Jeff Green Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Green, Johnson, Hamilton

March 5th, 2015 at 7:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the Grizzlies going on a 13-2 run after acquiring Jeff Green from the Celtics the forward has been a mild disappointment so far in Memphis, Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal (subscription required) writes. Herrington cites Green sinking multiple three-pointers in a game only once in February, and the starting lineup with Green in it being 12 points worse offensively, per 100 possessions, than when Tony Allen was the starter.

Here’s more from the Western conference:

The Rockets are sending Nick Johnson down to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Johnson will likely rejoin the Rockets in Portland on Wednesday, he adds.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was coy when asked if Golden State had interest in signing free agent big man JaVale McGee, Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group relays. Kerr did say that he didn’t want anything or anyone to disrupt the team’s excellent chemistry, Kawakami adds.
Justin Hamilton, whom the Wolves claimed off of waivers from the Pelicans, has been on Minnesota’s radar for some time Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press tweets. The Wolves tried to work out a trade with Miami for the big man before he was dealt to New Orleans, Krawczynski adds.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Celtics Rumors: Picks, Bass, Thornton, Green

January 13th, 2015 at 1:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics stand to make at least six extra first-round draft picks in the years ahead after acquiring yet another in Monday’s Jeff Green trade. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge believes a team can never have too many picks, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald notes.

“No, because draft picks are always tradeable; players are not [always tradeable]. Draft picks are always assets,” Ainge said. “Until sometimes they’re drafted. Until they become players. Or until they become paid.”

The tear-down continues in Boston, and we’ll pass along the latest on the team’s next moves:

There is interest around the league in Brandon Bass, but the Celtics have yet to draw any serious offers for him on the trade market, league sources tell Bulpett for the same piece.
The C’s have talked about coming to buyout deals with Marcus Thornton, Jameer Nelson and Tayshaun Prince, but no decisions have been made, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
Boston’s concern that Green would opt out and sign with another team this summer helped fuel the deal that sent him to the Grizzlies, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com explains. Ainge parted with Green but said he believes the forward still hasn’t hit his prime, Blakely notes.

Fallout/Reaction To The Jeff Green Trade

January 12th, 2015 at 4:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies and Celtics had cursory discussions about Jeff Green two years ago when Memphis was nearing its Rudy Gay trade, and the teams engaged in more serious discussions about Green last year, according to Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal, who writes in a subcription-only piece. The Grizzlies thought they might acquire Green as part of the Courtney Lee swap that took place in January 2014, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis probably isn’t done dealing, though the Green deal seems to have extinguished the chances that the team will give up Kosta Koufos, Herrington believes. The Grizzlies “kicked the tires” on Thaddeus Young, Herrington writes, echoing a hint from earlier report, but they appear to have moved on from that, the Commerical Appeal scribe adds. Here’s more in the wake of today’s three-team deal:

Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger had a major voice in the trade talks, as he said Sunday to reporters, including Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).
Green isn’t a massive upgrade over what the Grizzlies had at his position, but he’s the right fit, especially given the savings that the team reaps on this year’s team salary and in the long term with the offloading of Quincy Pondexter, opines Ben Golliver of SI.com. It’s also a signal to soon-to-be free agent Marc Gasol that the team is committed to winning, Golliver believes.
The flurry of trades the Celtics have made in the past few weeks have left the team positioned to clear cap space for the first time in several years, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com points out. The growth of some of the players eligible for restricted free agency this summer makes that cap flexibility all the more intriguing for the C’s, as Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com explains.
The Pelicans made an upgrade at small forward a priority as they sought Pondexter, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune.

Grizzlies Acquire Jeff Green In Three-Team Trade

January 12th, 2015 at 3:16pm CST by Charlie Adams

3:16pm: It’s a 2017 first-rounder headed from Memphis to Boston that’s top-10 protected, reports Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). If the Grizzlies don’t convey it in 2017, it’s top-12 protected for 2018, top-eight protected for 2019, top-six protected for 2020, and unprotected for 2021.

10:33am: The Grizzlies acquired forward Jeff Green from the Celtics in a three-team trade that also includes the Pelicans, the teams announced in three separate press releases (Grizzlies, Celtics, Pelicans), Memphis had drawn close to acquiring the high-scoring Green Friday. In addition to Green, the Grizzlies land Russ Smith from New Orleans. Boston acquires Tayshaun Prince and a protected first-round pick from Memphis in exchange for Green, and they also receive Austin Rivers from New Orleans. The Grizzlies send Quincy Pondexter to the Pelicans along with a 2015 second-round selection. This trade will help further Boston’s rebuilding process, which has already seen the team deal Rajon Rondo to the Mavs and Brandan Wright to the Suns.

Green has one season left on his current deal, but was reported to be considering turning down his $9.2MM player option for 2015/16 in order to test free agency and secure a long-term contract. He’ll add some scoring punch to Memphis’ offense, something the Grizzlies have been seeking. In 33 games this season, the 28-year-old Green has averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 33.1 minutes per game. His career numbers over six seasons are 14.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.6 APG, with a slash line of .440/.340/.788.

Smith, a rookie out of Louisville, has appeared in just six contests for the Pelicans this season after being selected 47th overall in last June’s draft. By contrast, Prince, who’s leaving Memphis, is a 12-year NBA veteran who appeared in 25 contests for the Grizzlies. The 34-year-old’s large expiring contract is likely what appealed to the Celtics, who are clearly looking toward building for the future rather than contending in the present.

The 26-year-old Pondexter has appeared in 30 games for the Grizzlies this season, including two as a starter. His season averages are 4.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. He still has three years remaining on his contract and is scheduled to make $3,382,023 in 2015/16, $3,617,978 in 2016/17, and $3,853,931 in the deal’s final season. The sharpshooting swingman out of Washington missed almost all of 2013/14 with a stress fracture in his foot and suffered an MCL sprain in 2012/13 that cost him a good chunk of that season as well.

“The New Orleans Pelicans are thrilled to welcome back a high character person like Quincy Pondexter to our organization,” Pelicans GM Dell Demps said in the team’s statement. “Quincy is a two-way player, a multi-position defender that will add toughness along with an offensive skill set that we anticipate will help the Pelicans win games.

Rivers heads to Boston, where his father, Doc Rivers, enjoyed remarkable success as the Celtics coach before heading out west in 2013. However, there have been indications that the former 10th overall pick’s stay in Boston will be relatively short, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that the the Clippers, for whom Doc Rivers serves as coach and head of basketball operations, are interested in acquiring the young shooting guard.

“It was difficult to trade Austin Rivers and Russ Smith,” Demps said. “Russ was only with the team for a short time while Austin is an intense competitor that is continuing to improve. We will miss Austin and Russ on and off the court. We thank Austin and Russ for their contributions and wish them success in the future.”

Los Angeles GM Dave Wohl and assistant coaches Lawrence Frank and Mike Woodson have encouraged Doc Rivers to try to trade for his son Austin, even if the move might be publicly viewed as family favoritism, Wojnarowski writes. Rivers will become a free agent after this season, since New Orleans declined his third-year player option back in October.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reported that the sides had come to an agreement, though Wojnarowski maintained that there were still moving parts and later reported the final structure of the deal. The pair added numerous details along the way, and Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, John Reid of The Times Picayune, and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today also reported details.

Grizzlies, Celtics Close To Deal For Jeff Green

January 11th, 2015 at 12:03pm CST by Eddie Scarito

SUNDAY, 12:03pm: The Clippers are working to find a third team to help deliver Boston an expiring deal to go along with a second-rounder that the Celtics want in the Clippers/Rivers deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

6:43pm: Stein is also reporting that Smith is headed to Memphis, and adds that the Grizzlies are sending a second round pick to the Pelicans (Twitter link). Washburn says Rivers will likely be moved in a separate deal (Twitter link). Wojnarowski notes the Celtics don’t want to take back any salary beyond this season. (Twitter link).

6:00pm: Officials in the Clippers’ front office and coaching staff are pushing Doc Rivers to bring Austin to Los Angeles, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).

5:39pm: The Clippers are the likely destination for Rivers, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link).

5:21pm: The Celtics are attempting to find a trade partner for Rivers, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).

5:05pm: Salmons was originally going to be included in the trade, but Boston made a push to acquire Rivers instead, John Reid of The Times Picayune reports. This wasn’t the first time the two sides had discussed a deal for Rivers, Reid notes, as New Orleans had conversations with the Celtics last summer about a potential trade involving Rivers, but talks broke off without a deal getting done. The Pelicans, who have been struggling to get consistent play at small forward, pushed to get Pondexter in the deal, Reid adds.

4:36pm: Rivers is reportedly headed to Boston, but he may not stay with the team, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe reports (Twitter link). Whether this means the Celtics intend to waive Rivers or trade him is unclear.

2:15pm: The three sides have agreed to terms, Stein maintains (on Twitter), but it appears there are still some moving parts involved. It’s unclear if they will push the trade through today or wait until Monday when the league office reopens, Stein adds.

2:09pm: Boston would also get a future first-rounder, Stein reports (Twitter link).

1:50pm: The current deal being discussed involves Green heading to Memphis, Prince and Rivers to Boston, and Pondexter to New Orleans, Stein tweets. Stein makes no reference to Smith, who was previously reported by Wojnarowski to be involved, nor any draft picks changing hands.

SATURDAY, 1:42pm: New Orleans is going to send Austin Rivers to the Celtics as part of the proposed deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).

10:04pm: Russ Smith is also heading to Memphis in the proposed deal, Wojnarowski tweets.

8:44pm: The third team involved looks to be the Pelicans, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter links). In this proposed three-way deal, Green would go to Memphis, Prince, John Salmons, and a first-rounder from Memphis to Boston, and Quincy Pondexter would head to New Orleans, Wojnarowski notes. The Grizzlies are discussing various deals involving Pondexter with other teams, Wojnarowski reports, but their focus is on including him in a trade for Green.

FRIDAY, 5:06pm: The Celtics are continuing with their rebuilding process, and the next player on the list to be dealt is Jeff Green, who is likely on his way to the Grizzlies, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Memphis is offering Boston Tayshaun Prince and a first round draft pick in return, Wojnarowski notes. There also appears to be a third team involved in the deal, Wojnarowski adds.

Memphis has been actively trying to acquire either Luol Deng from the Heat, or Green from Boston over the last few days. When the Grizzlies couldn’t make any headway on nabbing Deng, they zeroed in on Green over the last 48 hours and sold Boston on deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Boston had initially been asking for two first-rounders in return, Wojnarowski tweets. The Clippers had also inquired about Green, but they didn’t have the expiring contracts that Boston was looking for to make a trade work, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports (Twitter link).

In 33 games this season, the 28-year-old Green has averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 33.1 minutes per game. His career numbers over six seasons are 14.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.6 APG. His career slash line is .440/.340/.788.

Prince is a 12-year NBA veteran, and is averaging 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 25 appearances (9 starts) this season. The 34-year-old’s career numbers are 11.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG. His career shooting percentages are .455/.367/.758.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Green, Covington, MCW

January 11th, 2015 at 10:52am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are doing their best to ignore the recent flurry of personnel moves and concentrate on winning, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. “Whether you’re playing guys that are 20 years old or whether you’re playing 12-year veterans, the preparation, the emphasis and the day-to-day focus has to be the same,” said coach Brad Stevens. “You have to put your best foot forward.” A deal sending Jeff Green, the team’s leading scorer, to the Grizzlies is expected to be finalized Monday.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Green should benefit from being around better players in Memphis, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. “Jeff Green’s a very good player,” said an unidentified source. “He can do a lot of really good things. But it’s hard if he’s the best player on your team. If he’s the third- or fourth-best player on your team, that can work and he can help you.” Bulpett notes that Celtics president Danny Ainge calls Green Boston’s “best player,” although his scoring average has dipped nearly seven points per game in the team’s last eight outings.
With the way Robert Covington is playing lately, the Sixers should make him part of their long-term plans, opines Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com. Kaskey-Blomain cites Covington’s versatility in addition to his shooting range as reason to keep the 24-year-old in Philadelphia. The Tennessee State product has played minutes at the shooting guard, small forward and power forward positions this season.
Another year of tanking is taking its toll on the Sixers‘ Michael Carter-Williams, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. “Michael just wears his deflation on his sleeve,” said coach Brett Brown. “The body language and all those things.” Still on his rookie contract, Carter-Williams is under Philadelphia’s control through the 2017/18 season.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Celtics Notes: Stevens, Nelson, Green

January 10th, 2015 at 12:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge understands that trading Rajon Rondo made coach Brad Stevens‘ job tougher, Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald writes. Rondo’s departure has thrown Boston’s rotation for a loop, and Stevens has the difficult task of sorting out who the team should be playing, Murphy adds. “It’s difficult if there aren’t three or four guys who are the stabilizing force for your team,” Ainge said. “Sometimes the second team is capable of beating the first, and sometimes it’s the first that’s better than the second. Sometimes the third is better than both of them. You could see it [last Monday] against Charlotte. He used 13 guys, and the third unit looked hungrier than the other two.”

Here’s more out of Beantown:

Ainge doesn’t place the onus solely on Stevens to keep the Celtics’ locker room content, Murphy adds. “It’s hard to keep everybody happy,” Ainge said. “It’s not Brad’s job to keep everybody happy. It’s a player’s job to make the coach believe that he can’t win without him. This is just a very difficult roster to manage up and down.”
In light of Boston’s recent trades, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com ran down the plethora of draft picks the Celtics have accumulated through the 2019 NBA draft.
Despite the recently acquired Jameer Nelson spending time on the inactive list since arriving in Boston, Stevens has praised the veteran player’s professionalism, Murphy writes in a separate piece. “We talked. I don’t know that it’s a fixture,” Stevens said of whether the veteran guard has a long-term role on the inactive list. “Tonight, yes, but it’s hard for me to predict anything beyond one day right now. We had a talk and he’s been great. He’s a pro, he’s helpful. We had a film session and he was active in the film session helping the young guys. It’s a transition. He played 10 years in one place, and then he chose to go someplace else and gets traded. He’s never lived this before.“
Jeff Green, who is part of the proposed three-way deal with the Pelicans, Celtics, and Grizzlies, is expected to opt out of his contract after the season, Zach Lowe of Grantland reports (Twitter link). Green has a $9.2MM player option for 2015/16, which is the final year of his current deal.

Grizzlies Pursue Jeff Green, Luol Deng

January 9th, 2015 at 3:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 3:09pm: Discussion is heating up between Memphis and Boston about Green, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “Hurdles” remain as the teams talk, but the Grizzlies are more serious in their pursuit of Green than any other team in the league, Stein adds (on Twitter).

THURSDAY, 2:12pm: There’s nothing going on regarding Deng, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra insisted today, and Deng added that he isn’t trying to force his way off the struggling Heat, notes Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter links).

1:36pm: The Grizzlies called the Heat to see if Deng was available, but the conversation didn’t advance from there, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Presumably, that means the Heat aren’t open to trading him.

12:05pm: Boston’s asking price for Green is high, Zillgitt hears (Twitter link), though while the Celtics have made it known that they want a first-round pick in return for him, the prevailing belief around the league is that they’ll ultimately agree to take less, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter). President of basketball operations Danny Ainge called Green “our best player this year” in a radio appearance this morning with Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Memphis’ first-round pick for 2015 is already promised to the Nuggets, the protections on the pick would make it difficult for the Grizzlies to convey a pick to another team anytime soon.

10:10am: The Celtics, Grizzlies and Cavs had discussed a three-team scenario that would have sent Green to Memphis, Koufos to Cleveland, and draft compensation to Boston, Lowe reports (Twitter links). The Cavs’ acquisition of Timofey Mozgov on Wednesday threw a wrench in that idea, Lowe adds.

9:14am: The Grizzlies are actively trying to pry Luol Deng from the Heat or Jeff Green from the Celtics, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Any offer Memphis makes is likely to include Tayshaun Prince and draft picks, Stein adds. Still, no deal is imminent, the ESPN scribe cautions.

Memphis, along with the Clippers and Pelicans, inquired about Green before the Rajon Rondo trade last month, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt reported then, though the Celtics were uninterested in trading him. Boston turned down an offer from the Lakers that included Jordan Hill, a first-round pick, and perhaps more, Zillgitt also reported at the time. Now, people around the league believe that Green is available, according to Stein, so perhaps Boston’s position has changed. Green has played well this season, as I noted when I looked at his trade candidacy, so the Celtics can capitalize on that to extract a strong return if they’re prepared to do so.

It’s unclear whether the Heat would be willing to part with Deng, who signed with the team just this past summer, though some around the league wonder whether the Heat are ready to start collecting assets for the future, Stein writes. Miami is 15-20 and occupies the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Prince and Kosta Koufos reportedly drew interest from the Cavs prior to their flurry of moves this week, but Memphis resisted a shakeup amid a strong start. The Grizzlies are 25-10 and still in third place in the Western Conference, but they’ve shown an eagerness for an upgrade, making a push to sign Josh Smith before he instead went to the Rockets. They “kicked around” the idea of trading Koufos, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote late last month, around the time Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com identified the Kings as a suitor for the backup center.

A $3.135MM trade exception that Memphis netted from the deal that sent Jerryd Bayless to Boston last year expired Wednesday. Still, it was unlikely that the Grizzlies would have used it, since adding a player with a salary close to that figure would have put the team over the tax line, as Stein points out (on Twitter). Memphis is only about $1MM shy of the tax threshold, so the team would likely be careful to match salaries closely in any trade involving Green or Deng. Green is making $9.2MM this year with a player option for the same salary next season, while Deng is on the books for more than $9.714MM this season and holds a player option worth nearly $10.152MM for 2015/16.

Bucher’s Latest: Kings, Pelicans, Cavs

January 9th, 2015 at 1:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s no secret that the Nets trio of Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson are available on the trade market, and they’re among a long list of players that GMs say teams are open to trading as the February 19th deadline approaches, according Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. Jeff Green, Brandan Wright, Lance Stephenson, Greg Monroe, Brandon Jennings, Goran Dragic, Nik Stauskas, Ben McLemore, Jason Thompson, Arron Afflalo and most of the other Nuggets are also on that list, with Bucher, in many cases, confirming earlier reports. Still, Bucher hears plenty of new rumbles, as he passes along in his piece, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive unilaterally made the decision to fire former coach Michael Malone, sources tell Bucher, even though GM Pete D’Alessandro claimed the decision as his own. Most of the Kings organization was pleased with the direction the team was headed in and believed the team was overachieving, though there were doubts that Malone was the long-term solution, Bucher writes.
Ranadive wanted to make a splash with Malone’s successor, but Kings front office executives prevailed upon him to keep Tyrone Corbin as head coach, according to Bucher. Ranadive would relish the chance to turn the screws on the Warriors, of whom he used to be a part-owner, by hiring Mark Jackson, the ex-Warriors coach, a source tells Bucher, who nonetheless believes that the team won’t hire Jackson during this season.
Talk “circulating around the league” suggests that Pelicans owner Tom Benson is eyeing former Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and former Mavs and Nets coach Avery Johnson if he decides to make changes, Bucher writes. Still, Pelicans sources tell Bucher that the club hasn’t contacted either Dumars or Johnson, and that there are no signs that Benson is definitively displeased with either GM Dell Demps or coach Monty Williams.
Several executives from around the league don’t believe the pair of trades the Cavs made this week assure the team of any more than a second-round appearance, according to Bucher. One exec tells Bucher that the Cavs “overinflated” the market with what they gave up for Timofey Mozgov.

Michael’s Latest: Wright, Nelson, Green

January 9th, 2015 at 10:39am CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards opened a roster spot when they waived Glen Rice Jr. this week, and the team is looking at several avenues to fill it, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com reports. The Celtics figure prominently, as we note amid the revelations from Michael’s piece:

Celtics president of basketball ops Danny Ainge has told Brandan Wright he’s on the block, though it’s unlikely that Wright ends up in Washington, in part because of the high demand for him, Michael writes. Michael doesn’t specify whether the Wizards are pursuing him. Wright went to Boston in the Rajon Rondo trade.
The player most likely to end up in Washington’s open roster spot is Jameer Nelson, another one of Boston’s acquisitions in that Rondo deal, according to Michael, who says the point guard is expected to negotiate a buyout. The Wizards will be in “hot pursuit,” Michael writes. Nelson is making $2.732MM this season and has a player option worth nearly $2.855MM for next season, and he’s upset about his playing time, even though he insists that he and Celtics coach Brad Stevens are on the same page. Nelson will once more remain on the Inactive List for tonight’s game, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
The Wizards have maintained “routine” contact with Ray Allen since first reaching out to him in July, sources tell Michael. The Wizards plan to keep chasing him until he retires or gives a definitive “no,” according to Michael. Still, the notion that Allen ends up in Washington sounds like a long shot, Michael writes.
Celtics forward Jeff Green is expected to turn down his $9.2MM player option for next season, according to Michael, and the Wizards would be interested in signing him if Paul Pierce also opts out, Michael adds.
The Wizards have been keeping a close eye on D-Leaguers Khem Birch and Damion James, Michael reports. Birch declined an invitation to Wizards training camp invite to instead head to the Heat‘s camp, according to Michael, and the power forward is now with Miami’s D-League affiliate. James was with the Wizards in camp and currently plays for the affiliate of the Mavs.