Jeff Green will be a sought-after free agent this summer despite coming off perhaps the worst statistical season of his career. At 36, Green averaged 19.5 minutes and 7.8 points per game, both career lows, for the Denver Nuggets last year. However, Green was an important veteran piece on that championship-winning squad. His true value extends beyond the stat sheet. Considering he won’t require big dollars, Green will likely have many suitors to choose from.
Jeff Green Free Agent Profile
Background
The Boston Celtics selected Green with the fifth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Boston then traded Green to the Seattle SuperSonics in a big deal that sent Ray Allen to the Celtics. The Georgetown product had a great rookie year, averaging 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 80 games. Green finished his rookie season by making the NBA ALL-Rookie First Team.
In three and a half years with the Sonics/Oklahoma City Thunder organization, Green averaged 14.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Green established himself as an important weapon by playing with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
The Thunder traded Green to the Celtics at the 2011 trade deadline. Though he agreed to a contract to return to the Celtics that offseason, the deal was famously voided after a routine physical discovered Green had a heart condition. He missed the entire 2011-12 season after heart surgery but returned the next year.
After three and a half seasons in Boston, Green bounced around the league quite a bit before spending the past two seasons in Denver. Green has consistently been a great veteran piece that provides as much value off the court as on the court. Though he started 63 of 75 games in 2021-22 with Denver, he has mostly come off the bench in his post-Celtics career. After 1,200 NBA games, including playoffs, the man they call Uncle Jeff finally won a championship.
“Man, I can’t even put it into words. This is what you live for, all the sacrifice, all the blood, sweat and tears—the countless hours.” Green told ESPN after Denver’s series winning Game 5. “For me, going through the surgery, 11 teams, adapted to every environment, this is what it was all for. All that sacrifice, it paid off.”
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