Gerald Green will make a return to the Boston Celtics after reportedly agreeing to a one-year deal. (Photo : Getty Images/ Kevin C. Cox)
The Boston Celtics had the luxury of a flexible salary cap, linked to high profile names. From the list of available free agents, the Cs opted to bring back a vastly improved Gerald Green and retain restricted free agent Tyler Zeller.
Green will be returning to the team that originally drafted him in 2005. He was the 18th overall pick from the NBA draft that year but has proven his craft.
He played for the Miami Heat last season though his run was shrouded with some off-court issues. He previous played for the Phoenix Suns where his explosive scoring prowess drew attention.
Green reportedly agreed to a $1.4 million one-year deal according to Sportingnews.com. It is likely that the 30-year-old player will continue the same role he had with the Heat last year off the bench.
On the other hand, the Celtics chose to retain Zeller. According to the Boston Herald, the seven-footer agreed to a $16 million deal for two years. The second year of his contract will include a team option.
The only other player the Celtics are working on right now is Demetrius Jackson who will get a guaranteed deal. With that said, the remaining players will have to slug it out for the lone roster spot available.
Second round draft pick Ben Bentil, R.J. Hunter, James Young and John Holland will be vying for that slot. Bentil is reportedly in line for a partially guaranteed contract though Hunter is a favorite to land the spot as well.
Even with a seemingly set roster, club president Danny Ainge is not closing the doors on a possible big name deal. The Celtics have been linked to players like Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder), Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers) or even Jahlil Okafor (Philadelphia 76ers) so anything can still happen moving forward.
As far as Griffin and Westbrook are concerned, the Celtics would be gambling on the two all-stars. Both have player options which they are likely to use next Summer, meaning there is no guarantee that they will be committing to Boston after this season.
A problem for the Celtics is who they dangle for trade. While they do have lots of future draft picks, it may take more than that to get a high profile player on board.
Check out the video below detailing the latest moves by the Boston Celtics.
