The Boston Celtics are the biggest challenger to the Philadelphia 76ers in terms of a destination for Houston Rockets center Omer Asik, and forward Jeff Green is a candidate to be dealt in a possible three-way deal, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald confirms the Celtics have put their name in the ring for Asik, but a three-way trade would be required.

One such possible scenario involves the Cleveland Cavaliers as the third team, Stein says. In the deal, the Cavs would take on Green, the Celtics would land Asik and the Rockets would nab at least one future first-round pick, likely from Cleveland. Other players would have to be involved to match salaries.

The Cavs have already been linked to the Asik talks, with rumors circulating of a potential deal involving Anderson Varejao. However, Cleveland believes Varejao is a better fit than Asik and would prefer Green, as he would be a significant upgrade at the small forward position.

Green is currently having one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 45.3 percent overall and 40.6 percent from three. Green is also a solid defender and has the versatility to play multiple positions. Because of this, Jeff Clark over at CelticsBlog isn't necessarily sold on the idea of moving the 27-year-old for a one-dimensional player like Asik, even if the big man is elite at protecting the rim.

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