Jeff Green returning to Celtics - Bradley On Track

Jeff Green returning to Celtics

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com

Agent: Green Has Deal With Celtics

The agent for unrestricted free agent Jeff Green said Saturday that the framework for a deal is in place for his client to return to the Boston Celtics next season.

May: Goodwill Goes A Long Way
Danny Ainge's classy handling of Jeff Green's heart ailment is a big reason the forward will be calling Boston home again, ESPNBoston.com's Peter May writes. Story

Green's agent, David Falk, would not reveal the specific length or value of the contract, but confirmed that the details have been ironed out and a deal likely will be consummated after the leaguewide moratorium on new business lifts Wednesday.

"This is where Jeff always wanted to be," said Falk, who continued to heap praise on the Celtics organization for the way it handled Green's heart ailment last season.

Falk stressed that Boston's goodwill played a major factor in his decision to return and said he's not surprised a deal got hammered out since the two sides were on the same page from the start of the process.

Both Falk and Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge expressed optimism that a contract would get done earlier this week and, after watching Ray Allen elect to sign with the Miami Heat on Friday night, the Celtics appear to have moved quickly to finalize with Green.

Green, traded to Boston in February 2011, sat out all of last season after undergoing surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm that was detected in training camp as the two sides prepared to sign a one-year, $9 million deal.

The relationship between Green and the Celtics was strengthened through his heart woes as Ainge accompanied him to doctor visits throughout the detection and repair, which will allow Green to resume his basketball career next season without limitations.

"Jeff, when he got traded to the Celtics, he loved his experience, he wanted to prove that he's a better player than he played when he got here (at the end of the 2010-11 season)," said Ainge, who dealt Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City in exchange for Green, Nenad Krstic, and a first-round pick (used to select Fab Melo in this year's draft) at the 2011 trade deadline.

"He really wants to make it work and, through the whole discovery, the surgery and the rehab, it was something that was motivating him. He wanted to come back to Boston and he wanted to show his worth. Through the playoffs, he loved the atmosphere -- he loved the atmosphere that was created by our fans. He loved his teammates and he just really wanted to make it work."

It's a sentiment echoed by Falk, who last week suggested Boston distinguished itself with its handling of Green's situation, particularly the care shown by Ainge and coach Doc Rivers.

"He's had a lot of interest from other teams, but, as I said earlier with (Boston first-round pick and fellow Falk client) Jared (Sullinger), having managed so many great players in my career, I believe the most important thing isn't where you have the most endorsement opportunities, where the media is the flashiest," Falk said. "It's being in a place where you have a great fit, and I think that one of the things that makes the fit the most effective is the relationship a player has with his coach. ... And I think when you have a coach having your back, you're halfway home. And I think the relationship that Jeff has with Doc is very special."
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Agent: Celtics agree to deal with Green

CSNE - A.S. BLAKLEY - July 7, 2012, 4:42 pm SHARE THIS POST2 COMMENTS


ORLANDO, Fla. - The Ray Allen-to-Miami hangover didn't last too long for the Boston Celtics, who immediately went about locking up one of their other top targets this offseason - Jeff Green.

Green's agent David Falk told CSNNE.com that his client has an agreement "in principle" with the C's, with both sides planning to make it official on Wednesday.

"We have come to an understanding of the terms," Falk said. "I've expressed all along. It was Jeff's strong desire to return to Boston."

Falk declined to discuss specifics of the deal, but his new deal is expected to average close to $10 million per season. That would be in line with the one-year, $9 million contract Green signed prior to last season that was ultimately voided.

Green, the central piece acquired by the Celtics in their trade with Oklahoma City for Kendrick Perkins in 2011, missed all of last season when a routine pre-season physical showed that he had a heart condition that ultimately required season-ending surgery.

Although both sides professed their desire to get a deal done quite a while ago, it wasn't until Saturday that both sides came away feeling as though a deal had in fact been agreed upon.

"It wasn't we were having any difficulties with Boston," Falk said. "We had productive discussions. There were other things that Jeff wanted to watch. He wanted to observe what Boston was putting in place, what team was he coming back to? He watched Danny sign Kevin, then Brandon, Jason Terry … he was extremely encouraged. But at the same time he was probably disappointed that Ray didn't' come back. He has a very high regard for Ray; he was a good friend of his on the team. He was hoping that Ray would come back and make another run."

Still, the team that Green returns to is talent-wise, better than the one he joined midway through the 2010-2011 season.

The surrounding talent is only part of the reason why Green is coming back.

On one occasion after another, the Celtics went above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of Green.

After his contract was voided, the Celtics still had his rights as a restricted free agent. However, they soon allowed him to be an unrestricted free agent which gave him the freedom to choose any team he wanted to play for and not have to concern himself with whether the C's would match the offer.

That, on top of the steady support from management, the coaches and the Celtics fans, made it difficult for Green to envision himself anywhere but Boston.

"There is a large reservoir of good will that exists between Jeff and the Celtics, and Danny and Doc (Rivers), and me," Falk said."With that as a backdrop, negotiations and discussions we had about Jeff returning were extremely positive, very friendly."

And now Green is back, looking to take care of some unfinished business.

The 6-9 forward was supposed to be an impact player who could provide a spark at both forward positions.

But far too often, he played tentative and unsure of himself in part because he was trying to fit in and not ruffle any feathers.

That's not what the Celtics needed.

More than anything, Green feels more comfortable with his role moving forward.

"Coming in here in a tough situation (in 2011)," Green said in an earlier interview. "I wasn't comfortable in my spot. It was tough to transition from coming from Oklahoma and doing what I was doing there, to coming here and trying to find my spot somewhere and score the ball. Now after having conversations with Doc and knowing my role a little bit more better, a lot more comfortable. I'm ready to get started."

Falk added, "Last year he felt he had unfinished business from his first, half-season in Boston. He went through an extremely difficult life-changing experience, heart surgery, and he is really thrilled to be back."
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ESPNBOSTON.COM

Source: Avery Bradley on target

Contrary to recent speculation that Avery Bradley might not be ready for the start of the 2012-13 season after undergoing shoulder surgery during the playoffs, a league source indicated Saturday that the Celtics guard is still targeting a training camp return and, barring a setback, should be ready for the start of the new campaign.

More on the Celtics

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Bradley's availability was thrust into the spotlight on Friday night when Ray Allen, whose starting job Bradley took over at the end of last season, elected to sign with the Miami Heat. Allen reassumed that starting role when Bradley went under the knife in late May, and had Bradley not been ready for the start of next season, Allen seemed a likely candidate to keep that role if he had returned to Boston.

Without Allen, and Boston scrambling to add depth now at shooting guard, an extended Bradley absence might have put the Celtics in a tough spot.

The source indicated that Bradley's rehab from surgery has "looked really good," and only a future setback likely would detour him being back on the floor for camp.

Keep in mind that the Celtics expressed similar hopes that Bradley would be ready for the start of his rookie campaign, this after he underwent ankle surgery for an injury suffered in a pre-draft workout. Bradley missed nearly all of camp and, thanks in part to that setback, struggled to get on the floor in his first year in Boston.

With the impending addition of former Sixth Man of the Year Jason Terry, the Celtics can offset the loss of Allen if Bradley is ready for the start of the year and Terry can fill the bench role that Allen never seemed quite comfortable with.

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....can't wait to see a healthy Avery Bradley creating havoc with Rondo, this is the fastest and best backcourt in the league.