The Celtics have some decisions to make now that Jeff Green will miss the entire 2011-12 season due to an aortic aneurysm that requires heart surgery.
The 25-year-old was a key component of the C's bench, and a lot was expected of him in his first full season in Boston this upcoming season. So without the former fifth overall pick, the Celtics may have to look outside the organization in order to replace some of his production. However, as CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely reports, that's easier said than done.
Since Green failed his physical, the $9 million contract he signed this offseason will be voided. However, since the C's are still well over the league salary cap, they can only offer a free agent a veteran minimum contract, which makes it less likely that the C's will turn to someone not on the current roster.
Blakely reports that one NBA executive said the market is "extremely thin." Blakely lists James Posey, Al Thornton and DeShawn Stevenson as possibilities, though.
Posey, of course, was a key piece of the Celtics' 2008 championship run. He scored 7.4 points and hauled in 4.4 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game in his only season in Boston. Posey, who turns 35 in January, spent his 2011 season with the Pacers.
The 28-year-old Thornton averaged 7.4 points and 3 rebounds per game in 2011, during which he played for the Wizards and the Warriors. He was drafted 14th overall by the Clippers in 2007, and immediately became a solid player. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2008-09, when he averaged 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 71 games, 67 of which he started. But he's regressed a bit in his development in recent years.
Stevenson, 30, has spent the last two seasons in Dallas. He averaged 5.3 points in 16.1 minutes per game last season. He played in 72 games total, and started 54 of them. He was a first-round pick in 2000.
While any of those guys could end up green, Blakely reports that the Celtics will try to make due with the current roster for now. That would mean an increased role for Marquis Daniels and Sasha Pavlovic.
