According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Memphis Grizzlies have agreed in principle to trade Tayshaun Prince and a future first-round pick to the Boston Celtics for Jeff Green.
The addition of the natural scorer certainly addresses Memphis’s biggest weakness: offensive assets around the perimeter. The Grizzlies, who are already seemingly title contenders, are currently poised to overtake the Western Conference this May, should the trade go through.
As good as Prince was in his prime, he’s now morphed into an obsolete role player on both ends of the floor the past several seasons. Offensively, he’s averaging just 7.3 points and 1.4 assists per game. Defensively, he’s lost some athleticism and foot speed, and is a lackluster defender as a result.
Contrarily, his likely successor, Green, is a massive upgrade at the small forward slot. He’s held his own against the opposition’s best perimeter players in Boston, and will likely enhance Memphis’ defensive productivity. Per NBA.com/Stats, opponents have shot worse than their season averages when guarded by Green.
Nonetheless, Prince hasn’t shown any sign of apprehensiveness in regard to the possibility of getting sent to Boston, though they are uninterested in re-signing with him after his contract expires . Via ESPN:
“Obviously, everybody was getting wind of what was going on. … I’ve been in this league for 13 years,” Prince said. “Ever since I signed my first deal in Detroit, I was on the trading block every year. You know what I’m saying? Ever since I signed my deal after that first year, I was on the trading block every year, so it’s part of the business. And if that’s the case, then so be it.”
Tayshaun Prince, Tony Allen, and Courtney Lee have all played the small forward position interchangeably for Memphis, and they’ve struggled mightily to score. According to ESPN, the Grizzlies’ small forwards generate the fewest points per game in the league this season at 6.5 — which is abundantly lower than Jeff Green’s career high of 17.6 points per game with Boston.
Although he isn’t a great shooter from beyond the arc, he’s shot a proficient 40 percent from the corner three this season, and he’s adept at attacking the basket and finishing. The offensive upgrade drove to the hoop nearly four times per game this season at a decent 48.8 percent clip, per NBA.com/Stats.
Although the deal sounds delightful in nature, it can’t be made official until the league office reopens on Monday, and the Celtics will reportedly listen to other offers for Green in the meantime.
A potential snag in the deal shouldn’t elicit a sense of panic from Memphis’ fans, as the Grizzlies are currently in the top 10 in offensive rating — which is their greatest mark in more than a decade — and boast the fourth best record in the West.
With that being said, adding Green to the Grizzlies’ mildly spicy mix may just be the missing, intensifying ingredient that the team needs for a hot championship formula.