http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/10/report-pelicans-emerge-as-third-team-in-trade-that-would-send-celtics-jeff-green-to-grizzlies/
Celtics GM Danny Ainge has decided it’s fire sale time in Boston, and is essentially trading away any players that he doesn’t see as a long-term solution, while kickstarting an ongoing rebuilding process into high gear at the very same time.
Rajon Rondo was sent to Dallas, and Brandan Wright, who was acquired in that deal, is on his way to Phoenix.
Jeff Green is the best player remaining on the Celtics roster, but that won’t be the case for much longer. Green was held out of Boston’s loss in Indiana on Friday, because the team is close to dealing him to the Grizzlies.
While the deal has yet to be completed, a third team has reportedly agreed to help facilitate things, and the framework is firmly in place.
Pondexter is part of the rotation in Memphis, but isn’t an integral part of what the team does. Shedding his salary would mean Memphis would stay under the luxury tax threshold of $76.8 million, which is important to a team playing in one of the league’s smaller markets.
Nothing has been finalized, and the Celtics will reportedly listen to other offers for Green while this one works itself out. But no matter where he ends up (and Memphis still seems like the likely destination), Green’s time in Boston appears to be a thing of the past.
Memphis, Boston and New Orleans are in the advanced stages of a deal framework that would send the Grizzlies’ Tayshaun Prince, New Orleans’ John Salmons and a future Memphis first-round pick to the Celtics, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Memphis would send forward Quincy Pondexter to the Pelicans and New Orleans would send Russ Smith to the Grizzlies in the proposed deal, sources said.
Boston and Memphis believe they can complete the Green trade without New Orleans, but the Grizzlies want to move Pondexter before Green and his $9.2 million salary joins Memphis, sources said. Memphis is still discussing other deals for Pondexter around the NBA, but the focus on Friday night had been completing the trade with New Orleans, sources told Yahoo.