WALTHAM, Mass. – The wait appears to be over for Gerald Green getting on the floor for the Celtics.
Green, who has been out for most of training camp with a left hip flexor injury, is set to make his first preseason appearance of 2016 on Saturday afternoon against the Charlotte Hornets.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens confirmed that Green will be in uniform for the first time this season.
Drafted by the Celtics in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft, Green re-signed in the offseason.
While it’s unclear how much playing time Green will get on Saturday, the Celtics will surely get him on the floor at some point.
Green is not among the players on the bubble for sticking with the Celtics once the regular season starts and rosters have to be trimmed to 15 players or less.
Still, he is in search of defining a role for himself with this team.
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Green said sitting out the past few days was more of a precautionary measure.
“It’s a long season,” Green said recently. “You’re not trying to do too much to make it worst. Training camp is important, but being healthy the beginning of the season is even more important.”
Green was drafted with the 18th overall pick by the Celtics in 2005, and was part of the 2007 trade with Minnesota which included Kevin Garnett coming to Boston which was a major part of the Celtics winning the franchise’s 17th NBA title in 2008.
Green, now 30 years old, acknowledged it wasn’t easy seeing the Celtics hoist Banner 17 just months after he was traded.
“I was younger and I obviously wanted to be part of a championship team,” Green said. “But as I grew up and got older and become a student of the business, it was the right move for the Celtics to do and iI respected the move even more than I did at the time.”