In a few weeks, close to the trading deadline, Kris Humphries could be playing in another uniform in another city.
Humphries is upping his trade value with his play since becoming a starter in Boston, averaging 9.7 points and 9.1 rebounds a game plus doing all the dirty work inside he is known for. Actually, most people know him more for his now-over marriage to Kim Kardashian and his stint on reality television (how did she come out “the good wife” in this again?), but on the court he has long been a solid, grinding power forward that a lot of teams could use. That and his expiring $12 million contract make him trade bait.
But he likes what is being built in Boston and would like to stay there. That’s what he told the Boston Globe.
Rajon Rondo and Humphries had their moments on the court — last season when Humphries was in Brooklyn he committed a hard foul on Kevin Garnett and Rondo stepped in for his teammate.
But the NBA is a business and they both know that. Now Rondo and Humphries are good if you ask Humphries.“Yeah, I’m not going to lie, I never liked him until I got here,” Humphries said. “And then it took me a minute to like him once I got here. He’s a competitor, even if he’s not scoring points, he’s getting assists, he can really rebound for a point guard, and defensively I was surprised what he was doing in the first quarter [Sunday].
“The more he plays, the more we’re going to grow as a team. Someone new comes back, he’s gotta figure out how to do the most he can in 20 minutes, it’s kind of tricky, and I think you can expect better from him and better from us as we keep going here.”
It is possible the Celtics do not find a new home for Humphries at the deadline, that is still a big contract to take on for a role player. They’ll shop him, we’ll see if there are any buyers.
Wherever he plays next season he is going to take a healthy pay cut. Safe to say he will land wherever the most money is offered, and after that where he feels comfortable.
That could be Boston. Stranger things have happened.
