Rejoice! Danny Green has returned to the Philadelphia 76ers after a year-long hiatus that took him to both Memphis and Cleveland. The heavily decorated three-point shooter enters into his 15th season in the league, which started in 2009 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This is Green’s second stint with the Sixers, taking a one-year gap from the team after being included in the De’Anthony Melton trade package to Memphis alongside the draft rights of David Roddy, the 23rd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
After tearing his ACL 3 minutes into the Sixers’ eventual season-ending loss to the Miami Heat in the 2022 playoffs, it took a significant amount of time for Green to rehab his injury. He would appear in only 3 games with Memphis, playing just 43 minutes for the Grizzlies. He went 3/8 (37.5%) from beyond the arc in those games.
Green was included in a three-team that sent him to the Rockets, with Eric Gordon going to the Clippers and Luke Kennard going to the Grizzlies. Green then agreed to a contract buyout with the Rockets and joined the Cleveland Cavaliers. He appeared in 8 games for the Cavaliers in the regular season and shot 13/29 (44.8%) from deep for them.
What Can We Expect from Green?
When Green was last here, he was a vital piece of the Sixers for two seasons, appearing in 138 games in the regular season and 20 games in the playoffs. He averaged well over 20 minutes per game in both seasons. Green also gets to reunite with former head coach Nick Nurse, whom he played under in Toronto during the Raptors championship season.
The veteran guard also played in all 4 of the Sixers’ preseason games, averaging 13.9 minutes a game. In those 4 games, Green averaged 5.0 points on 41.2% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc. While it would be wonderful if he was able to play 20+ minutes per game like he used to, Green, more than likely, will not be able to play the same amount of major minutes that he has in the past. Father time is, of course, undefeated. That being said, the Sixers could not ask for a better locker room presence or a better leader.
The three-time NBA champion has been a leader at every stop in his career. While yes, he has been a major component on the court for years as a member of the San Antonio Spurs, the Toronto Raptors, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Philadelphia 76ers, he has also been an excellent teammate. After tearing his ACL in the loss to the Miami Heat, Danny Green returned to the sideline in order to support his team and be there for his teammates.
While Danny Green might not be the player we’ve seen for the past few years, he will certainly make an impact with the Sixers. Nothing makes Green more valuable to Philadelphia than his commitment to the team and his commitment to his teammates. The championship mentality that Green brings is incredible and is something that the Sixers are surely grateful to have in their corner.
