You may have seen a familiar face included in one of the first big deals of the 2020-21 offseason — former Boston Celtic small forward Abdel Nader.
The Iowa State product was dealt along with Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Phoenix Suns Monday, his former team returning Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and their 2022 first-round pick — not a bad haul!
The Celtics traded Nader to Oklahoma City in the summer of 2018 in exchange for former UConn guard standout Rodney Purvis, and the Egyptian swingman continued to make the most of the opportunities he’s been giving, working his way into the team’s rotation.
Report: Thunder trade Chris Paul to Suns for Rubio, Oubre, draft pick https://t.co/a9Kyn9K5ev
— The Thunder Wire (@The_ThunderWire) November 16, 2020
That’s quite a remarkable feat for a player drafted 58th overall by the Celtics in the 2016 NBA draft; Nader averaged 6.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game last season with the Thunder, shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc and 46.8% overall.
Those numbers might not get you into an All-Star game, but it’s nice to see the hard-working prospect panning out somewhere — even if it isn’t with Boston.
With the Suns now thin on the wing after moving Oubre to OKC, Nader should continue to have a shot at growing his role in his new home, too.
