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The New Orleans Pelicans may have expressed interest in acquiring small forward Jeff Green from the rebuilding Boston Celtics, but how on earth the Pelicans will make their Christmas wish come true remains to be seen.
The Celtics are hot to unload Green because if they don’t lock him up with a new contract before the offseason, he is expected to opt for free agency and thus, they will get nothing. The move would make sense for the Pelicans too, because they are severely hurting in the three position.
New Orleans would love to have a versatile small forward like Green, who is enjoying a career-best season in Boston, averaging 19.5 points and shooting .454 from the field.
On Sunday, the Pelicans’ small forward shortcomings were exposed again despite their 101-99 win over the Kevin Durant-less Oklahoma City Thunder. A double-double from Anthony Davis helped carry the Pelicans, with Davis scoring 39 points and 12 rebounds, but again small forwards Tyreke Evans, Luke Babbitt and John Solmons failed to impress.
More depth at small forward would transform the Pelicans from an average team into a contender, so this has helped ram up speculation that a deal for Green is in the making.
So, what’s the deal breaker for Green? Why hasn’t the trade already happened?
The Celtics want a first round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and a top pick is a luxury the Pelicans don’t possess. That’s because last July they traded away their top pick to Houston in exchange for center Omer Asik. So, the Pelicans will need to be creative in pulling off a trade for Green. Chances are, they will need to engineer a three or four-team deal in order to make it happen.
The Los Angeles Clippers are also rumored to be interested in Green, who would make a perfect addition at the Staples Center as Los Angeles looks to solidify its bid for a playoff spot.
While Green hasn’t dismissed the rumours of a trade, he has blasted anyone who suggests he is not happy in Boston. On Nov. 23, he chastised members of the media for hinting he wanted out of Beantown declaring, “The rumor about me wanting to get traded is definitely false.”
For now, Celtics president Danny Ainge has hinted that he doesn’t expect to hear much from other teams about a deal for Green over the holidays, but he did indicate that interest in Green would likely increase ahead of NBA trade deadline day on Feb. 19. So now it’s up to the Pelicans to man the phone lines, sweeten the pot, and make the big catch.
Peter Mallett is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RedCardTheRef1 like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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