BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Jason Collins is no stranger to trades. Heck, his first night as an NBA player he got flipped from Houston to New Jersey after being selected with the 18th overall pick (this after the pick that was used to select him was dealt three times before it even landed with the Rockets).

Twelve seasons, four teams and three additional trades later, the 34-year-old Collins is off to Washington after the Celtics dealt him there as part of a package to bring back Jordan Crawford at Thursday's trade deadline.

Collins gushed about his time in Boston on Thursday while departing from the team hotel and prepping for his next NBA adventure with the Wizards. Trades, he noted, are simply an occupational hazard.

"That's part of the NBA. You're not just making a commitment, but you're making a commitment to yourself and then to the team and understand that there's a business side to the sport," said Collins. "It's not the first time I've been traded. Obviously, I understand everything that's involved in it."

Collins averaged 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds over 10.3 minutes per game in 32 appearances for Boston, including a seven-game stint as a starter. The Celtics moved him Thursday in looking to add guard depth after being thinned by season-ending injuries to Rajon Rondo and Leandro Barbosa.

"I enjoyed every minute of it," said Collins. "Playing with future Hall of Famers, playing for a future Hall-of-Fame coach, in my opinion, in Doc Rivers -- one of the best coaches in the league. I learned a lot even for someone who's played 12 years in this league. I'm still learning new things every single day. I learned a lot from him. It was an honor to play for one of the greatest organizations in the history of the NBA."

Collins, a native of the Los Angeles area, said there's a small silver lining to being dealt while in these parts.

"I guess it's kind of fortunate that this is my home," said Collins. "So I'll be with friends and family tonight and on the plane back to Boston to pack up my stuff and then on to D.C."

As for any potential buyout with the Wizards, Collins wasn't concerning himself with that possibility.

"That's for agents and stuff like that," he said. "For me, I have a responsibility to honor my contract and move forward from there."