5 Trade Destinations for Boston Celtics SF Jeff Green
It could be a while before the rebuilding Boston Celtics find themselves included in the NBA championship picture, but they could be getting ready to put their fingerprints on it for the second time this season.
After shipping out floor general Rajon Rondo to the point guard-starved Dallas Mavericks, the Celtics could send a jolt to a team short on wing scoring by trading away veteran forward Jeff Green. The 28-year-old looks like an awkward fit for Boston's young roster, plus he's a potential flight risk with only a $9.2 million player option for 2015-16 left on his contract.
The Celtics, who are on pace to have their second consecutive season with a sub-.400 winning percentage, need to see what they can get for the versatile Green now rather than risk seeing him leave for nothing later. And one serious suitor has already emerged.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, trade talks "are heating up" between the Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies. While he cautioned there are "still hurdles to clear," he also said the Grizzlies are the "most serious suitor" for Green.
Both Boston and Memphis have been discussing different deals "for some time," Stein reported, with the Grizzlies "believed to be offering the $7.7 million expiring contract of Tayshaun Prince and a future first-round pick to Boston in exchange for him."
But Memphis isn't the only team that could use a high-scoring, versatile forward. All five of the following teams would make sense as a potential trade destination.
Charlotte Hornets
1 of 5
It's been a dreadful start to the season for the Charlotte Hornets, low-lighted by Al Jefferson's nagging groin injury and Lance Stephenson's struggles to adjust to his new surroundings.
But dreams are rarely shattered in the generous Eastern Conference, and a recent four-game winning streak has kept Charlotte's alive and well. Despite holding bottom-third rankings in winning percentage (.368, 22nd) and net efficiency (minus-4.2 points per 100 possessions, 25th), the Hornets sit just two games back of the No. 8 seed.
If they want to get serious about making a playoff push, they'll need to awaken their slumbering offense. Outside of Jefferson's low-post mastery and Kemba Walker's volume contributions, the Hornets are short on reliable weapons. To put it bluntly, this team can't shoot. Charlotte ranks 28th with a 42.9 field-goal percentage and 29th with a 31.0 percent success rate from deep.
Green's 17.6 points-per-game scoring average ranks higher than any Hornets outside of Walker and Jefferson. While Green's three-point shooting has nosedived this season to 30.5 percent, he finished 35.5 percent of those looks over the past two years.
Charlotte is searching for a splash. League sources told Grantland's Zach Lowe that the Hornets "are searching for upgrades on the wing and at power forward." Green is versatile enough to fill either void, depending on how Charlotte wants to use him—either as a big 3 or a stretch 4.
The Hornets, per Lowe, have also kept the "untouchable" label off all their players not named Walker or Jefferson. That should pique Ainge's curiosity as the Hornets have talent on this roster, it just doesn't really fit well together.
If the Boston exec would be willing to accept a package built around a future second-rounder and a low-level prospect like a P.J. Hairston, Charlotte may get the perimeter lift it needs to keep climbing the standings.
Los Angeles Clippers
2 of 5
The Los Angeles Clippers have a small forward problem, and it's serious enough to threaten this team's title aspirations.
Matt Barnes, who has only had a league-average player efficiency rating in two of his 12 seasons, starts and sees the bulk of the minutes at the position. Sophomore Reggie Bullock has been unable to carve out anything more than a minor role (10.8 minutes per game). Offseason acquisition Chris Douglas-Roberts has been dreadful when he's played (23.8 percent shooting), and Hedo Turkoglu hasn't seen the floor since Dec. 27.
The Clippers aren't getting much of anything from this group, and these players are giving it all away and then some at the opposite side. L.A. has allowed the fifth-most points to opposing small forwards this season at 35.3 per game, via RotoWire. For comparison, the quartet of Barnes, Bullock, Douglas-Roberts and Turkoglu is averaging a combined 16.1 points a night.
Clearly, this team needs help at the wing, and coach-president Doc Rivers might find it in a familiar face. His last two seasons with the Celtics were Green's first in Beantown, and the two built a strong bond during their time together.
"The main reason I came back to Boston was because of Doc," Green told ESPN Boston's Jackie MacMullan in 2013. "... I really enjoyed playing for Doc. We have a great relationship."
But there is a potential problem for the Clippers. They don't have much to offer potential trade partners, let alone a team in forward-thinking mode like the Celtics. The Clippers can't trade their first-round pick until 2019, and they have already given up three of their next four second-round selections. They also have a $83.8 million payroll, so they don't have flexibility to take back salary in a deal.
There could be one solution, though it's hard to say if the Clippers would explore it. They might be able to bring in a third party loaded with picks Boston wants if they part with spark plug scorer Jamal Crawford. CBS Sports' Ken Berger reported the Clippers have already turned one Crawford suitor away, but parting with the sixth man might be the only way to land a difference-maker.
Memphis Grizzlies
3 of 5
The Memphis Grizzlies have arguably the NBA's best center in Marc Gasol and most underrated point guard in Mike Conley. Zach Randolph is a walking double-double, Courtney Lee has provided an efficient scoring punch off the perimeter and Tony Allen is a terror at the defensive end.
But it's not nitpicking to say this team could use more offense on the wings. Lee is a complementary piece, Allen is a non-threat away from the basket, Tayshaun Prince's best days are well behind him and Memphis' shooters Vince Carter and Quincy Pondexter aren't doing their jobs (31.2 and 23.3 three-point percentages, respectively).
With the championship field looking as open as it's been in some time, the Grizzlies should be looking to address their biggest issue. And as mentioned on the introduction, that's exactly what they're doing.
Stein had previously reported that Green and the Miami Heat's Luol Deng were both on Memphis' radar, but it seems clear that Green is now the focus.
He would be a tremendous third or fourth option on an elite team, as he can thrive away from the ball as a slasher and spot-up shooter or carry an offense in spurts while the big guns catch a breather.
He isn't a defensive stopper by any stretch, but he's far from being a sieve. Opposing small forwards have registered a 12.9 PER against him this season, via 82games.com. Green has also held has matchup to almost a full percentage point below their average from the field (44.1, down from 45.0).
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports previously reported that the Celtics wanted a first-round pick in return for Green. If the Grizzlies are in fact willing to give one up, that might be enough to get something done.
Milwaukee Bucks
4 of 5
Are the Milwaukee Bucks a good story or a legitimately good team? That's something they'll need to figure out between now and the Feb. 19 trade deadline.
If they don't think they're ready for the big stage, they should have a quiet trade season and continue to focus on their young players' development. But if a weak Eastern Conference has raised their confidence, then they'll need to address an offense that ranks just 22nd in efficiency.
With Rookie of the Year candidate Jabari Parker lost for the season to a torn ACL, the Bucks need to find a scoring complement to prolific point guard Brandon Knight. The fourth-year floor general is the only healthy player on this roster averaging more than 12 points per game. For some context, there are 107 players across the league who have put up more than 12 points a night.
The Bucks defense is so stout—fourth in efficiency, seventh in opponent's field-goal percentage, third in steals—they don't have to dominate on offense. But their scoring struggles leave a razor-thin margin for error. Milwaukee has fewer wins (four) and more losses (14) than any of the top-six seeds in either conference when its opponent cracks triple digits.
Green would give opposing defenses a second scoring threat to worry about, which should give Knight more breathing room on the perimeter and rising center John Henson more room to crash the basket. Green could also add to the impact of Jason Kidd's creative coaching mind, as Green's positional versatility would give Kidd different options to explore.
Unlike a lot of the teams on this list, Milwaukee is flush with assets Boston could covet. The Bucks own all of their picks for the next four drafts, plus an extra second-rounder in 2016 (from either the New Orleans Pelicans or Sacramento Kings) and the Clippers' first-round choice in 2017. Milwaukee also has a crowded frontcourt that needs thinning and a small army of young prospects.
The Bucks shouldn't bet the farm on a season that won't end with a title, but they're stocked well enough to give up a few pieces for a player who could help them make some playoff noise.
New Orleans Pelicans
5 of 5
The New Orleans Pelicans are facing the very real possibility of being without their first-round pick for the third consecutive year. They sent two to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jrue Holiday (for Nerlens Noel's draft rights and their 2014 pick) and owe another to the Houston Rockets for Omer Asik (protected for selections 1-3 and 20-30).
New Orleans hasn't been to the playoffs since 2011. The Pelicans are 3.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns and only a half-game ahead of the finally healthy Oklahoma City Thunder. New Orleans needs to make its move sooner rather than later, and that starts with finding a competent option at small forward.
Tyreke Evans is back playing the 3 now that Eric Gordon has returned from a torn labrum in his left shoulder. But Evans used the 20 games before Gordon's return to show what type of force he can be at shooting guard. Over that stretch, Evans averaged 17.9 points on 44.8 percent shooting. In the 14 games he's played with Gordon, Evans has put up only 15.1 points on 39.4 percent shooting.
Evans wasn't sharing the floor with an elite small forward in Gordon's absence. But three-point specialist Luke Babbitt's ability to play off the ball and spread the floor allowed Evans to do damage off the dribble.
Green could have a similar impact, only with a more well-rounded offensive game. The Pelicans need to break apart the ball-dominant trio of Evans, Gordon and Jrue Holiday, even if it means moving one to the bench. But coach Monty Williams needs more talent to pull one of these players from his starting five.
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reported in December that the Pelicans, Clippers and Grizzlies had all inquired about Green's availability. And it's easy to see why New Orleans would have interest.
But it's going to be an uphill battle trying to bring Green to the Big Easy, since the Pelicans are short on picks and prospects. With so much sacrificed to put this core together, though, they have to keep searching for a way to make this work.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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