Celtics Sign Brad Stevens And Danny Ainge To Contract Extensions

The Celtics Just Locked Up Brad Stevens And Danny Ainge To Contract Extensions


Sean Highkin,UPROXX


57 seconds ago




Boston Celtics Introduce Brad Stevens
Getty Image




When the Boston Celtics hired Brad Stevens as head coach in 2013, they took the unusual step of signing him to a six-year deal, sending a message that they were going to give him time to grow as the organization headed for a rebuild in the post-Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce era. Three years into that deal, the Celtics have already announced an extension for Stevens – and the man who hired him, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge.


"The Boston Celtics announced Wednesday that they have extended the contracts of president of basketball operations, Danny Ainge, and head coach, Brad Stevens. The terms, per team policy, have not been disclosed. Managing partner, governor and CEO Wyc Grousbeck told Celtics.com that based on Stevens’ and Ainge’s success in their respective roles, the decision to extend their contracts was made without hesitation. “A major job of ownership is to find the right people to run the basketball side,” Grousbeck said. “We believe we have found them in Danny and Brad.” “Once you find your people,” he continued, “you need to support them in their efforts and create a work environment that enables them and the team to succeed. If all of that is in place, the topic of extending contracts becomes an easy one, because everybody wants to keep moving forward together.”

Stevens has been a success in his first three years as Celtics coach, making the playoffs twice with a roster mostly comprised of role players. Ainge, for his own part, has done a good job of rebuilding after the Doc Rivers era ended, signing good young players like Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley to reasonable contracts, stockpiling draft picks, and swinging deals like the one for Isaiah Thomas at the 2015 trade deadline.

This is going to be a big summer for the Celtics. They have eight picks in the upcoming draft, including three first-rounders, and most notably the No. 3 overall pick (from Brooklyn, a remnant of the Garnett-Pierce trade). They could select a player, or use that pick in a trade for an established star in the event that someone like, say, Jimmy Butler becomes available.

The Celtics are also expected to make a serious run at Kevin Durant when free agency begins on July 1, with max cap space and plenty of assets to trade for another star if they land him. It’s tough to see Durant leaving Oklahoma City, at least not this offseason (signing a one-year deal makes the most financial sense for him), but Boston figures to have one of the more compelling pitches for him or for another star free agent, such as Al Horford.

Locking up Ainge and Stevens long-term only adds to that. In a league where there’s so much turnover (there have been 13 head coaching changes since the start of the 2015-16 season), this kind of stability and long-term unity is rare, and should be appealing to free agents.



bob
MY NOTE:  This should put to bed all the rumors about Brad leaving for Duke or wherever.  Smart moves, Wyc, smart moves.  The difference between Brad in the picture and Brad now is that he has ditched the tie.

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WYC GROUSBECK EXTENDS DANNY AINGE, BRAD STEVENS: ‘[THEY] REPRESENT EXACTLY WHAT THE BOSTON CELTICS STAND FOR’

WEEI

By Mike Petraglia

The Celtics have made their first big move of the offseason.

No, they haven’t added or subtracted players yet. Owners Wyc Grousbeck and Stephen Pagliuca just recommitted themselves to the people who will be making those decisions.

The team announced Wednesday that they have extended the contracts of President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge and Head Coach Brad Stevens. Terms of the deals, including the length of the extensions, were not disclosed.

“Danny and Brad represent exactly what the Boston Celtics stand for: excellence on and off the court,” Grousbeck said in a statement. “With their long-term deals in place, we are continuing to build towards competing for Banner 18. Our ownership group thanks them for their hard work and their re-commitment to the Celtics.”

Ainge, who just completed his 13th season as Celtics President of Basketball Operations, has compiled a record of 565-484 (.539) during his tenure, making 10 trips to the post-season, three Conference Finals appearances and two trips to the NBA Finals, including winning the NBA Championship in 2008. That season, fellow NBA executives voted Ainge the Executive of the Year for the 2007-08 season.

“I am grateful to continue to work in an environment where I’m surrounded by so many people that are an integral part of our success,” Ainge said in the team release. “We have had great stability in this organization since the ownership group bought the Celtics. We know our strengths and weaknesses and as a group we work well together. Wyc, Irv, Steve, Rich, Brad and I have a common goal in pursuing Banner 18 and I’m looking forward to this next chapter in Boston Celtics history.”

As for Stevens, he completed his third season as the team’s head coach, guiding the team to a 48-34 record and clinching the team’s second consecutive playoff berth. Stevens is a two-time NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month winner, most recently for games played in February 2016, where he led the Celtics to the best record in the Eastern Conference (9-3) and a 6-0 mark at the TD Garden.


He became just the third coach in team history to win the Coach of the Month award more than once, joining K.C. Jones and Doc Rivers. Stevens was introduced as the franchise’s 17th head coach on July 3, 2013 after a storied career as the head coach of Butler University. In his tenure at Butler, he led the Bulldogs to six trips to NCAA Division I post-season tournament play, including two consecutive National Championship Games (2010 and 2011). He is the youngest coach to lead his team to the Final Four twice.

“My family and I were thrilled to have been approached with this contract extension,” said Stevens in the release. “We sincerely appreciate the empowering leadership of our ownership and front office, the opportunity to work alongside such a talented staff, the support of our tremendous fans, and of course the commitment and hard work of the players wearing this jersey. It’s an honor to be a member of the Boston Celtics – and we’ll continue striving for growth in pursuit of Banner 18.”

112288

Great move to make now, especially with Stevens.

I assume he got nice BIG pay increase for the extention to put him in line with what the top coaches command now.

and yes all the talk or Brad goiong back to college can be puit to rest , at least for a few more years.

onto the draft and off-season now.

Good move.

There's much to be said for leadership continuity, especially when you're trying to assemble a team to contend for the long-term.

I have to see the terms first to see if it is a real benefit to US the fans and the team long term.

112288

112288 wrote:I have to see the terms first to see if it is a real benefit to US the fans and the team long term.

112288

112288,

Why? Coaching and front office salaries do not figure into the team's salary cap.


bob


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Bob,

Pay means nothing. Danny will die a Celtic, but Brad is another issue.

Maybe Brad has an out clause which then technically is not a long term deal.

112288

112288 wrote:Bob,

Pay means nothing.     Danny will die a Celtic, but Brad is another issue.

Maybe Brad has an out clause which then technically is not a long term deal.

112288

Good point.

NYCelt wrote:

112288 wrote:Bob,

Pay means nothing.     Danny will die a Celtic, but Brad is another issue.

Maybe Brad has an out clause which then technically is not a long term deal.

112288

Good point.

This is a great move to lock Stevens up as an NBA coach.
It's a no brainer for him to sign the extension which gives him much more long term security.
It doesn't do anything to keep Stevens in Boston if he wants to go back to college coaching.
He could leave Boston at any time for a college job.

tjmakz wrote:

NYCelt wrote:

112288 wrote:Bob,

Pay means nothing.     Danny will die a Celtic, but Brad is another issue.

Maybe Brad has an out clause which then technically is not a long term deal.

112288

Good point.

This is a great move to lock Stevens up as an NBA coach.
It's a no brainer for him to sign the extension which gives him much more long term security.
It doesn't do anything to keep Stevens in Boston if he wants to go back to college coaching.
He could leave Boston at any time for a college job.

TJ,

True, any coach can forfeit his pay and leave the league.  Its moves within the NBA that are the concern.

You don't want a Doc Rivers type disruption when you're trying to retain players and recruit free agents.

Without putting words into 112288's mouth, I think that's where he's going.

Regards

Locking Brad up long term is a great decision.  Stability attracts free agents.

Danny just needs to get the right players that fit.  We need a home run or two.  

Dboss

I'm just speculating here, but this could point to a long-term approach to the re-build.

Danny and Brad now have more incentive to avoid rash roster moves like blockbuster trades. More incentive to focus on building through the draft and maintaining maximum long term cap flexibility.

That definitely works for me, if it plays out that way.

If the Celtics do this re-build right they can be the Patriots of the NFL for a long, long time.

arambone wrote:I'm just speculating here, but this could point to a long-term approach to the re-build.

Danny and Brad now have more incentive to avoid rash roster moves like blockbuster trades. More incentive to focus on building through the draft and maintaining maximum long term cap flexibility.

That definitely works for me, if it plays out that way.

If the Celtics do this re-build right they can be the Patriots of the NFL for a long, long time.

arambone,

Yes, hopefully that will be the case.

I'm not a Patriots fan, but I'll happily go with your comparison.  

Although deflated basketballs don't work so good... [Sorry Pats fans; couldn't resist!]

Regards

arambone wrote:I'm just speculating here, but this could point to a long-term approach to the re-build.

Danny and Brad now have more incentive to avoid rash roster moves like blockbuster trades. More incentive to focus on building through the draft and maintaining maximum long term cap flexibility.

That definitely works for me, if it plays out that way.

If the Celtics do this re-build right they can be the Patriots of the NFL for a long, long time.

arambone,

A valid speculation.

If Brad is perceived as just a "rebuild coach" then that makes absolute sense.

When LaMarcus Aldridge interviewed with San Antonio he (reportedly) explicitly and pointedly asked Pop if he was going to keep coaching even though Tim Duncan was no more than 1 year away from retirement, or was he going to go out with him.  Pop's answer, that he wasn't planning on going anywhere, satisfied Aldridge and he signed with them.  Aldridge wasn't going to go to the Spurs for Duncan, or Parker or Leonard, he was going to play for Pop in Pop's system and trusted Pop and GM RC Buford to get the players that fit that system, to surround him over the term of his contract with them.

As long as we're just speculating, maybe one of those "prerequirements" that Durant's agent allegedly gave the Boston Celtics front office for him to consider signing with us is that Trader Danny and Brad Stevens be here for as long as his contract?  It could, also, just be a coincidence that less than one week after that list is rumored to have been delivered BOTH of those guys get extended AND that terms were not cited.  There was no problem talking about the length and amount of Brad's 6 year contract, but now they don't want to say anything?

If that list does exist, I would KILL to see it.  Who wouldn't?


bob


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NY,

Ya, you are right and I did not want to open another can of worms!

112288

Here gose Felger! This is driving him crazy. He hates that the fans support anything that the Celtics decides to do. This is so obnoxious. What a fool.

Rosalie,

I turn him off when he comes on!

112288

Q. If that list does exist, I would KILL to see it. Who wouldn't?

A. Durant's agent. He already knows.

Someone tell me both deals were life contracts..

worcester wrote:Q. If that list does exist, I would KILL to see it.  Who wouldn't?

A. Durant's agent. He already knows.

Worcester,

Well then, I guess we know who I gotta kill now, don't we?

I don't know about Danny's contract but Brad had 3 years left on his.  Has anybody ever heard of someone, anyone, in any sport or endeavor, being given an extension with 3 years and half the contract to go?

"Curiouser and Curiouser", said Alice.


bob


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I personally think they are convinced they have a great coach sitting on their bench. I can imagine the money that would be thrown at him to have him leave and go to Duke or Indiana U. I love it! This is the way they may be able to draw quality free agents. Guys love playing for a committed coach like Stevens. He always has his players backs.

I guess you are right, but with the money that these clubs are going to be throwing around to players you need your coach, as good as he is, to want to stick around, especially when you are dealing with so many young guys who love playing for him.

arambone wrote:I'm just speculating here, but this could point to a long-term approach to the re-build.

Danny and Brad now have more incentive to avoid rash roster moves like blockbuster trades. More incentive to focus on building through the draft and maintaining maximum long term cap flexibility.

That definitely works for me, if it plays out that way.

If the Celtics do this re-build right they can be the Patriots of the NFL for a long, long time.

It is more about proving to potential free agents that there is stability in the organization than it is about these two being made to feel they have the job security to embark on a long re-build if that is the way they want to go.

Article explained Brad had a 6 year deal up in 2019 but failed to mention when Danny's contract was up.

Two great signings to start off the summer season. Quality stability in the management spots.

Go Celtics