1) December 27, 1977: Celtics trade Charlie Scott; Lakers trade Kermit Washington, Don Chaney, and a 1978 first round pick

It’s fitting that the first trade in history between these bitter rivals was a result of one team having no other choice. Washington was a solid up-and-coming power forward for the Lakers heading into the ’77-’78 season but everything changed in an early December game against Houston. During an on-court scuffle, Washington threw “The Punch,” a shot to Rudy Tomjanovich’s face that was so severe, it left the latter fighting for his life in the hospital with a fractured skull. Despite the chaotic circumstances leading up to his blow and his instant remorse over the incident, Washington became persona non grata, including amongst the Lakers front office. General manager Jerry West would later claim that he wanted to keep Washington for the long haul but owner Jack Kent Cooke forced him to seek out a trade. They found an unlikely willing partner in Red Auerbach, who was looking to shake up the Celtics roster after the team, just 18 months removed from winning a title, had started the season 10-22. Boston sent back Scott, a talented combo guard who was nonetheless struggling to find compatibility in the back court with Jo Jo White. In addition to Washington, they also received Chaney and a first round pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, which they used on Freeman Williams, and then traded Williams to the Clippers as part of the Tiny Archibald deal. Though Washington was not guaranteed to return to the NBA that season (commissioner Larry O’Brien had not committed to reinstating him), Auerbach and the Celtics saw him as a key piece in the front court alongside Dave Cowens. He did return to the lineup down the stretch and played effectively, reviving his career, though the Celtics ultimately finished the season 32-50.

2) January 21, 1999: Celtics trade Travis Knight; Lakers trade Tony Battie

Trade number two in Lakers-Celtics history was a little less impactful, as the teams quietly swapped disappointing centers. For Knight, it was a return to Los Angeles, where he had played his rookie season in ’96-’97 as a respectable back-up to Shaquille O’Neal, even starting in 14 games when O’Neal was injured. Because he had been drafted and subsequently cut by the Bulls in 1996 (a rarity for a first round pick), then signed by the Lakers to a standard deal, not a rookie one, Knight was eligible for free agency already in 1997. He signed a preposterous seven-year, $22 million contract with the Celtics, bestowed upon him by freewheeling coach/general manager Rick Pitino. Meanwhile, knowing they needed a new back-up center, the Lakers traded their disgruntled point guard Nick Van Exel to the Nuggets for Battie, whom they subsequently flipped here for Knight. It was quite an accelerated fall from grace for Battie, who was the fifth overall pick in 1996 but struggled in his rookie season with the Nuggets, leading to coach Dan Issel labelling him “El Busto.” He did settle into a solid role for Boston for the next few seasons as a defensive specialist and was the starting center on the ’01-’02 team that reached the Conference Finals. Knight also thrived for two years as a role player for the Lakers, even starting at power forward some alongside Shaq, and won a title with the Lakers in 2000 before getting traded again, this time to the Knicks.

3) August 6, 2004: Celtics trade Chucky Atkins, Jumaine Jones, and Chris Mihm; Lakers trade Gary Payton, Rick Fox, and a 2006 first round pick

On the heels of their embarrassing loss to the Pistons in the NBA Finals, the Lakers were eager to rebuild in the 2004 offseason. They opted not to re-sign veteran stop gaps Bryon Russell, Karl Malone, and Horace Grant (the latter two soon after retired), let Derek Fisher walk in free agency, and, most notably, traded Shaquille O’Neal to the Heat. Still not satisfied, the Lakers made the ultimate desperation move, swinging a trade with their hated rivals. Granted, the Lakers-Celtics rivalry wasn’t exactly at its peak in 2004. While the Lakers were building a title contender in late ’90s around O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Celtics were suffering through the Rick Pitino era. They turned it around in ’01-’02 by almost reaching the NBA Finals to take on Los Angeles but had fallen apart again by 2004. This trade didn’t move the needle much short-term for either team. The Lakers were happy to be rid of Payton, who looked completely washed in the 2004 Finals and played at about the same level for the Celtics in ’04-’05 before they traded him as well (more on that in a moment). Fox had started his career in Boston back in 1991 but wasn’t interested in a homecoming and opted instead to retire. Atkins, Jones, and Mihm were all key pieces for the Lakers in ’04-’05, but soon after became expendable as the team rebuilt further around Bryant. The most impactful piece of this trade turned out to be the first round pick, which took quite a circuitous journey. The Celtics swapped it during the ’04-’05 season, along with Payton, to the Hawks for Antoine Walker (the Hawks then bought out Payton, who re-signed with Boston for the remainder of the ’04-’05 season before signing with the Heat in the offseason, reuniting with O’Neal and winning a long elusive title). The Hawks then traded the pick that summer, along with Boris Diaw, to the Suns, for Joe Johnson. On draft day in 2006, the Suns traded the pick back to the Celtics (for a 2007 first round pick), who used it on future franchise legend Rajon Rondo.