76ers Rumors: Danny Green Contract Talks 'Nowhere Close'; Celtics, More Interested

Contract negotiations between the Philadelphia 76ers and guard Danny Green are reportedly "nowhere close," which suggests he might be heading elsewhere.

Harrison Sanford of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported Green's representatives have spoken "multiple times" with the Sixers but have made no progress on a deal. The Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans are among the teams that have reached out to Green's agent.

The Sixers have embarked on a confusing offseason to date. They have been shopping Ben Simmons (with a hefty price tag) to no avail and decided to waive George Hill, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

While Hill was a disappointment after coming over at the trade deadline, the Sixers could have used his $10.1 million contract in a trade for salary-matching purposes. Hill is also a better player than he showed in his brief stint with the Sixers, so even bringing him back at that high number would not have been the worst decision.

The only justification would be a desire to stay under the luxury tax to sign a player with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but the Sixers haven't been particularly active in free agency.

Losing Green would be an even more crushing blow because he's both a salary slot and a highly productive role player. The Sixers have Green's Early Bird rights, which means they can offer him 175 percent of what he earned last year. Green won't touch his $15.4 million base for last season—let alone 175 percent of that—but the Sixers aren't facing any cap restraints in negotiations. 

For a team that fancies itself a championship contender, it's hard to figure out why Green isn't already re-signed on a short-term deal worth around $10-12 million annually.