Huge NBA News!!! Doc Rivers Leaving Celtics to Become Head Coach of Clippers!!! Will the NBA Approve the Deal?

After days of wrangling, negotiating and posturing, the Los Angeles Clippers have agreed in principle to a deal with the Celtics for coach Doc Rivers, pending league approval, according to several NBA sources.

Sources confirmed on Sunday that the Clippers will sign Rivers to a three-year, $21 million contract. They will send a 2015 first-round pick as compensation to the Celtics, who have agreed to release the coach from the three years, $21 million he has remaining on his deal with the club.

Sources close to the process told nba.com that the Clippers believe the deal with Rivers will clinch Chris Paul's signature on a new five-year max contract. Paul becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Although Danny Ainge, the Celtics' director of basketball operations, was initially irked that Rivers was lukewarm about returning to Boston, where a rebuilding process soon will be underway, team sources said he recognized the best way to accumulate the first-round draft picks he covets would be to relinquish his two most valued assets -- Rivers and Kevin Garnett. Since then, he and Rivers have been working side by side to secure a deal that is best for both parties, sources said.

Team sources confirmed Ainge also has been trying to secure a first-round pick for veteran Paul Pierce, who can be bought out by June 30 for $5 million. The Celtics have been unsuccessful thus far, leaving open the possibility they keep Pierce and his $15.3 million contract and attempt to deal him again at the trade deadline next winter, when teams historically look for veteran help and are willing to overpay.

League and teams sources also confirmed that for now, any deal involving Garnett and the Clippers is on hold in light of commissioner David Stern's objections to the appearance that the KG deal (for DeAndre Jordan) and Rivers were related.

One source with knowledge of the NBA's thinking said that the league does not intend to change its stance as expressed by Stern in multiple radio interviews Thursday, meaning that the league would view any subsequent trade agreement between the Celtics and Clippers involving Garnett to be part of the Rivers deal and thus in violation of league rules.

The Celtics have a news conference scheduled for noon on Monday, where, sources said, Rivers is expected to explain his decision to leave Boston after nine seasons.