Jae Crowder to Celtics: Latest Trade Details, Scouting Report and Reaction

As part of Thursday's blockbuster deal that sent All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks, the Boston Celtics got a versatile forward in Jae Crowder as part of their return.   

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports provided the full details of the landmark trade:

Boston is in the midst of a rebuilding effort and evidently felt good enough about the assets it was getting in return to ship away such a transcendent talent as Rondo.

Although an expiring contract necessitated a Rondo trade so the Celtics wouldn't come up empty in the event he walked this offseason, Crowder is an interesting new piece to the Boston equation.

Vice's Jack Moore believes Crowder is a nice fit for Celtics coach Brad Stevens' system:

Crowder is known most for his ability to defend multiple positions. He can guard anywhere from the 2 to the 4 depending on matchups, thanks to his length, athleticism and quickness. All indications are that Crowder has a great work ethic, evident in his significant weight drop from his rookie NBA campaign.

Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reported in October what Crowder had to say regarding his still-developing game, which has to put Boston fans at a bit more ease after losing such a big-time player in Rondo:

"

I'm trying to make plays on the other end, not just be one-dimensional. I'm a much better player than just a defensive player, but I do bring a lot of defense to my team and that is what has gotten me on the court in my two years in the league. I'm just trying to grow my game and expand my game as much as possible.

"

That Crowder can also keep opponents honest as a decent and improving three-point shooter (34.2 percent this season) is an added bonus.

Any scoring Crowder can add is ideal, but he's needed most in his area of expertise as he prepares to join the Celtics' rotation. Although Stevens is finding ways to have his squad as the sixth-ranked scoring offense in the NBA entering Thursday's games, Boston is 27th in scoring defense.

A major part of the reason the Celtics engage in so many shootouts is that they deploy the fastest pace in the Association, averaging 100.49 possessions per 48 minutes, per NBA.com.

Crowder's skill set and strengths fit exceptionally well into what Stevens is trying to get Boston to do. The 24-year-old can be a great energy guy off the bench, play big minutes and continue developing into a better player.

Those are some of the overarching goals for players contributing to Stevens' reconstruction of a revered NBA franchise. Thus, Crowder is a prototypical new-age Celtic from a schematic and chemistry standpoint.