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BOSTON -- Jeff Green, recuperating from surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm in January, dropped into the Celtics' locker room before Sunday's game and plans to sit near the team bench during a matinee with the New York Knicks at TD Garden.

Green politely declined interview requests from the media, but said hello to his teammates before hanging a suit in the locker of Avery Bradley. Although he's now an unrestricted free agent while he recovers with the goal of returning to action next season, Celtics coach Doc Rivers has stressed that he wants Green to be a part of this team.

"It’s always good to see him," Rivers said. "He's doing great, looks great. He’s going to sit on the bench tonight -- he’s not going to play -- but it’s just good to see him. Hell, what he’s gone through has been a good thing for us, each time he comes around."

Rivers offered some encouraging news on Green's recovery from surgery at the Cleveland Clinic.

"He’s been [in the Boston area] the last two weeks, he’s been going to the doctor every two days," Rivers said. "He can ride a bike now and stuff. It’s a miracle, really, in a lot of ways. It’s pretty cool."

In what seems like far less pressing health news, Ray Allen is back in the starting lineup after battling a stomach bug that forced him to miss Friday's win over the New Jersey Nets. Allen became ill after Wednesday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks and spent much of Thursday getting treated at New England Baptist Hospital. He joked that doctors told him the Norovirus is making the rounds and Allen said his children had previously battled a bout with the bug.

Also, as expected, second-year guard Avery Bradley is available despite rolling his ankle in Friday's win. Rivers initially dubbed him doubtful after keeping him out of the team's walkthrough on Saturday, but Bradley soon after deemed himself ready to go.

BOSTON -- Just two weeks after undergoing surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, Jeff Green visited with his former Celtics teammates Monday, offering some perspective as the Celtics battle through minor injury woes early in the 2011-12 season.

"It was awesome, it was great," said Rivers. "We kidded around a lot. We brought him in in the morning, at the [team] breakfast [before shootaround], and it’s really cool. I’m amazed, obviously, that two weeks ago [he had surgery] and he’s walking around and he looks normal.

"Obviously, because some of us are sarcastic, we made a mention that he’s walking around and, '[the Celtics injured guys] can’t play. How tough are you?' And the guys got a big kick out of that. It's good to see him. He’s a good kid, really good kid. The best news of the day is that he’ll be able to play again. At least right now that’s what they’re saying. And that’s unbelievable."

Green, who had been back home near the nation's capital since undergoing surgery Jan. 9 at the Cleveland Clinic, actually traveled back to Boston as the Celtics visited with the Wizards on Sunday. Instead, he dropped in on his former teammates Monday morning at shootaround in Waltham and came by the Garden again in the evening.

Green politely turned down media requests (though he did mention he's back at Georgetown working on finishing his degree with two English classes left to take), but went around the Celtics' locker room greeting teammates and staff members before departing.

Rivers said last month that Green is 'a part of the team' this season and said he hoped the Celtics could present him with a championship ring if they accomplished their ultimate goal.

BOSTON -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers said the team was informed Monday afternoon that Jeff Green's surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm "went great" and hopes the process will one day allow Green to return to an NBA court.

"Surgery went well, he had surgery today -- they’re saying it went great," said Rivers. "Obviously, our thoughts, our prayers, and every part of being is with Jeff right now.

"The second news we want to hear is that he’ll be able to play again. That would be terrific. I don’t care if it’s with us -- I want it to be with us -- [but] I just want him to [be able to play again]. Really, at the end of the day, that’s what we want."

River said he talked with Green on Friday to wish him well with Monday's procedure at the Cleveland Clinic. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge came down on the floor during the team's afternoon session to relay the encouraging news that surgery went well.

Green will miss the entire 2011-12 season due to the surgery, but doctors are optimistic he'll be able to return to the court during the 2012-13 season if recovery goes well.

Jeff Green is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm Monday at the Cleveland Clinic. This morning he thanked everyone for sending along along well-wishes via Twitter:

If and when Jeff Green returns to the NBA -- and the encouraging news heading into his heart surgery next week is that he likely will -- he will have plenty of choices as to his next employer.

That's because the Boston Celtics, in a move that was not made public, withdrew Green's qualifying offer in mid-December, right around the time he failed his physical and had his one-year, $9 million contract voided. The move means Green is now an unrestricted free agent. Had the offer not been withdrawn, and the Celtics were under no obligation whatsoever to do so, Green would have been a restricted free agent, with the Celtics able to match any offer he might get from another team.

Asked about the decision on Friday, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, citing Green's impending surgery, said he preferred not to discuss the matter. He did confirm it, however. It may have been nothing more than a goodwill gesture on the part of the Celtics to Green and his agent, David Falk, who said the team has been "phenomenal" in handling the situation.

"It was not something we expected or bargained for, but coming as it did after such devastating medical news it was almost like an early Christmas present," Falk said.

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As he waits to undergo surgery next month to repair an aortic aneurysm that ended his 2011-12 NBA season before it started, Jeff Green finds tranquility in being around his teammates:

It's a Tuesday night in Miami, about an hour and a half before the Boston Celtics take the floor for a game against the Miami Heat, and Jeff Green is sitting in a chair in the visitor's locker room at American Airlines Arena, talking.

Green is talking about health and about time, about life and death, about fear, about relief. It's the first time he has spoken to reporters since being diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm a week and a half ago, the first time he's talked publicly since his life's plans irrevocably changed.

It's the first time Jeff Green has felt like talking, really, since doctors informed him that his immediate future will be spent not on a basketball court, but on a gurney at the Cleveland Clinic, not on the Celtics bench, but in bed, resting as he recovers from heart surgery on Jan. 9.

Heart surgery. It's a subject that in the context of an NBA locker room seems somehow foreign and abstract, silly even. Sitting in his chair before the game, Green is surrounded by lithe and healthy teammates, most of them stretching, bobbing, bouncing in anticipation of the night's game.

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MIAMI -- Speaking to reporters for the first time since the heart ailment that will sideline him for the 2011-12 season was disclosed, Celtics forward Jeff Green called the discovery a "blessing" and said he is "relieved" because he expects to resume his basketball career next season.

"I’m very relieved," Green said, "because I can play basketball again. It’s a blessing it was found because you never know what could have happened."

After Green agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract with the Celtics at the start of the offseason, a routine physical discovered an aortic aneurysm that Green will have surgically repaired next month at the Cleveland Clinic.

The condition ended his season and voided his contract, but Green has remained with the team, attending practices last week and traveling to New York and Miami as part of the season-opening road trip.

"It’s like therapy, man -- being around the team. It really helps me relax and takes my mind off it because I don’t want to be sitting around the house thinking about the whole thing," he said. "You can go crazy doing that. Just being around the team, it really helps."

Green said he has already reached out to Etan Thomas, who underwent open-heart surgery in October 2007 to repair a leaking aortic valve and returned to the court a little more than a year later. Green said he also plans to get in contact with Ronny Turiaff, who underwent surgery in July 2005 for an enlarged aortic root and debuted on an NBA court in February 2006, little more than six months later. Green said their input will aid him in knowing what lies ahead as he preps for surgery and rehab.

The team stressed to him to take care of his health.

"Take your time, as far as recuperating and at the hospital," Green said of the team's message. "And then come back to Boston and start getting back to playing the game."

The Celtics are expected to retain their rights to Green whenever he's able to resume playing and coach Doc Rivers stressed earlier this week that Green remains part of the Celtics' family.

"He’s part of the team," said Rivers. "Jeff’s hopefully going to get a [championship] ring. He’ll be there just like everybody else.

"Jeff doesn’t have to be here, but he wants to be here and we want him here. He’s part of our culture, he’s part of our family. We want to keep him in our family."

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Jeff Green, who will sit out the entire 2011-12 season due to an aortic aneurysm that will require surgery to repair next month, was on the Celtics' practice court Thursday decked out in green and spending time with his teammates.

Green is not under contract with the team because his failed physical voided a one-year, $9 million deal, and he's certainly not obligated to spend time here. But Celtics coach Doc Rivers stressed the organization's desire to keep Green around.

"He’s part of the team," said Rivers. "Jeff’s hopefully going to get a [championship] ring. He’ll be there just like everybody else.

"Jeff doesn’t have to be here, but he wants to be here and we want him here. He’s part of our culture, he’s part of our family. We want to keep him in our family."

Green spent time getting up shots alongside Marquis Daniels, who is embarking on his own improbable return to the basketball court after spine surgery this summer, and politely declined all media requests while leaving the floor.

"Jeff’s our brother, man," said Kevin Garnett. "We want him around. What he’s about to go through, none of us have been through. What he’s about to go through is definitely life-changing. We want him around. We don’t know if we’re going to see him, or what the future holds for any of us, but it’s good to have him around. It’s good to have him still be the younger brother that he is to us. We ask everybody to respect his place and his privacy, for he and his family, and we wish him the best."

Added Rajon Rondo: "Jeff’s not only a teammate, he’s a good friend of ours. So to have him around, to have his wisdom whenever he can share it with us [is great]. It’s great to have him around."

WALTHAM, Mass -- Celtics players were disappointed with the weekend news that teammate Jeff Green will miss the 2011-12 season after an aortic aneurysm was discovered during his preseason physical. But players were happy the discovery prevented a potentially more catastrophic event.

“I spoke to him,” backup guard Keyon Dooling said of Green, who, with successful surgery next month, is expected to make a full recovery and possibly play again during the 2012-13 season. “I mean, I was actually happy with the news -- happy in the sense that we caught it early enough and there wasn’t any tragedy, especially with this organization. So it’s good for Jeff to take care of his health. At the end of the day, this is our career. It’s a very important part of our life, but not more important than our health. We have great doctors here that found whatever the problem was [and] I heard that it will be fixed. And so it’ll be a year for him to have some life experience and hopefully come back and be better.”

Forward Chris Wilcox echoed Dooling's sentiment, saying that he’s just glad doctors found Green’s ailment before it was too late.

“It’s tough, man,” Wilcox said. “You don’t want nobody to go through a situation like that. But I think [in this case] it was for the better. When you got guys like [those on this team] to surround you, we’ve gotta be there for him and for support. With Jeff, he’s a strong guy, he already knows what [his ailment is], and at the end of the day we’re gonna be there for him regardless. All we can do is just send our prayers out.”

Marquis Daniels -- who last year underwent invasive surgery to relieve the effects of spinal stenosis, a lifelong condition, and has called his own comeback “a blessing” -- said the key for Green, and for his Celtics teammates, is to remain positive throughout what is sure to be an exhausting recovery process.

“[Green] should just try to surround himself with a great group of guys and stay positive,” Daniels said. “Whether it’s his family members or us here at the practice facility, we just have to stay positive throughout this whole situation. It’s going to be trying times for him but he’s a strong guy and as long as he has some positive people around him he’ll be OK.”

Former NBA player Fred Hoiberg, who suffered the same heart condition Jeff Green has, expects Green to return to the NBA one day, but cautions it's no guarantee:

If Green's experience is anything like Hoiberg's, the toughest challenge will be now through his recovery from the surgery.

"It's a tough blow, it really is," Hoiberg says. "There are no symptoms, so it's like a kick to the gut. I'll never forget the day they told me. But the hardest thing is the recovery process. You don't think you're going to run again. It's a very invasive procedure. They shut down your system and then they have to crack you open and wire you back together again."

Hoiberg says the abnormal valve now requires more surgery, so for the time being he is limited in the kind of exercise he can do. But he remains convinced that the only permanent impact on Green will be a change in his outlook on life. Green has only thanked everyone, via his Twitter account, for their concern and good wishes, but has not spoken publicly since the Celtics announced he would be undergoing surgery.

"It definitely changes your perspective on what's important," Hoiberg says.

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Early detection and repair of an aorta aneurysm may have saved
Jeff Green’s life, according to Dr. Michael Kaplan, senior medical correspondent for ESPN.

In detailing the condition Green is facing, Kaplan stressed that rupture of the aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body, could have been catastrophic. He stressed that surgery is still a major procedure, but said that Green could indeed resume his basketball career down the road if all goes well.

“An aortic aneurysm is a condition where the abdominal aorta, which is the largest blood vessel in the body, has a dilation -- meaning the wall of the blood vessel thins and then balloons out,” said Kaplan. “It’s more typical in older individuals with some sort of blood vessel disease, but we see it occasionally with people as young as Jeff, usually from other conditions.”

Kaplan said that the condition is either congenital, or the result of another disease process like Marfan's syndrome.

Kaplan said there’s two types of surgery Green could undergo, including a full open-chest procedure, or a less-invasive synthetic graft replacement of the dilated segment. Either way, he cautions, it’s a big deal.

“Regardless of technique, surgery is a major undertaking with long recovery and significant potential complications,” he said.

As for Green’s long-term ability to return to the basketball court, Kaplan noted that will all depend on his post-surgery condition and rehabilitation.

Kaplan did note that Green is fortunate to have his procedure picked up by a world-renowned institution in the Cleveland Clinic, dubbing it the mecca of cardiac procedures.

One thing Kaplan did stress was the dissimilarity between this diagnosis and the one that led to the death of former Celtics star Reggie Lewis (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy).

“Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most frequent reason for which we see young athletes go down and, occasionally, die on the court,” said Kaplan. “That’s a condition that is post-viral, where the person has a virus and the heart wall muscles are affected by it due to a thickening. It’s a different situation than [what Green is facing].”

A more apt comparison for Green would be veteran NBA big man Ronny Turiaf's experience.

An enlarged aortic root was discovered by the Los Angeles Lakers in a physical exam four weeks after drafting Turiaf in June 2005, and he underwent open-heart surgery July 26 of that year to repair the aortic root and preserve his aortic valve, The Associated Press reported.

The contract Turiaf had signed with the Lakers was voided, but the team paid for the surgery and retained his rights. He was able to recover, re-sign with the Lakers and make his NBA debut later in the ’05-06 season.

Turiaf's condition was not the same as that of Green, who's already been ruled out for the season, but could provide Green with a positive example as he begins the recovery process.

While acknowledging that basketball ramifications seem minor amidst news that Celtics forward Jeff Green will miss the 2011-12 season due to an aorta aneurysm that will require surgery next month, here's an overview of how Green's loss impacts Boston moving forward:

Green inked a one-year, $9 million deal with the Celtics at the start of the offseason. All deals are contingent on passing a physical, which Green failed because of his condition. The expectation is that his deal will be voided, but the Celtics will retain their rights to Green, who had been a restricted free agent, when he's able to return.

Even without Green's contract on the books, the Celtics will not receive any salary cap relief. The Celtics were on the books for roughly $85.6 million for 14 contracts. Shedding $9 million from that not only leaves Boston still well over the salary cap ($58 million), but also the luxury tax threshold (approximately $70 million).

The Celtics could apply for an injury exception for Green, but that would require them to not only pay Green his $9 million this season, but also up to 50 percent of his salary ($4.5 million) for a replacement. So that would cost the team upwards of $27 million giving that tax-paying teams pay dollar for dollar over the threshold. Boston would be pushing a $90 million payroll and $40 million luxury tax bill by applying for an exception.

Boston, instead, will likely have to settle for examining a thin market for free agent swingmen willing to join the team on a veteran minimum contract. Paul Pierce, the team's starting small forward, is currently nursing a right heel injury, while backup Marquis Daniels is coming off spine surgery this summer (his 2010-11 season ended with a freak on-court injury last February) and Sasha Pavlovic is nursing an injured left hand. Neither Pierce nor Pavlovic is expected to be sidelined for an extended stretch (though Pierce will not play in Sunday's exhibition opener in Toronto, while both sat out Friday's intrasquad scrimmage at the TD Garden), but the team is already thin at that spot.

The loss of Green also takes away maybe the team's top bench option, putting additional pressure on newcomers like Brandon Bass, Chris Wilcox, and Keyon Dooling to fill the scoring void Green leaves behind.

The Boston Celtics announced Saturday that forward Jeff Green will undergo heart surgery next month and will miss the entire 2011-12 season.

A routine physical administered after Green agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract with the Celtics last week detected an aortic aneurysm. After consulting with leading cardiac specialists, the decision was made to completely repair Green's condition and doctors have indicated to him that he should be able to resume his basketball career during the 2012-13 season.

“While we are saddened that Jeff will not be able to play this season, the most important thing is his health, and we were fortunate to have access to an amazing team of specialists to evaluate Jeff’s case,” Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. “The entire Celtics family supports Jeff during this difficult time in his career.”

Green will undergo surgery on Monday, Jan. 9 at the Cleveland Clinic. At the request of Green, the Celtics declined all further comment on the situation.

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BOSTON -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he had no news to offer on the Jeff Green situation and suggested that president of basketball operations Danny Ainge would make a formal announcement on the matter Saturday.

Green, who is sidelined by a mystery ailment discovered in a routine physical after he inked a one-year, $9 million deal with the Celtics at the start of the offseason, visited with more doctors Friday, Rivers noted earlier in the day, and the team had expected a potential announcement after Friday's intrasquad scrimmage at the TD Garden.

Instead, the wait and speculation continues.

"I will know for sure tomorrow," said Rivers. "I keep saying that, but I will. Danny called and just said, he’ll announce [the news on Saturday], so we’ll wait. Other than that, we’ll just leave it at that."

Rivers was asked if he was expecting to be without Green for an extended time and said only, "I'll let you guess."

BOSTON -- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers stressed that we'll find out more about Jeff Green's mystery health ailment on Friday and, while it's dangerous to speculate, a couple thoughts as we await further clarity from the team and player:

* The Celtics were confident enough in Green's health to formally announce his signing on Saturday, but a day later Boston agreed to a one-year, fully-guaranteed minimum deal with Sasha Pavlovic. To some, it was a head-scratcher considering Pavlovic's struggles here last season and the fact that Boston already had two-deep depth behind Paul Pierce on the wing in Green and Marquis Daniels (and with seemingly more pressing needs at shooting guard and center). If Green is to be sidelined for any prolonged period of time, it's clear the Celtics needed more depth, especially given Daniels' own injury history.

* Regardless of the severity of the ailment, you can't help but feel bad for Green. Rivers noted this week how Green flew into town early in order to hit the ground running at training camp -- especially after being thrust into the fire when he was acquired at the February trade deadline. "One of the reasons he came in the day before [camp started last week], the one thing he wanted to do was start early and not fall behind," said Rivers. "Because he felt like that really hurt him when he was traded. So, obviously you can image he’s a little frustrated."

* It's hard to blame Ainge given the seemingly freak nature of this scare, but Boston's general manager will hear even more groans from the hindsight crowd if Green is missing in action to start the season. In dealing away Kendrick Perkins (and Nate Robinson) at February's trade deadline, the Celtics acquired Green, Nenad Krstic, and a future first-round draft pick (top 10 protected and originally property of the Los Angeles Clippers) from Oklahoma City. Krstic bolted overseas during the lockout and that first-round pick's value has potential to dip if the Clippers improve with the recent addition of Chris Paul to a young core.

* There's been a lot of questions in the Mailbag and Twitter about whether Green's contract would be voided if he's simply unable to pass his physical moving forward. It's probably prudent to see what the team announces Friday before even considering that path. One thing to note, even by theoretically removing his $9 million from the Celtics' current cap, the team is still over the luxury tax threshold (let alone the salary cap) and would still be limited to mere minimum contracts to fill out its roster.

* More than anything, let's remember that we're talking about a person's livelihood here. Hopefully the news tomorrow reveals only a minor concern, but let's also maintain perspective that health is paramount to anything related to wins and losses on the basketball court.