Jeff Green said it best a few hours before the long-awaited news of his official signing with the Celtics was announced, taking to Twitter with an emphatic "FINALLY!!!" The 6'9" forward signed a one-year, $9MM deal with the team before last season, but it was voided when doctors discovered he had an aortic aneurysm. Surgery to correct the heart problem forced him to miss the entire season, and after agreeing to a contract last month that gave him four years at the same annual salary he would have made under the deal that was voided in December, Green is poised to return to the Celtics at last. There's more on Green tonight, as well as a few other notes concerning the team that wears green:
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com says the Celtics are counting on Green to outperform his contract the way Rajon Rondo has done since signing a five-year, $55MM extension in 2009. Blakely also observes that Danny Ainge, the team's president of basketball operations, left the door open for additional moves between now and training camp. "I don't know the answer to that," Ainge said, when asked whether Green's signing would end offseason business. "It depends on what opportunities are out there, but I like where we are right now."
- It's unclear exactly what delayed the official announcement of Green's signing, but Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com believes the hangup could have revolved around whether to add a contract clause related to his health, as well as more common snags related to contract value and length. There's no word, at least not yet, about the deal including some kind of out for the Celtics if Green has more heart trouble.
- The agent for guard J.R. Bremer says his client will make a decision soon about which overseas team to sign with, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Bremer, now 31, started 41 games for the Celtics in 2002/03, but hasn't played in the NBA since 2003/04.