Sherrod Blakely is reporting that a league executive has said that the free agency market for Jeff Green may be even stronger than the one for Rajon Rondo this coming offseason:
“A league executive told CSNNE.com on Saturday that the market for Green is as strong, “if not stronger”, than it is for Rajon Rondo, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“They’re two totally different players and their roles with a team are different, too,” he said. “But Green can do a lot of things to help just about any team, as long as you’re not making him the guy you build around. Green’s the guy you add to the guy you’re trying to build around.””
While Rondo is the better talent, Green’s versatility may be in greater demand. This makes sense given the surplus of quality NBA point guards and the absence of guys like Jeff Green, who are able to play both on the wing and as a stretch post. Green could slot in with just about any team in the league and be an effective role player that can either give the team size when he is at small forward, or stretch the floor when a team wants to go small. Like we have said before, he’d be a great fit on a playoff contending team.
Does this mean the Celtics trade Green? The answer to this question is still unclear. The fact that he can opt out of his contract at the end of the year hurts his value some, but a contending team may be willing to take the risk come the trade deadline. Expect Danny Ainge to wait to trade Green until then. At the deadline, GMs will be looking for players who can better help their team win right now. Green is a perfect fit to this description, as he is an agreeable guy whose style of play can fit in just about anywhere. Green would be a great fit on a team like the Memphis Grizzlies, who the Celtics played on Friday night. He provides a scoring punch on the wing and would allow the Grizzlies to go small and matchup more effectively when teams use small lineups against them. Green could fill this role on just about any NBA contender.
Trading Green would allow the Celtics to play their rookies, James Young and Marcus Smart, more minutes down the stretch. Holding onto to Green does not serve a huge purpose, as he will likely opt out and garner a long and lucrative new contract. However, if the Celtics are contending for a playoff spot, they may want to see the season through with Green. His fit with the Celtics, a rebuilding team, is not a great one, but the Celtics would certainly consider bringing him back if they are able to re-sign Rondo and add another piece or two.
With Green’s frustration growing as the Celtics continue to lose games, other teams around the NBA will be checking in on him.
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