NBA trade season has arrived, and the Boston Celtics appear open for business.
The Celtics have expressed interest in reuniting with Denver Nuggets forward Jeff Green, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype reported on his podcast Wednesday, citing league sources.
Scotto also reports Boston has made several "due diligence" calls around the league, including one to the Phoenix Suns about big man Jalen Smith's availability.
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As for who the Celtics would be willing to move, Scotto reports both Dennis Schroder and Aaron Nesmith are available for trade.
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That's a lot of trade rumors, some of which are more surprising than others. Boston's reported interest in Green is eye-opening, as the former Celtics draft pick is on his fourth team in three years at age 35.
Green is averaging 10.1 points per game for the Nuggets, though, and played briefly for Brad Stevens in Boston. So, perhaps Stevens believes Green could provide some veteran leadership and bench scoring a C's team that's lacking in both departments.
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Smith has underachieved in Phoenix as the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but he's averaging 13 points and 8.8 rebounds over his last eight games and could be an intriguing fit alongside Robert Williams at the right price.
Schroder's availability makes sense: While veteran guard played well in spurts earlier this season, he doesn't seem like the best fit for the Celtics' core and likely will demand a raise next offseason after the C's signed him to a one-year, $5.9 million bargain deal.
Nesmith has struggled to find playing time in Ime Udoka's rotation and is shooting just 23.4% from 3-point range over 10.7 minutes per game. The No. 14 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft was a 50% 3-point shooter in his final year at Vanderbilt, though, so perhaps he just needs a change in scenery.
Stevens and the Celtics have until the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline to figure out how to improve this roster, and it appears their work has already begun.