When Danny Ainge said that no player was safe from trades, he did not mean everyone. Rajon Rondo is going nowhere. Unless some offer comes along that simply blows Ainge out of his shoes, Rondo is staying put and will be the focal point of the roster for at least one more season. So who is really on the trade block for the Boston Celtics? Leading scorer Jeff Green might not want to get comfortable.
Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald is reporting that Green is the top player available for trades on the Celtics' roster. At the right price, Ainge is prepared to send Green packing in hopes of receiving another marquee player in return. The Celtics have a lot of moves to make this offseason after clearing house last year and Green has the value to get Boston something worthy in return whether it be in players or draft picks.
For a 25-win team, determining a player's worth is difficult. However, Green averaged 16.9 points a night and made a personal-best 135 3-point shots over the course of the year. That is a pretty solid way to start a sales pitch for Ainge. Pair that with the fact that he is only 27 and had 22 games with 20-plus points and Green will get some attention. Green has a contract worth $9.2 million with a player-option the next so he is an easy player to move.
So who are the Celtics targeting in a potential deal? Omer Asik and the Houston Rockets will be first on the phone call list. The two teams had engaged in trade talks during the regular season, but never actually made a move. The Rockets need a player that will pass first, but still drive to rim and hit the shot. The Celtics need a big man to help stabilize their defense and score from inside. The deal makes sense from the outside. Asik wants out. Green wants to play.
The Boston Celtics could also target the Detroit Pistons with a deal for Greg Monroe. The Pistons have too many big men and Monroe has the most favorable contract over Josh Smith or Andre Drummond. At 23, Monroe is the ideal young candidate to help build a better team for the future. His 15.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a game are exactly what the team needs.
Outside of those two, a trade for Kevin Love would be the Celitcs' ideal offseason. While the Minnesota Timberwolves have denied his availability, Love knows that the Celtics will try and lure him in. He commented that playing for coach Brad Stevens would be an honor. As a player everyone wants to get, Love will be more expensive than just Jeff Green. The Celtics would have to give up too much for him, a luxury they do not have.
