Jeff Green has been a subject of trade rumors for awhile now. However, Grantland NBA insider Zach Lowe believed the trade everyone is expecting will eventually happen this season, as the Boston Celtics look to finally cash in on Green's value in the market.
In his latest edition of the 33 Crazy Predictions for the New NBA season, Lowe tackled the possibility of a big trade in Boston, claiming someone between All-Star playmaker Rajon Rondo and Green will be shipped to another team by February's trade deadline.
While it's true that Rondo is biggest trade asset the Celtics currently possess, Lowe has a gut feeling that the Danny Ainge and company are more inclined in moving Green than trading Rondo, who could surprise everybody by re-signing with the team next summer.
"If a frothy market doesn't materialize, the Celtics might resign themselves to keeping Rondo in hopes that the extra year they can offer in free agency coaxes him to return at a price below the max," according to Lowe.
"Rondo is a flawed, temperamental player, but he's a pass-first star who could work as bait for an alpha dog. Without him, Boston is just a collection of unmolded pieces waiting for a unifying force, playing the lottery in the meantime."
Green, who averaged 16.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season, might not be a good primary option on the offensive end, but he has become a pretty efficient scorer while taking just 15 field goal attempts per game.
Lowe stated that the Celtics won't be having a hard time trading Green because of his solid outside shooting versatility to play both the small forward and power forward positions. However, it's likely a deal for Green will not take place until the final week of the trade deadline, where Green's trade value is expected to drop.
Possible Trade Destination:
According to the NBA writer, the New Orleans Pelicans, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, and even Toronto Raptors could make a gamble for Green, who still has a player option for the 2015-16 NBA season worth $9.4 million.
Why the Raptors Should Trade for Green:
Lowe believed the Raptors have the assets to trade for Green. With the contracts of Landry Fields and Chuck Hayes set to expire after this season, the Raptors could ship these expiring deals to the Celtics by packaging these with a first-round pick in exchange for the 6-foor-10 Green, who could give them a much better wing defender.
"The Raptors have bad memories of Joe Johnson bulldozing them in the post, and they have all their own picks, plus the midsize expiring deals linked to Landry Fields and Chuck Hayes," Lowe stated.
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