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Celtics get Allen in trade

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From the Associated Press

The Boston Celtics added seven-time All-Star Ray Allen on Thursday and subtracted any reason for not being a contender.

They also made Paul Pierce happy.

The Celtics obtained Allen and the 35th pick from Seattle for guards Delonte West, 23, and Wally Szczerbiak, 30, and Georgetown forward Jeff Green, whom the Celtics drafted with the fifth pick. Boston used the 35th pick on Louisiana State forward Glen Davis.

“They have no excuses, this team out there,” said Danny Ainge, Boston’s executive director of basketball operations.

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Allen, who turns 32 next month, averaged a career-high 26.4 points last season, his 11th, but underwent surgery to remove bone spurs on both ankles that required him to wear protective boots.

Boston was 24-58 last season and has won only three playoff series during Pierce’s nine years with the team.

The trade for Allen should quiet Pierce’s comments, voiced often, about being dissatisfied with the youth movement that could keep Boston from contending during his career.

Ainge said Pierce was “thrilled to death.”

“We wouldn’t do the trade for it not” to make the Celtics a playoff team, Coach Doc Rivers said.

Pierce, 29, led the Celtics in scoring but played only 47 games because of injury last season.

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The New York Knicks reached an agreement to acquire Portland Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph.

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Dan Dickau, 28, and Fred Jones, 28, will join Randolph in New York in exchange for Channing Frye, 24, and Steve Francis, 30.

Randolph, 25, averaged 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds last season, but his off-court troubles were frowned on by the Trail Blazers. Frye averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Portland also reportedly will buy out the final two years and $34 million left on Francis’ contract.

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The Golden State Warriors traded veteran guard Jason Richardson to the Charlotte Bobcats for the rights to North Carolina forward Brandan Wright, the eighth overall pick.

Charlotte also got the rights to Alabama forward Jermareo Davidson, Golden State’s choice with the 36th selection.

Richardson, 26, had spent all six of his NBA seasons with the Warriors, but knee surgery limited him to 51 games last season in which he averaged 16.0 points and 6.7 rebounds.

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The Dallas Mavericks hired former NBA and college coach Paul Westphal as an assistant to Avery Johnson.

Westphal, out of the league since being fired as Seattle’s coach 15 games into the 2000-01 season, led the Phoenix Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals.

He also coached Pepperdine from 2001-06.

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