NBA Free Agents: Boston Celtics Must Sign Al Thornton to Replace Jeff Green

The Big Three and the Boston Celtics have now lost forward Jeff Green for the entire season, as signing a free agent replacement to the front court becomes all the more vital.

Green must undergo surgery after being diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm that must be repaired as soon as possible.

After losing out on former free agents David West, who is now a member of the Indiana Pacers, and Caron Butler, who has signed with the L.A. Clippers, the Celtics are in a position where they must act swiftly.

New England Sports Network is now reporting that free agent forward Al Thornton is one of three players the team looks to sign as a potential replacement for Jeff Green in the rotation.

Yet it is Thornton that must be the priority headed into the final week of free agency before the start of the 2011-2012 NBA regular season.

Thornton is an athletic, score-first small forward that has been given limited minutes since entering the league.

The 28-year old forward is one of the younger small forwards available to the Boston Celtics, as this makes his signing all the more appealing. The Celtics are undoubtedly a team with title hopes in 2011-2012, yet there is an understanding that roughly two to three years from now the team will be in a rebuilding process.

Coming off the bench, Green was expected to provide a spark defensively, as well as an ability to score buckets when given the opportunity when called upon on offense. Thornton, much like Green, is a player that provides a solid effort on the defensive end.

While not being as dominant a defender as Green would have been for the team, Thornton is as good a player as this Celtics team will find in the thinning free agent market in the NBA. Teams have acted quickly, and as a result it leaves the Celtics with few options.

Faced with just one week left before the regular season tip-off, the Celtics must act quickly. Thornton might not provide what Jeff Green would have, yet he is easily the one player in the free agency market at the small forward position that could make a strong, immediate impact.