Boston deals for Thunder center Muscala, dish Jackson, picks

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics acquired Oklahoma City Thunder center Mike Muscala for reserve forward Justin Jackson and two second-round picks, according to a report from The Athletic.

Muscala, a 6-foot-10 shooting big man, is averaging 6.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 14.5 minutes per game this season. Coming off the bench in Oklahoma City, he hit 43.8% of his shots, including 39.4% from 3-point range. Muscala supplies the Celtics with the backup center they have reportedly been seeking for weeks. He is in the first year of a two-year, $7 million contract with a club option for next season.

Muscala should help spread the floor with the Celtics’ second unit. He’s drilled 38% of his corner 3-pointers and 40% of his attempts from above the break this year, per Cleaning the Glass. With Muscala on the floor, the Thunder were 11.4 points better than their opponents per 100 possessions thanks to a significant boost on offense.

Muscala offers little defensively and ranks among the NBA’S worst offensive rebounders, though most of those duties will fall to starters Robert Williams and Al Horford when healthy. Williams and Horford missed Wednesday night’s win over the Sixers.

Muscala, 31, entered the league as a second-round pick with the Mavericks in 2013, but spent the first five seasons of his career in Atlanta. His next stops included Philadelphia, the Lakers and finally Oklahoma City, where he’s played since the 2019-20 season. He joins a Boston frontcourt rotation that already includes Williams, Horford, Grant Williams, Luke Kornet and Blake Griffin.

Jackson, a fringe journeyman, came off the bench in 23 games for the Celtics this season. He averaged 0.9 points and fewer than five minutes per game.