The Atlanta Hawks are interested in a possible deal for Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green, who's being "shopped hard" by the Celtics, according to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News.
NBA trade rumors roundup: Hawks interested in Jeff Green; David Griffin says Cavaliers looking to buy at deadline
The Celtics are reportedly shopping Jeff Green, and the Hawks are interested in the forward. In Cleveland, acting general manager David Griffin is hoping to buy rather than sell at the deadline.
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Lawrence went on to say the deal would cost the Hawks DeMarre Carroll and more, because the salaries of Carroll and Green don’t come close to matching up. Green is under contract through 2016 and is making $8.7 million this year, while Carroll is at $2.6 million this year and expires after next season.
Green has shown the ability to be a star at times, but he also has been rather inconsistent. Carroll has been more efficient offensively this season, so it’s really no guarantee that Green represents much of an upgrade. And considering Carroll is significantly cheaper, there seems to be little reason to consummate such a trade.
Over at CelticsBlog, Jeff Clark has an idea for how to make a possible deal work, although there are some complications:
Salary-wise, a trade of Carroll and Elton Brand’s expiring contract matches salaries. But would the Celtics be happy just dumping salary on the Hawks without getting a pick in return? I kind of doubt it. So then it becomes a question of what kind of pick (and what kind of protection) we can get from them.
Complicating matters is the fact that the Nets pick that is owed to us will be the lesser of Brooklyn’s and Atlanta’s.
That kind of deal would be a good one for the Celtics, but it would be an awful lot to give up from the Hawks’ perspective for a player who isn’t a consistent difference maker.
Griffin says Cavaliers looking to buy, not sell at deadline
Acting Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin has been put in a tough spot, taking over the position from the fired Chris Grant just two weeks before the trade deadline.
While the Cavs have been mostly a disaster this year, they have won two games in a row and are still only just four games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. This leaves Griffin with a dilemma: Should he be a buyer or seller at the deadline?
When asked that question, Griffin said he prefers to be a buyer, according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald:
“I don’t see how you get better and win more games selling,” Griffin said. “We’re going to buy to the extent that it makes us better for the long haul. I don’t think we’re going to do anything that’s an act of desperation. I think we’re going to be willing to buy the right asset at the right price. We are dedicated 100 percent from top to bottom to getting better and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Being a buyer would likely eliminate any possible trade of Luol Deng, who reportedly is planning to leave Cleveland in free agency this summer. If the Cavs know Deng is going to leave, it would make sense to move him now, although that would likely weaken the team this season.
There also have been rumors surrounding Dion Waiters, the talented yet erratic young shooting guard. Needless to say, it will certainly be an interesting few weeks for Griffin as he decides what path to go down as the deadline approaches.
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