Potential buyout options, such as Danny Green, reportedly emerge for Celtics
Brad Stevens hinted that Boston could be seeking a wing player on the buyout market.
The NBA trade deadline might have passed on Thursday, but that doesn’t mean that teams still can’t make additions to their roster.
All eyes turn to the buyout market, where contending teams like the Celtics typically find reinforcements for late in the regular season to help for a playoff run.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens hinted that the team might be seeking a wing on the buyout market when speaking to reporters on Friday.
Some possible options at wing have already emerged, including veteran guard Danny Green. If the Rockets opt to buy Green out, the Celtics are among a few teams expected to have a “great interest” in Green, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday.
Green, 35, would not only give the Celtics even more perimeter shooting than they already have, but he would also give them championship experience, something that they lack. He’s won three NBA titles over his career, playing an integral role for three teams (the Spurs in 2014, the Raptors in 2019, and the Lakers in 2020) to help lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
However, Green is less than a year removed from tearing his ACL when then-76ers teammate Joel Embiid collided with his leg during their 2021-22 season-ending loss last May. During the offseason, Green was traded from the 76ers to the Grizzlies. He made his season debut on Feb. 1 but only played three games in Memphis before it traded him to Houston as part of a three-team trade ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
It remains to be seen if the Rockets will buy Green out of what’s remaining in the final season of his two-year, $20 million deal. But with Houston holding the league’s worst record, players in Green’s situation typically get bought out.
Green’s a 39.9 percent 3-point shooter and set a then-Finals record for most 3-pointers made in an NBA Finals in 2013 with 27. While Green’s scoring numbers have dipped in recent seasons (he scored just 5.9 points per game last season), his 3-point shot has remained steady, making 38 percent of his 3-pointers last season and 37.5 percent of them in three games this season.
Green was also lauded for his defense in the past, making an All-NBA defensive second-team once.
There are other possible wing options for the Celtics to explore on the buyout market, too. The Magic are buying out guard Terrence Ross from his contract and the Wizards are working on a buyout for guard/forward Will Barton, Wojnarowski reported.
Ross has some similarities to Green, though he hasn’t been as prolific from behind the arc over his career. He’s a 36.2 percent career 3-point shooter, shooting 29.2 percent from deep last season before bouncing back this season to shoot 38.1 percent from 3-point range.
At 32, Ross is younger and healthier than Green plus he’s just two seasons removed from scoring a career-high 15.6 points per game. Ross is reportedly seeking to join a contender.
Barton has a bit more promise as a scorer than Green and Ross, scoring 14 points per game (including 14.7 per game last season) for the Nuggets over eight seasons before they traded him to the Wizards this past offseason. Barton hasn’t contributed as much with the Wizards though, scoring 7.7 points per game while coming off the bench. He’s also shooting just 38.7 percent from the field this season (though he’s also shooting 38 percent from 3) as the 32-year-old has struggled to adjust to fit in with his new team.
Stevens acknowledged “the reality” though that any buyout player they add is going to have a tough time getting minutes in the regular rotation, which might sway potential targets to look elsewhere if they want playing time.
“It’s a hard needle to thread, right?” Stevens said. “I don’t blame anybody that wouldn’t want to fill that role. I think we’re really deep right now. And we already have a bunch of guys that are giving up for one cause. If there was something that moves the needle even differently, then we have to consider it obviously, but I think that that’s probably the most likely thing.
“And so, you’ll look at it, and you’ll decide, ‘Is there somebody that fits that need and is really excited to be here?’ Or is it, you feel like you’ve got that all filled and maybe invest in a younger player. We’re going to assess all that over the next few days and try to figure it out.”
The Celtics made a handful of additions following the trade deadline last season when their roster shrunk to 10 players after making a pair of big trades. However, all the players they signed ended up playing very few minutes in the regular season and practically didn’t play at all in the playoffs.
Boston can offer a pair of other things though to prospective buyout players that many teams can’t. Holding the best record in the NBA after reaching the Finals last season, the Celtics are a legitimate contender, which could entice players that prioritize winning. They also have a $3.23 million disabled player exception (which they got after Danilo Gallinari suffered a torn ACL) they can offer to players, which is likely more money than what most teams would be able to offer.
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