal this summer when he re-enters free agency. And while Schroder produced for the Celtics, averaging 14.4 points and 4.2 assists in 29 minutes per game, his name was one of the most widely discussed in the days leading up to the deadline as Boston looked to duck out of the luxury tax.
The Rockets are waiving Freedom, a source told Wojnarowski.
Theis, 29, who spent the first three-plus seasons of his NBA career with the Celtics before being shipped out in a deal to get under the luxury tax at last year’s trade deadline, now returns to Boston.
The German big man played sparingly for Houston after signing a four-year, $36 million contract with the Rockets as a free agent this summer as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Chicago Bulls, slotting in behind Christian Wood and rookie Alperen Sengun.
He’ll now be back with the Celtics and part of the three-headed monster at center he was in during the 2018-19 season with Boston alongside Robert Williams III and Al Horford.
Fernando and Freedom, like Schroder, are on expiring contracts, clearing any future salary obligations from their books. Sources told Wojnarowski that Freedom will be bought out by the Rockets.
The Celtics now have five open roster spots after completing three separate trades before the 3 p.m. deadline Thursday that saw them send out a total of seven players.