One of the interesting — or, one might even say, just odd — NBA names to pop up in the Celtics rumor mill over the past week was that of former Celtic forward Jeff Green, who currently works for the Nuggets. Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto reported that Boston is “interested in reuniting” with former Celtics forward Jeff Green.
According to The Current News.com NBA insider Steve Bulpett, who covered the Celtics for the Boston Herald for 35 years, seeing Green in Green after the deadline is a stretch.
“Jeff Green is an odd case to me and he’s playing well in Denver and I think despite his contract situation he’s a guy who, why don’t you stay?” said Bulpett. “Unless he’s part of a deal that gets you something more prominent that you need for your rotation.”
In fact, Green is 35 and has played quite well for Denver, averaging 10.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 24.8 minutes. He has a $4.5 million contract this year with an option for the same deal next year. The only reason the Nuggets want to move him is a salary shortage, perhaps to make more room for luxury taxes.
Denver is currently under tax at $1.5 million but will be well over tax next season when Michael Porter Jr.’s contract extension goes into effect. Still, the Nuggets would have an opportunity to trade him in the offseason.
The Celtics expressed interest in bringing Green back in the summer before eventually finalizing the deal with the Nuggets. He played for the Celtics from 2011-15 when he was traded to Memphis and was the Celtics’ top scorer in the first-team coached by Brad Stevens in 2012-13.
Stevens has retained an affinity for Green, even as he’s jumped through nine teams in seven seasons since leaving Boston. The Celtics could use the size off the bench, so Green fills a need for the roster, even as the Celtics have a bigger luxury tax problem this season — they’re currently over the threshold — than the Nuggets.
The Celtics have been rumored to be interested in taking pay cuts themselves, including those of point guard Dennis Schroder and forward Juancho Hernangomez.
Green averaged 14.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in his four seasons with the Celtics after coming on in a 2011 trade for Oklahoma City’s Kendrick Perkins. While he had some brilliant moments in Boston, he was best known for his inconsistency during this stretch.
“I remember when he was in Boston and he was talking to coaches and he was like, ‘It would be nice if he at least gave you a schedule of the games he’s going to play, like actually play,'” Bulpett said.
In 2014-15, Green averaged 20.0 points per game in his first 21 games and shot 45.4% from the field. However, in mid-January, the Celtics sent Green to Memphis and got back a package that included Tayshaun Prince and a first-round pick that was eventually used for Aaron Nesmith.
“There’s a guy that despite the fact that he wasn’t a multiple All-Star, if you look at him every night and see how good he is, the talent that guy has, there are nights that he’s just going off,” Bulpet said. “Then there are other nights where you have to move closer to the place because you can’t see it.”
