So when rumors spread around the Hub about Green potentially being a big part of the Celtics’ future plans — being re-signed, perhaps even being thrust into the starting five over an aging veteran Paul Pierce or Ray Allen — it’s a little jarring.
But it also might make a little sense.
The Celtics traded Perk for a reason this past February. They anticipated their longtime big man becoming a free agent this summer, and they wanted to get something rather than nothing. They wanted an asset — someone young, athletic, reliable and contractually controllable. Green is that guy, and we’d best not take him for granted.
After being taken with the No. 5 overall draft pick in 2007, Green signed a rookie-scale deal with the Thunder. He made just under $4.5 million in his final season in OKC before being traded to Boston. Now he’s headed for restricted free agency. The Celtics can either let him walk, or toss a $5.9 million qualifying offer his way and try to keep him around.
The Celtics want Green to stay. They brought him in because they intended to keep him.
Green wants to stay, too. He got a taste of second-round playoff basketball this spring, and he’s getting addicted. He wants another run with this team. He’s gushed about the leadership of the veteran Big Three — most notably Allen, who was traded for him way back in ’07 — and he’s happy in his role in Boston.
A lot of people around here have doubts about Green. He hasn’t emerged as a consistent scoring threat off the bench, and he hasn’t filled the emotional void left by Perk’s departure. The reason for backlash is obvious.
But it takes patience with Green. He’s still young — he turns 25 this summer — and he’s getting used to a new role in Boston. He was miscast for most of his career as a starting power forward. That’s not him. He’s a little scrawny to play in the post, and his strengths are mid-range scoring and wing defense. His profile screams “small forward.”
The Celtics have a chance to reinvent Green and turn him into the player he should have been all along. He’s got high lottery pick talent. The C’s can ensure he makes the most of it.
Does that mean starting? Not necessarily. Not yet, at least. Pierce and Allen have seniority here and they’ve earned the right to keep their spots in the starting five. But Green is the future of the franchise, and he needs to be treated as such. More minutes, more relevance, and ultimately more respect in Boston. That’s what the future holds for Jeff Green.
What do you think of Jeff Green’s future? Share your thoughts below.
