The Celtics have traded guards Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks to the Golden State Warriors in a three-team deal that will send Toney Douglas to the Miami Heat and Joel Anthony and two draft picks to Boston.

Crawford became expendable with the expected return of Rajon Rondo, perhaps as early as Friday. Crawford was having a career season, averaging 13.7 points and 5.7 assists in 39 games.

The Celtics on Wednesday assigned Rondo to the Maine Red Claws of the D-League so he can take part in a workout. The 27-year-old All-Star point guard has yet to play this season as he works his way back from a torn ACL.

"Rajon is progressing terrifically in his rehab and this is the next step," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said in a statement. "This is a brief assignment so that Rajon can participate in a workout this afternoon with the Red Claws and he will be called back up to the Celtics upon the conclusion of the workout."

The Celtics get the seldom-used 6-foot-9 Anthony and the two draft picks: a second-rounder and a protected first-round pick acquired initially from Philadelphia that could become a second-rounder.

"This was very, very, very, very hard," Heat president Pat Riley said of trading Anthony. "He was the last center that I coached, I remember in 2008. He helped us win two championships. He's part of the Heat family. We wish him nothing but the best."

Douglas was averaging 3.7 points in 24 games for Golden State.

"Toney Douglas has always been on our radar ever since the New York Knicks drafted him," Riley said. "He's always been on our mind a little bit. This will be a great opportunity for him. You don't know what's going to happen in the future, but we have six weeks to keep trying to figure that out."

The trade will save the Heat $6.4 million in luxury taxes and remaining salary this season and frees them on the $3.8 million they owed Anthony for next season. Depending on the Heat's salary situation for next season, the deal could end up saving the team more than $15 million in salary and luxury taxes for a player who played just 37 minutes this season.