MIAMI _ The Gerald Green Era lasted one tumultuous season with the Miami Heat.
The high-flying swingman who went from essential component to afterthought in the Heat's rotation last season has agreed to a one-year, veteran-minimum contract with the Boston Celtics, similar to the one he played under last season in his lone season with the Heat.
Green was a longshot to return after the Heat added athletic forwards James Johnson and Derrick Williams in free agency. The Heat also are expected to allocate considerable minutes in the rotation to returning wing players Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson, with guard Wayne Ellington brought in to provide the type of 3-point shooting the Heat expected last season from Green.
Green appeared in 69 regular-season games with the Heat, starting 14, averaging 8.9 points on .392 shooting from the field and .323 shooting on 3-pointers.
Green's departure leaves Amar'e Stoudemire and Dorell Wright as the only unsigned free agents from last season's Heat roster. Hassan Whiteside, Udonis Haslem and Tyler Johnson re-signed, with Dwyane Wade moving on to the Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng to the Los Angeles Lakers, Joe Johnson to the Utah Jazz and, now, Green to the Celtics.
Green, 30 opened his Heat tenure with a bang, scoring 19 points in last season's opening game, against the Charlotte Hornets at AmericanAirlines Arena. But by the fourth game of the season he was lost to the team after a bizarre incident that left him in an argumentative and, according to one report, violent state at a Miami residence, later hospitalized. After being listed as sidelined for four games due to "illness" by the Heat while away from the team, he then was placed on a two-game team suspension for "conduct detrimental to the team."
That was followed by a statement released by the Heat in which Green was quoted saying, "I want to apologize to my family, fans and the Heat organization. I accept the suspension and look forward to rejoining my teammates this weekend."
Green declined to offer details of the incident, as did that Heat.
Prior to that incident, Green was fined $25,000 Friday by the NBA "for making menacing gestures on the playing court" during a preseason game against the Washington Wizards, when he mimicked cocking a gun after 3-point conversions, and also appeared to make a throat-slashing gesture.
Green eventually worked his way back into the rotation, but after the All-Star break was held out of seven games due to "Coach's Decision." He also was held out of two of the Heat's 14 playoff games, limited to single digits in minutes in eight other playoff appearances.
Green had indicated a desire to return to the Heat, who were positioned to offer the same $1.4 million for 2016-17 offered by the Celtics. The Heat currently have 17 players under fully or partially guaranteed contract. NBA teams are allowed to carry a maximum of 20 players during the offseason but must trim to a maximum of 15 by the start of the regular season.
For Green, the move is a return to his NBA roots, originally selected by Boston at No. 18 in the 2005 NBA draft, before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2007 deal that netted the Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. The Heat were the ninth NBA franchise of Green's career, with stops in Russia, China and the NBA Development League along the way.
The Celtics have been among the more active teams in the Eastern Conference this offseason, selecting Cal forward Jaylen Brown with the No. 3 pick in June's draft and signing away Atlanta Hawks free-agent center Al Horford, after making an unsuccessful free-agency pitch to Kevin Durant.
By rule, players signed as free agents during the offseason cannot be traded until Dec. 15 at the earliest.
