Joel Anthony to Pistons: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction

The Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons have finalized a deal that will send veteran big man Joel Anthony to Motown in exchange for point guard Will Bynum, per Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com:

The 32-year-old Anthony had spent his first six-and-a-half seasons in the NBA with the Miami Heat before being dealt to the Celtics for guard Toney Douglas in January.

Known for his defensive prowess, Anthony will likely back up both Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond if he remains with the Pistons for any length of time this season. He was a key contributor to the Heat's two championship runs during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, so his experience and winning pedigree could also be appealing.

For the Celtics, this was a bit of a numbers game.

"The Celtics made the move with roster flexibility in mind. They have 16 fully guaranteed contracts on their books and must trim that to 15 before the start of the regular season," Forsberg wrote.

Splitting time between the Heat and Celtics last season, Anthony averaged 0.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.4 blocks in 33 games, playing just 5.6 minutes per game. 

He is in the final year of a five-year, $18.2 million contract and set to make $3.8 million this season. The low production and usage obviously make Anthony expendable.

Bynum's contract is also expiring. In July 2013, he signed a two-year, $5.7 million deal with the Pistons. He is scheduled to make $2.9 million this season. Bynum spent the last six seasons with Detroit and played in 56 games last season. He started three times and averaged 8.7 points and 3.9 assists.

If he remains with Boston, he could provide veteran depth at point guard. The Celtics could also elect to waive him and save the $900,000 difference in salary to provide some minor financial flexibility.

All contract information courtesy of Spotrac.