And the Celtics have a draft pick to show. Green is a free agent.
Now this is an unfair comment to make. The association has its hooks in that kid, if it's up to Jeff Green there isn't a team in the NBA with a better shot of getting him in free agency than the Celtics. There isn't even the barest whiff of a "what if" here, the QO was basically a done deal until the physical imploded. This is worth something.
C's have the cap room next year to make him a fair offer, and we don't get that chance if this trade never happens and OKC lets him slide into free agency.
Anyone really seeing the rebuilding Celtics give Green anything more then a short term contract?
Would he accept it?
The Celtics do not need Bird Rights to sign him. So, what did they gain?
First round draft pick and the back-up SF we needed last season. That's why the trade was made in the first place, a Jeff Green trade asset was the cherry on top. Sadly his health prevented that chip from being used.
I still believe that a starting C is always more important then a backup SF.
Especially one that doesn't fit.
We had 3 centers, JO, Shaq, and Kristic... all NBA contributors. For better or worse, we had our big guys. Shaq coming back would have put us over the top, sadly he never recovered fully for us. Even so, JO played quite well for us defensively.
Jeff never really took off with us, but what gets overlooked is the fact that he was the best Carmelo defender, and overlooking this is a travesty given that it was this fact which enabled us to really take care of the Knicks, along with a spectacular series by Rondo.
And lastly, the way Rondo was playing last year up to the point that Wade did that horrifying move, we were in position to make a great series against the Heat. That said, the Heat went to the finals, so there you go. Beating an excellent Bulls team.