Celtics Rumors: Jeff Green's Return Crucial for C's Title Window to Stay Open

The Celtics are a team bound for a busy offseason.

According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, as told to him by agent David Falk, Jeff Green is "close" to resigning with Boston.  The former Georgetown Hoya missed all of last season after being diagnosed with a heart condition that required surgery, and his presence was greatly missed amongst the aging squad.

Simply put, GM Danny Ainge needs to bring Green back at any cost if his team is to win a championship in the immediate future.  In 2011, after being brought to Boston from the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Kendrick Perkins trade, the 6'9" forward averaged 9.8 points off the bench.

This time, however, Green could certainly have the opportunity to get some significant minutes.  Assuming that the Celtics don't re-sign Brandon Bass, he could step in at power forward and be a good scorer there, with Kevin Garnett playing center.

Even if Bass does come back, that doesn't mean that Green couldn't still be a valuable contributor in Beantown.  Keep in mind, this is a man who has averaged 15 points per game over the course of his short career, so executives know that he can put points on the board.

That said, just think of how Green could do as the Celtics' sixth man next year. 

He could provide solid minutes off the bench, thus giving 35-year-old Paul Pierce a rest.  The fact is that his scoring is crucial to the team's future successes, and with Ray Allen probably gone via free agency, someone is going to have to step in.

Taking all of that into consideration, the Celtics need to give Green an offer that makes him want to stay in Boston long term.  He has the opportunity to build his legacy there, and at just 25 years old, he has the potential to become one of the next Celtics greats.

If he can win a title with the team in the near future, regardless of his role on the team, he can automatically be placed in that group.  All Ainge has to do is give him the contract, or risk his team falling into mediocrity very soon.