Gerald Green Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Randle, Bradley, Sixers

October 17th, 2016 at 6:04pm CST by Luke Adams

With 16 fully guaranteed salaries on their books and just 15 regular-season roster spots to work with, the Celtics will have to make a tough decision in about a week. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com and Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com each took a closer look at the roster bubble in Boston this weekend, and both writers agreed that Gerald Green and Jordan Mickey look pretty safe to make the cut. Assuming there are no other surprise trades or cuts, that leaves four players for two openings — Demetrius Jackson, R.J. Hunter, James Young, and Ben Bentil (who has a partial guarantee) are vying for those spots.

In Forsberg’s view, Jackson has done enough to make the team, while Bentil seems likely to be released and potentially to end up with the Celtics’ D-League affiliate. That leaves Hunter battling Young for the 15th roster spot, and Forsberg views Hunter as the favorite between the two.

As the Celtics mull their options, here’s more from around the Atlantic division:

Knicks point guard Chasson Randle, who suffered a left orbital fracture, will be able to resume full activity in about three or four weeks, the team announced today (via Twitter). That timeline comes after a visit to a specialist, who determined that Randle didn’t need to undergo surgery. Head coach Jeff Hornacek has indicated that Randle’s injury won’t affect whether or not he makes the Knicks’ regular-season roster.
Jonny Auping of RealGM.com makes a case for why the Celtics should view Avery Bradley as more of a foundational piece than an asset available via trade.
This was supposed to be the season that Sixers head coach Brett Brown finally had the talent necessary to start winning games and taking steps toward contention, but so far this fall, the injury bug has wreaked havoc in Philadelphia, stunting potential growth of the club, writes Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News.

Celtics Notes: Green, Young, Rozier, Brown

September 30th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

One of the main reasons Gerald Green decided to sign with the Celtics this offseason was the impression that Isaiah Thomas left on him when the two were teammates with the Suns, Mike Petraglia of WEEI 93.7 FM notes. “It kind of began in Phoenix,” Green said. “He was a genuine guy, came in really humble. I see the talent was there I knew he could be one of the best point guards in the league, and right away when we both stepped on the court we both had the same mentality. By any means necessary, go get a bucket and go get stops. We both had the same mentality, just try to push the first team because we were both coming off the bench. Just try to make the first team better and that’s what we did every day. We were able to finish games as a unit at both ends of the floor. Now, me teaming up with him here, we’re gonna try to do the same thing.”

Thomas is also a fan of Green’s, noting that he had no doubts about the swingman’s value to the franchise, Petraglia adds. “We needed someone like him,” Thomas said. “A guy that can shoot the ball, a guy that can space the floor, and he’s just an instant scorer — whether he starts, whether he comes off the bench, that’s what he’s going to do. And he’s explosive. We needed somebody like him and, when we played in Phoenix, it was like we played together for years because we clicked so easy. I know where he likes the ball, I know where his hot spots are. He’s just somebody that’s very excited and something we need. I just put my magic on it and usually it works. I can’t tell you my secrets.”

Here’s more out of Beantown:

James Young is entering his third year in the league and will need to impress the Celtics’ coaching staff in order to land a roster spot for 2016/17. The swingman feels that he’s off to a solid start in training camp and isn’t focusing on what may happen if he doesn’t make the team, Marc D’Amico of NBA.com relays. “I’m playing well so far, so I’m not worrying about [the final roster spot]. Just going out here and playing my game,” Young told D’Amico. “I’m grabbing boards, I’m making the right plays and I’m just knocking down shots. Those are the main things, and things have been clicking so far.”
Another player who’s on the bubble for a regular season roster spot is Terry Rozier, but the point guard has impressed coach Brad Stevens thus far with how his game has improved from a season ago, Logan Mullen of WEEI 93.7 FM writes. “You can see Terry’s a different guy year two than he was in the first couple of days of year one, he just stands out right now,” Stevens said. “And I think that’s probably pretty typical because of the comfort level of going through camp again, for the first time versus again.”
Jaylen Brown is trying to manage the expectations that come along with being the No. 3 overall pick on a team that is expected to compete for an NBA title, Mullen relays in a separate piece. “There’s going to be highs, there’s going to be lows. Just the peaks and valleys,” Brown told Mullen. “But, just to stay with the process, just to keep confidence and keep working. Just stay with the process. Defensively I think I add it right way. I think I talked to Brad [Stevens] a lot about that. Just being able to get on the floor, defending at a high level. It would be one thing, and just hitting open shots would be another. Those are two key things to get me on the floor and that will help me add to this team.”

Atlantic Notes: Pleiss, Seraphin, Stackhouse, Green

September 11th, 2016 at 11:31am CST by Arthur Hill

German center Tibor Pleiss received an invitation to work out for the Nets, but seems likely to sign overseas, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. Pleiss is finalizing a deal with the Galatasaray team in Turkey. He will take the place of former NBA player Nenad Krstic, who has a lingering knee injury and is expected to retire (Twitter link). Pleiss was waived by the Sixers last week after being acquired in a trade with the Jazz. The 7’3″ center appeared in 12 games for Utah last season, but spent most of the year in the D-League.

There’s more news out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks were outbid in their attempt to re-sign reserve center Kevin Seraphin, according to Mark Berman of the New York Post. Seraphin agreed to join the Pacers last week and signed a two-year, $3.6MM contract on Thursday, with the second year as a team option. The deal starts at $2MM for next season, which topped the Knicks’ offer of $1.2MM, the minimum for a player who has been in the league for six years. It will still be a pay cut for Seraphin, who signed for the $2.8MM cap exception last season. The Knicks were hoping to keep Seraphin, who averaged 3.9 points in 48 games in 2015/16, as a backup to Joakim Noah. Berman expects Kyle O’Quinn to get a larger role with Seraphin’s departure, with Willy Hernangomez, Marshall Plumlee and Maurice Ndour as other options.
Jerry Stackhouse sees his new job as coach of Toronto’s D-League affiliate as the next step toward becoming an NBA head coach, writes Chris O’Leary of The Toronto Star. Stackhouse was named to the position Friday after spending last season as an assistant with the Raptors. With 18 years as an NBA player, Stackhouse hopes to use that experience to help some of the players with Raptors 905. “I spent just about as much of my life on the struggle that you’re watching some of these [D-League players] … making whatever they make, 25, 30 grand, but it’s a destination,” he said. “It’s where you want to get, it’s the sacrifices you have to make. I’m excited about it, I really am.”
The return of Gerald Green will give the Celtics a prolific scorer off the bench, writes Taylor C. Snow of NBA.com. In a look at Boston’s wing players, Snow notes that Green, who left the Heat for the Celtics this summer, can score the ball in a variety of ways.

Eastern Notes: Horford, Ellis, Green

September 6th, 2016 at 10:34pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics entered the offseason looking to add talent, which the team did by signing Al Horford to a four-year, $113MM deal. But coach Brad Stevens notes that he wanted Horford for how well he fits within the team’s system in addition to his skills, Michael Pina of Vice Sports relays. “We played [Atlanta] ten times [last season], so we had a pretty good idea of what they were doing and they had an idea of what we were doing,” Stevens told Pina. “One of the reasons we went after Al really hard on day one was because we thought that he fit in really well with how we play.”

“The part that’s great about Al is he gives you a lot of flexibility to play in different actions,” the Celtics coach continued. “Whether it be pick-and-roll, off-the-ball screens. Whether they are two-man game or more motion type concepts. He’s a good player in all of those situations. There are different ways to play, obviously, but the more skill, the more ability to dribble, pass, and shoot you have on the floor … people are going to play smaller at times against us, [so] the ability to move laterally at the five and guard smaller guys while at the same time being able to pass it from the top of the key out of a pick-and-roll, or out of the post versus a switch, is important.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The Pacers‘ starting lineup appears set entering the preseason with the exception of shooting guard, which may see last year’s starter Monta Ellis shift to a role off the bench, Greg Rappaport of NBA.com writes. The move may be necessary due to the addition of Jeff Teague, who, like Ellis, is not known for his ability to consistently hit shots from deep, Rappaport notes.
The Raptors locking up the front office trio of Masai Ujiri, Jeff Weltman and Bobby Webster for the foreseeable future is good news for the franchise because it allows for continuity and the continuation of the team’s current plan, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star.
Stevens is also excited by the Celtics‘ offseason addition of swingman Gerald Green, whose offensive skills will add a needed dimension to the roster, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). “I’ve been a big Gerald Green fan because I’ve been scared of him,” Stevens said. “And I think that that’s a great way to figure out how good a player is. When you go into a game, he’s on your scouting report, maybe in a highlighted way because he could go off for a lot of points in a short amount of time. He can change the course of a game. Does he do it every night, historically? No. But he’s had moments and times where he has done that. So I think he brings a spurtability to us that we clearly needed from a scoring standpoint.”

Celtics Notes: Green, Iverson, Zeller, Thornton

July 30th, 2016 at 1:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics’ disappointment in James Young made the signing of Gerald Green necessary, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. In examining Boston’s offseason moves, Blakely sees Green as an “X-factor” who may not play a lot but could be the difference in four or five games next season. The veteran forward signed a one-year minimum deal with the Celtics last week. Blakely adds that team officials are impressed by the aggressiveness that No. 3 pick Jaylen Brown showed during summer league, where he averaged 10.2 free throws per game, and that second-rounders Demetrius Jackson and Ben Bentil are expected to spend most of 2016/17 in the D-League.

There’s more news out of Boston:

The Celtics haven’t discussed a contract for next season with Colton Iverson, tweets Jared Weiss of CLNS Radio in Boston. The rights to Iverson, who spent last season in Turkey, have belonged to Boston since a 2013 draft-night deal with Indiana. The seven-foot center reportedly believes he’s ready to try the NBA.
Tyler Zeller‘s new contract includes $8MM guaranteed for next season and a non-guaranteed $8MM for 2017/18, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Making the second year non-guaranteed rather than a team option gives the Celtics more flexibility if they decide to trade Zeller (Twitter link).
Marcus Thornton, a second-round pick by the Celtics in 2015, will play in Italy next season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 6’4″ guard played in Australia in 2015/16 and spent 12 games at the end of the season with Boston’s D-League affiliate in Maine.

Celtics Sign Gerald Green

July 27th, 2016 at 6:05pm CST by Will Joseph

JULY 27th, 6:05pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.

JULY 23rd, 8:50am: The Celtics will sign unrestricted free agent Gerald Green, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reports (on Twitter). It is a guaranteed one-year deal, Deveney writes in a full story. Green’s deal is for the minimum, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald tweets.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Green, whom the Celtics drafted at No. 18 in the 2005 draft. Green has played for eight franchises and spent last season with the Heat. Miami never reportedly seemed interested in re-signing Green, but the swingman did play decently. Green averaged 8.9 points per game last season.

By adding Green, the Celtics continue to seem headed toward making a trade. It’s been an interesting summer for Boston, which landed Al Horford early in free agency and it may not be over. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has already said he would still like to add one more big piece. The Celtics will have 14 guaranteed contracts on their roster, once they sign No. 3 pick Jaylen Brown, as Deveney points out.

Southeast Notes: Satoransky, Green, Kidd-Gilchrist

July 24th, 2016 at 11:45am CST by Arthur Hill

Despite rumors that he was happy in Europe, Tomas Satoransky always planned to come to the NBA, relays J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. The 6’7″ combo guard, who has played overseas since being drafted in 2012, signed with the Wizards Thursday for $9MM over three seasons. Satoransky had frequent meetings with team vice president Tommy Sheppard during his time in Europe, Michael reports. Satoransky was reluctant to commit to Washington earlier because he believed he needed more experience and wasn’t sure there was room on the roster for him. The Wizards have since gotten rid of Andre Miller, Ramon Sessions, Gary Neal and Garrett Temple. Satoransky sought a $5.5MM mid-level exception from the Wizards in 2014, but they decided to use the money on Paul Pierce. They now have Satoransky signed for the next three years at about half that price. “I’m realistic,” he said. “I know it will take some time for me to adjust for a new type of game, for an NBA style of game.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat may have kept Gerald Green if he had made 3-pointers like they expected, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The veteran swingman connected on just 84 of 260 shots from long range, or 32%. He shot 35% and 40% from downtown in his two seasons with Phoenix before coming to Miami. Winderman adds that the Heat feel like they have to give a greater role to Tyler Johnson after matching his $50MM offer sheet from the Nets. With Justise Winslow expected to start at small forward, Josh Richardson earning more minutes and James Johnson and Derrick Williams added in free agency, there was little playing time left to offer Green.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist doesn’t believe he came back too early from an injury last season, he states in an interview posted on the Charlotte Observer website. After having surgery on his right shoulder in October, the Hornets forward returned in January and managed just seven games before tearing his labrum for a second time. He blames the repeat injury on bad luck. “I just fell on my shoulder,” he said. “It was a freak accident.” The fully recovered Kidd-Gilchrist declares himself to be “200 percent” and says he’s looking forward to next season.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Lin, Embiid

July 23rd, 2016 at 9:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics have put major trade talks on hold after today’s flurry of signings, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. So far, the quest to obtain Russell Westbrook or Blake Griffin has made little progress, with the Thunder and Clippers wanting more than Boston is willing to surrender. Instead, the Celtics wrapped up a few smaller moves today, agreeing to terms with free agent swingman Gerald Green and center Tyler Zeller, in addition to deals with second-round picks Demetrius Jackson and Ben Bentil. The Celtics now have 18 players under contract, three over the roster limit. Bulpett expects Bentil to battle in training camp with R.J. Hunter, James Young and John Holland for the last roster spot, with Hunter as the early favorite. That would mean the end in Boston for Young, a 2014 first-round pick whose $1,825,200 salary might be included in any Celtics trade.

There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:

A source confirms, “There is no big deal right now” for the Celtics, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
New Nets point guard Jeremy Lin moved around the league so much because he has yet to find the “perfect” situation, relays Steve Serby of The New York Post. Lin recently signed a three-year deal with Brooklyn, which will be the sixth franchise for the six-year veteran. “And because I’ve been in situations I didn’t want to be in,” Lin explained, “I’ve created and negotiated in terms of free agency a lot of shorter deals that give me the flexibility to leave if I’m not happy with the way things are going.” In a wide-ranging interview, Lin expresses excitement about the future of the Nets and the chance to once again play for new head coach Kenny Atkinson, who tutored Lin when he was an assistant with the Knicks.
Defeating Justin Bieber in an arm-wrestling match may not prove that the Sixers‘ Joel Embiid is ready for the NBA, but that was just part of an active weekend in Los Angeles, writes Rob Tornoe of The Philadelphia Inquirer. More significant was a video of Embiid working out on the court that was posted online this morning by his trainer, Drew Hanlen. Embiid, who sat out his first two NBA seasons with injuries, was cleared for five-on-five play last month.

Heat Notes: Green, James, Wade, Riley

July 23rd, 2016 at 7:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The addition of James Johnson, Derrick Williams and Wayne Ellington left no room in Miami for Gerald Green, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Green, who agreed to terms with the Celtics this morning, spent one season in Miami and saw his playing time decline steadily as the year wore on. He appeared in 69 games, starting 14, and averaged 8.9 points per night. Green had expressed a desire to return to Miami, Winderman writes, and the Heat could have offered the same $1.4MM deal he received from Boston. Miami made it clear that the 30-year-old swingman wasn’t in its plans by signing Johnson, Williams and Ellington to be part of an already crowded rotation that includes Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson. Amar’e Stoudemire and Dorell Wright are now the only remaining unsigned free agents from the 2015/16 roster.

There’s more news out of Miami:

As players become more powerful, the idea of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul on the same team becomes more likely, Winderman writes in another piece. During the season, James speculated on the possibility of the four friends someday joining forces.
Team president Pat Riley recently offered some insight on teaming up James, Wade and Chris Bosh in 2010, Winderman relates in the same article. All three were slated to get max deals of $16.5MM per season, but they wanted to add Mike Miller and re-sign Udonis Haslem. Eventually, Wade volunteered to take less money, and James and Bosh agreed to sign-and trades. “The interesting part is on July 9th, they all agreed to come in on five-year deals, room only, so I didn’t have to give up any assets,” Riley said. “Then, at the 11th hour, they all wanted the sixth year. You know what that cost me and Andy [Elisburg, the Heat’s general manager]? That cost us four picks. I just said to them, ‘If you want the sixth year because I know you’re going to opt out after the fourth anyhow, but if you want the sixth year, I don’t want any of you to walk into my office and say, ‘Hey, can we get any young guys around here? Can we get some draft picks around here?’ Because they were gone.”
Riley’s decision to add more physical players this offseason was likely a matter of taking what was available on the market, rather than a strategy, Winderman writes in a separate piece. Winderman’s comment came in response to a reader’s question on whether acquiring Johnson, Williams, Luke Babbitt and Willie Reed would make the Heat more like the roster Riley had with the Knicks.

Heat Notes: Johnson, Wade, Haslem, McRoberts

July 3rd, 2016 at 9:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The poison-pill contract that the Nets offered to Tyler Johnson will be difficult for Miami to match, writes Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. Johnson will receive $50MM over for years, but the deal is heavily backloaded so that most of the money comes in the third and fourth seasons. The payout is $5.628MM in the first season and $5,881,260 in the second, followed by $18,858,765 in season three and $19,631,975 in season four. The Heat already have $70.3MM committed for the 2018/19 season among Chris Bosh, Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic. Miami will also need cap space in those years to keep Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson. Heat officials will have three days to make their decision once Johnson signs his deal with Brooklyn, but Whiteside and Richardson have already posted farewell messages on social media (Twitter links).

There’s more tonight out of Miami:

The Bucks will meet with Dwyane Wade sometime after the Fourth of July, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein. Wade began looking at other teams after being unhappy with Miami’s initial contract offer. Milwaukee doesn’t have room to sign Wade to the deal he wants, but it could if it finds a taker for Greg Monroe (Twitter link).
If the Heat give approximately $20MM to Wade and don’t land Kevin Durant, they will have to fill the roster with a $2.9MM room exception and minimum contracts, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Most of the room exception may be needed to re-sign Udonis Haslem. Miami hasn’t pursued Gerald Green since free agency began, but he could become an option if there’s nobody better at a minimum salary. The team appears to have no interest in bringing back Dorell Wright.
Miami may want to think twice about sacrificing Josh McRoberts for cap room, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The Heat may have to move his nearly $5.8MM salary for 2016/17 to create enough cap space to meet Wade’s demands, but if they keep the veteran big man, he might be the starter at power forward next season if Bosh isn’t healthy.