Clippers, Celtics finally agree on Doc Rivers deal

They did a lot of negotiating and wrangling, but on Sunday the Clippers and Boston Celtics reached an agreement in principle on a deal for Coach Doc Rivers to come to L.A., according to NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

For the Clippers to get the rights to negotiate with Rivers, they had to send the Celtics an unprotected first-round draft pick in 2015, the executives said.

Rivers has three years and $21 million left on a five-year deal. That’s the contract the Clippers will take over, the executives said.

Still, the deal won’t be consummated until the NBA approves it, and the league doesn’t open its offices until Monday.

Andy Roeser, the Clippers’ president, and Gary Sacks, the Clippers’ vice president of basketball operations, called the Celtics on Sunday morning to initiate the talks again with Danny Ainge, Boston’s president of basketball operations, the executives said.

All throughout the process, the Clippers kept Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the team’s two All-Stars, abreast of the situation, the executives said.

The Clippers’ primary focus now is to re-sign Paul, who becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1.

NBA executives said Paul, who can sign a maximum five-year deal worth $107.3 million, will re-sign with the Clippers because he got the coach he wanted to play for.

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