The Boston Celtics acquired center Mike Muscala from the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Justin Jackson and a pair of second-round picks, the teams announced Thursday.
Muscala, who is averaging 6.2 points per game and shooting 39.4% on over 3.3 attempts per game, gives the Celtics valuable depth behind Al Horford and Robert Williams III -- something Boston has been looking to add in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline.
Horford, 36, is in his 16th NBA season. He has not played in both halves of any back-to-back set this season and sat out of Wednesday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers with right knee soreness. Williams, meanwhile, missed the first two months of the season after offseason knee surgery, and the Celtics have been cautious with his usage ahead of what the Celtics expect to be a long postseason run.
Muscala ranks fifth in the league in 3-point percentage this season among players 6-foot-10 or taller who have taken at least three 3-pointers per game.
The Celtics entered Thursday with the NBA's best record at 39-16 after Wednesday's victory, which put them 1.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, continues to add to its trove of draft picks. The team entered Thursday just a half-game out of the last play-in spot in the Western Conference after beating the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Muscala signed a two-year, $7 million deal with the Thunder in August that includes a team option for next season.
