While most of the attention is on whether the Boston Celtics will trade star Rajon Rondo, two players who are more likely to be dealt before the February deadline reportedly are forwards Jeff Green and Brandon Bass. Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler said although Boston isn't in a hurry to trade the pair, both players will likely be gone sometime after December.
Green and Bass were the subject of trade rumors all of last season, and this season might not be any different.
"The Celtics are looking at a lot of stuff. I think it's about return, especially with regards to Jeff Green and Brandon Bass," Kyler wrote Monday. "Neither are hurting the team, but there isn't a real need for either. I think they are on the roster for the short term and we'll see what starts to surface in December when teams can start trading guys they signed in the off-season.
"No urgency to make a bad deal."
Most of the players who signed deals in the offseason become eligible to be traded on Dec. 15.
Back in February, Sports Illustrated reported Jared Sullinger was the "one guy" who Boston wouldn't trade.
"I've had conversations with a couple of different general managers last night, and we talked a little bit about Boston and what they were trying to do at the trade deadline, and the sense I got from them was that Boston is totally overvaluing some of the players they have," Mannix said Wednesday on WEEI's "Dennis & Callahan" show. "They're looking for first-round picks in return for guys like Jeff Green or a guy like Avery Bradley and others and they're just not going to get it."
Boston's already crowded frontcourt and the contract situations of Green and Bass still make them expendable. Green has a player option on his contract for next season, which Boston seemingly wouldn't want to be tethered to, and Bass is on an expiring contract. Neither player appears to be part of the Celtics' long-term plans.
