Between Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens, the Celtics front office didn’t make many missteps over the past decade-plus.
However, there apparently is one transaction Stevens wishes Boston had back.
A little less than three months prior to Stevens replacing Ainge, the Celtics acquired big men Mo Wagner and Luke Kornet in a three-team trade involving the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls. As part of the deal, Daniel Theis and Javonte Green were shipped out to the Windy City. Although Green never carved out a consistent role for himself in Boston, Stevens reportedly grew to regret the Celtics parting ways with the veteran wing.
“Brad always liked the guys like Semi Ojeleye and Javonte Green; he always regretted that they let Javonte go to get under the tax in that Daniel Theis deal (in 2021),” an Eastern Conference executive told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney.
Green is “super, super close” with Celtics franchise cornerstone Jayson Tatum, who admitted he wasn’t expecting Boston to move his good friend ahead of the 2021 deadline. Green went on to have a career season with the Bulls in the 2021-22 campaign, averaging 7.2 points per game over 65 contests.
The 29-year-old is slated to hit NBA free agency this summer. So if Stevens really sees something in Green, he’ll have free rein to facilitate a reunion in the coming months.
