Jeff Green Deal with Boston for 4 Years/$36 Million

Posted by Brian Robb on Jul 8, 2012 3118829 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2012%2F07%2F08%2Fjeff-green-deal-with-boston-for-4-years36-million%2FJeff+Green+Deal+with+Boston+for+4+Years%2F%2436+Million+2012-07-08+15%3A24%3A40Brian+Robbhttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D31188

Before we start with this post, I just have to say this might the busiest one-week stretch in a Celtics offseason, well perhaps ever. Think about it: Kevin Garnett returned on a 3-year deal last Saturday, which started the avalanche of news, and even that KG signing feels like it was weeks ago by this point given how much has gone on since then. Needless to say, things are showing no signs of slowing down either, as Danny Ainge has his work cut out for him in filling out this roster. With that said, let’s get to it.

Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald  is the first guy with reported terms of the deal as Jeff Green has reportedly signed for 4 Years/$36 Million, a bit under the rumored 4 years/40 million dollar deal from last week.

Agent David Falk, who said Friday an agreement with the Celtics on Jeff Green’s contract should come early this week, clearly is pleased with how talks have progressed. Green agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract with the team last December, but the discovery of an aortic aneurism during a physical voided the contract.

Falk returned to the same starting point this month and got his wish.

The new deal, again starting at $9 million, will be worth $36 million over four years, according to a source.

CH’s Analysis: We’ll have a detailed post on Green later on today, but as long as one of those final years of the deal aren’t fully guaranteed, this contract could be livable for Boston. The key word there, of course, is could be. The guy had a full season to get a full grasp of Doc Rivers’ system on both sides of the floor and should be entering his prime years as a player. He’s a unique offensive player with his size and flexibility to play both forward spots (although the C’s roster is well-constructed now to keep him primarily at the three where the numbers show he is a much better player). 

Nine million dollars a year is what Green was going to sign for last year (as a restricted free agent) on a one-year deal, so technically he’s not getting a raise here. This could be some solid value down to the road if Green plays up to his potential. At the same time however, this seems a bit much commitment-wise. I would have loved to see what the market was for Green. Was another team willing to offer him four years at 35+ million? I highly doubt it was anyone Green actually wanted to play for.

Yet, Ainge had to swallow hard here. He is handcuffed by the team’s own cap situation and had pushed his chips to the middle of the table in bringing his own guys back. Green was a big part of that plan and now has to live up to his billing and help jumpstart this offense and bring a spark and rest for Paul Pierce and company off the bench. Did he spend a little too much to make sure Green was completely satisfied? Probably. Now it’s time for Green to live up to his end of the deal.