Boston Celtics, forward Josh Richardson agree to one-year, $12 million extension

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32074443/boston-celtics-forward-josh-richardson-agree-one-year-12-million-extension?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab&utm_content=algorithm


Boston Celtics, forward Josh Richardson agree to one-year, $12 million extension


4:56 PM PT
ESPN News Services



Boston Celtics forward Josh Richardson has agreed to a one-year, $12 million extension, his agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Richardson had one year and $11.5 million left on his deal, which now runs through the 2022-2023 season.

The Celtics acquired Richardson from the Dallas Mavericks last month by using the remainder of the trade exception created by the sign-and-trade deal that sent Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets in November.

Richardson averaged 12.1 points in 59 games with the Mavericks last season.


Bob
MY NOTE:  He came with Bird Rights.  Now he's locked in for another year and could get signed to another extension next year (and then traded).

By signing him to this extension it gives Brad control over him next offseason (withoutthis Richardsonwouldhavebeen a free agent, restrictedor unrestricted).  If Brad really likes JRich and sees him as a Celtic moving forward then why not a 3-year contract?

Brad is certainly making his mark in very short order.

.

Great minds think alike. I posted the same news 30 seconds after you Bob.

By locking him in for the second year it may make him a more favorable trade asset.

However, just maybe they really like this guy and see a two year deal as a way to keep their depth together beyond just one year.

Rumor has it that the Celtics ownership group have set aside a slush fund of $50 million earmarked for paying the luxury tax.

https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2021/08/23/celtics-richardson-agree-to-surprise-extension



Boston Celtics, Josh Richardson agree to surprise one-year extension




By JOHN KARALIS
Aug 23, 2021 • 5:49 PM



Brad Stevens apparently doesn't believe in offseasons.

The Stevens perpetual motion machine kept churning on Monday when news dropped of a surprise extension with newly acquired Josh Richardson.


The added year will be for about $12.4 million.

So why would Stevens do this?

At first blush, it seems to signal that there is less confidence from the Celtics that an in-season trade is in the works -- at least a big one that would be helped by big expiring contracts. If that doesn't happen, then the Celtics will need contracts next summer to help facilitate trades, and having an extra deal around at $12.4 million will go a long way in helping match salary.

Even if they still try to go for a mid-season trade, one extra year of Richardson doesn't entirely rule out his inclusion. It's still a reasonable salary that the acquiring team could use in a separate trade of its own, so the one-year extension doesn't rule anything out, either.

At the same time, the Celtics have to be open to keeping Richardson, and part of this signing is a hedge against a big resurgence this season. Should Richardson be able to rekindle some of the magic he found in Miami, then he'd be a tremendously valuable piece for the future. Adding the one year now gives Boston a couple of avenues with Richardson in this scenario.


Bob


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Maybe the Celtics are trying for some continuity, after all the roster churn Brad has seen in recent seasons.

It sounds to me like they want the option of keeping him around a little longer.

You can’t dump everybody but Tatum, Brown and Smart after this season. If you’re trying to build a more competitive roster you need some small degree of stability. Richardson could be quality depth or better. Might want an extended look.

I only watch the Cs. So I don't know opposing players that well. Richardson's bio and stats are not impressive. What am I missing about him?

atcross wrote:I only watch the Cs. So I don't know opposing players that well. Richardson's bio and stats are not impressive. What am I missing about him?

I saw him play against the Celts twice in Miami. He shot the lights out both times. Lifetime stats suggest that those games were anomalies, but he is known for his defensive intensity and ability to play the passing lanes.

jrleftfoot wrote:

atcross wrote:I only watch the Cs. So I don't know opposing players that well. Richardson's bio and stats are not impressive. What am I missing about him?

I I saw him play against the Celts twice in Miami. He shot the lights out both times. Lifetime stats suggest that thode games were anomalies, but he is known for his defensive intensity and ability to play the passing lanes.

Thanks.

To me this means that RL and AN are further behind in the rotation.

Even with all his deficiencies, Richardson is better than them right now. He has been offered the security of one more year of contract. So he need not worry about showcasing himself and fit into what the team wants him to do.

I am starting to get what Brad Stevens is doing here. Take away the contract insecurities so that Udoka can focus on getting the players to play the way he wants them to.

Get better, maximize what you have!

Got it coach! I mean GM.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/08/why-did-celtics-sign-josh-richardson-to-an-extension.html


MY NOTE:  There was an article like this after the RWill extension, so this would be an update to that with the effect of the Richardson extension.


Why did Celtics sign Josh Richardson to an extension?


Updated: Aug. 23, 2021, 10:24 p.m. | Published: Aug. 23, 2021, 10:24 p.m.




Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Richardson (0) drives for a layup against Cleveland Cavaliers defenders Collin Sexton (2), Jarrett Allen (31) and Dean Wade (32) during the first half, May 7, 2021, in Dallas. Brandon Wade, AP


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



The Celtics handed out their third extension in a week on Monday evening, adding one year to the current deal for Josh Richardson, which keeps him signed with Boston through the 2022-23 season.

Boston acquired Richardson back in July by taking his $11.6 million salary into what was remaining of the Gordon Hayward trade exception in a deal for Moses Brown. Brad Stevens spoke highly of the Richardson fit for the Celtics last week.


“Josh brings a great grit and edge,” Stevens said. “He can defend several positions. I think that last year was a little bit of an anomaly in how he shot the ball. He’s always been a good shooter and our numbers would say that when he gets the open opportunities, he’s better obviously than he shot last year. But he wants to win.”


THE NEW CONTRACT

The Celtics had the ability to give Richardson a slight raise on his salary of $11.6 million for the 2022-23 season per CBA rules, and it appears he got about a seven percent raise to $12.2 million for next season if he’s set to earn a total of $24 million over the next two years, according to Charania. He is set to be fifth-highest paid Celtic for the 2022-23 season after this extension.


2022-23 Celtics cap sheet

Jayson Tatum: $30.5 million

Jaylen Brown: $28.7 million

Al Horford: $26.5 million ($14.5 million guaranteed)

Marcus Smart: $17.2 million

Josh Richardson: $12.2 million (estimate)

Robert Williams: $12 million (estimate)

*Romeo Langford: $5.6 million

*Grant Williams: $4.3 million

*Aaron Nesmith: $3.8 million

*Payton Pritchard: $2.2 million

* indicates a team option

Total salary: $143.3 million to 10 players

Total guaranteed money: $131.3 million (if Horford is waived)

Expected salary cap: $119 million

Expected luxury tax line: $145 million

So now that we know the particulars of the deal, let’s try to get a better sense of what is going on here from both sides of the equation. Why did the Celtics lock up Richardson, giving them three players with new extensions in the past week? And why did Richardson agree to such a modest raise to extend with Boston now ahead of a contract year?


Why Richardson likely took the deal

The salary cap landscape for 2022 looks pretty bleak for prospective free agents. Only four teams are projected to have over $20 million in cap room at the moment and a couple of those are rebuilding squads (Detroit, Orlando) that probably aren’t going to be looking to sign win-now veterans that are closer to the tail end of their primes like Richardson.

With cap space looking so limited, a player like Richardson may have been stuck with two options in free agency, assuming no cap space teams were interested in paying his asking price.


1. The Celtics use their Bird Rights to re-sign him for whatever salary they want

2. Settling for the 2022 mid-level exception ($10.1 million in the open market)

That mid-level exception price point would be a decline in salary for Richardson and would give him no real leverage in negotiations with Boston next offseason if he elected to hit the open market. With the spending power of teams looking bleak, Richardson’s camp decided the wise bet was to lock in a raise for one more season instead of risking a potential paycut if the Celtics decided they didn’t want to retain him a year from now.


Why the Celtics wanted to extend Richardson now

Good value

There were likely a number of factors at play here but let’s start with the money. Boston clearly likes Richardson’s upside as a player and getting him locked in for one more season at a very modest raise makes him a good value deal that fits into the team’s payroll well for next year. It’s not a huge commitment obviously but it’s likely far better value than Evan Fournier’s contract from the Knicks given the far cheap price point and shorter commitment. With cap space no longer a priority for the Celtics after the Marcus Smart and Robert Williams extensions, retaining an asset like Richardson became the bigger priority for Boston beyond this year. Richardson can no longer walk away in free agency with no return if he ends up having a big season and gets a big offer from someone else. That was a low-risk proposition before the extension from Boston’s perspective but now it’s now longer a possibility. That matters for a team like the Celtics who have been burned by this free agency scenario on several occasions over the last three years.


Another tradable contract

This is probably as big of a factor as the value of the deal itself. Signing Richardson to an extension now helps with Boston’s flexibility on a variety of fronts. The odds are in favor of the Celtics keeping him throughout the 2021-22 season but Richardson will be eligible to be traded in January after signing the new deal. The same goes for Marcus Smart and Robert Williams after both make their extensions official.

If a big name happens to become available ahead of the trade deadline this season, the Celtics will have the ability to package a number of different veterans that now have team control beyond next season (along with a host of draft picks) in any offer. Richardson’s new deal is a mid-level contract that can be stacked with other players easily for salary matching in any deal for a high-cost player.


There’s no guarantee of course that Boston would have a winning offer in a chase for Bradley Beal or another star who might become available but the Richardson extension should hold value as a contract at this point, assuming he has a bounce-back year for the Celtics. That can’t hurt in any potential blockbuster trade negotiations that could arise.

The other area where the Richardson extension really helps is with flexibility for opportunities next offseason. Signing Richardson now to an extension creates a far easier avenue for a sign-and-trade scenario in the summer of 2022. In the event that Boston wants to receive a big salary in a deal, signing guys like Richardson, Smart and R. Williams to extensions this summer make them much easier to move in the summer of 2022 rather than trying to work out a double sign-and-trade deal which would have been incredibly challenging with so many moving parts. Once Boston gave up on the prospect of having cap room after the Smart deal, this was the next logical step to maximum flexibility, if the price was right for the team.


It’s entirely possible that Richardson spends the entire next two years in Boston after inking this deal. However, the Celtics now know they have another asset locked up next year. Odds are Brad Stevens doesn’t know how he wants to build around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown beyond this year just yet but Richardson’s new extension should give him a helpful avenue to pursue more options in 2022 and beyond.


Bob


.

If he fits in with our two stars, it is very likely he is here for the fulll two years, unless that "star" free agency that requires them to get rid of salaries. It seems like a win win situation to me. If Richardson fits, he may finally find a home where he can relax and just play basketball. If not, and that trade/free agent comes up, he is a valuable chip.

Brad has learned well from his former boss

RosalieTCeltics wrote:If he fits in with our two stars, it is very likely he is here for the fulll two years, unless that "star" free agency that requires them to get rid of salaries.  It seems like a win win situation to me.  If Richardson fits, he may finally find a home where he can relax and just play basketball. If not, and that trade/free agent comes up, he is a valuable chip.

Brad has learned well from his former boss

Rosalie,

While the jury is still out, we haven't started the season yet and can see for ourselves how well Brad's maneuverings turn out, I would agree with your statement "Brad has learned well from his former boss".  He has, in more ways than one.  While Danny's nickname was Trader Danny he is famous (notorious?) for standing pat at trade deadlines, or maybe just nibbling around the edges.  He liked to wait, and let the market establish player's value, before offering them contracts.  He did it with Smart, he did it with Jaylen, he did it with Horford and Ray Allen and on and on and on.  Sometimes that worked, like with Smart, other times it didn't, like with Fournier (who could have been locked up with an extension last year) and Theis (whom he traded for two players who are both gone.  Theis signed with the Rockets for 4 years, $36M, $9M/year isn't bad for a starting center).

Brad, on the other hand, is more aggressive and decisive.  He hasn't shown a willingness to "let things play themselves out", at least not so far.  He wanted to move Kemba, for whatever reason(s), and moved on Horford and Brown swiftly.  I wouldn't have been surprised if Danny didn't make that trade at all, he was emotionally invested in Kemba.  When he saw he was being priced out of Fournier's contract he didn't hope against hope he'd give him a discount, he pivoted and cut a deal for Richardson which included throwing in the piece that came with Horford, Moses Brown.  We will see if that was a mistake or not as Moses' career progresses but Brad didn't take a laid back approach to his new player.  He said "I need a player to replace Fournier, whom I will lose no matter how much he loves me, and that's a priority" and he pulled the trigger.  I am not convinced Danny would have done that, not that quickly.

Look at all the activity Brad has had since he became GM, less than 3 months ago in June.  It really is amazing.  Set aside whether you understand his strategy or if you like his individual decisions (like trading away Moses to get JRich) there has been a lot of stuff.  Three trades (Thompson, Kemba, Richardson), two free agent signings (Kanter, Schroder) and three extensions (Smart, RWill and Richardson).  Did I miss anybody?  I'm not even counting Sam Hauser.  It would be easy to overlook a more major move, considering all the flurries.  That's close to one/week!

Danny was talked about a lot as being involved with a wide range of trade rumors.  Brad is actually pulling the trigger.


Bob

.

bobheckler wrote:Danny was talked about a lot as being involved with a wide range of trade rumors.  Brad is actually pulling the trigger.

Bob

.

Danny was involved in many trade rumors over the years.  How many of Brad's transactions were rumors first and how many caught us by surprise?

Sure, some things dragged out for one reason or another before things became "official", but most of Brad's transactions were agreed upon ahead of any rumors.

That goes to show that most rumors end up being click-bait for the masses.

prakash wrote:To me this means that RL and AN are further behind in the rotation.

Even with all his deficiencies, Richardson is better than them right now.  He has been offered the security of one more year of contract.  So he need not worry about showcasing himself and fit into what the team wants him to do.

I am starting to get what Brad Stevens is doing here.  Take away the contract insecurities so that Udoka can focus on getting the players to play the way he wants them to.

Get better, maximize what you have!

Got it coach!  I mean GM.

I have a feeling that the Celtics will put a 3 wing lineup on the court with Richardson, JB and JT along with RW and MS.

If that lineup works AN will be the first guard/wing off the bench. The guy likely to get squeezed is PP because he is playing behind 2 veteran PG's. If PP is going to get solid minutes he will need to be able to play off the ball some. So you could see him paired with either Marcus or Dennis in a dual role as a ball handler but also as an off the ball catch and shoot guy.

Both PP and AN shoot the ball too well to get buried on the bench. RL on the other hand may be the odd man out.

Overall, I like the idea of keeping guys together so that they can gel as a team.

The other thing we cannot overlooked is how Brad has assembled several middle class salaries that when paired together gets you 25-$30 million for a major trade.

The 2022 FA class looks weak so any 3rd star could only be obtained through a trade. JB and JT are off the table.

I am not advocating the pursuit of a 3rd guy but Brad has at least set the team up so that they can go after one but also keep their two allstar players.

dboss wrote:The other thing we cannot overlooked is how Brad has assembled several middle class salaries that when paired together gets you 25-$30 million for a major trade.

The 2022 FA class looks weak so any 3rd star could only be obtained through a trade.  JB and JT are off the table.

I am not advocating the pursuit of a 3rd guy but Brad has at least set the team up so that they can go after one but also keep their two allstar players.

dboss,

I agree.  Let's not forget the $17M Fournier TPE, that will help get the total $ figure up.

I said you can win a Championship with 2 stars, that doesn't mean that's the easiest or surest way.  In fact, I pointed out that those two stars need to play above their heads in the playoffs and their bench must too.  Three stars (e.g. LeBron, Wade and Bosh) is better, four stars (Steph, Klay, KD and Draymond; or Bird, McHale, Parish and DJ) is better still.

As Senator Everett Dirksen once said about government spending "a billion here and a billion there and pretty soon you're talking real money" (for perspective, he was wryly pointing out how big spending had gotten, to where millions were merely rounding errors).  We just signed a medium-quality NBA player to a $12M extension and another one who struggles to stay on the court to a $13M/year extension and, when you consider next year's MLE will be $10.1M, those numbers don't seem so big anymore.


Bob


.

bobheckler wrote:

RosalieTCeltics wrote:If he fits in with our two stars, it is very likely he is here for the fulll two years, unless that "star" free agency that requires them to get rid of salaries.  It seems like a win win situation to me.  If Richardson fits, he may finally find a home where he can relax and just play basketball. If not, and that trade/free agent comes up, he is a valuable chip.

Brad has learned well from his former boss

Rosalie,

While the jury is still out, we haven't started the season yet and can see for ourselves how well Brad's maneuverings turn out, I would agree with your statement "Brad has learned well from his former boss".  He has, in more ways than one.  While Danny's nickname was Trader Danny he is famous (notorious?) for standing pat at trade deadlines, or maybe just nibbling around the edges.  He liked to wait, and let the market establish player's value, before offering them contracts.  He did it with Smart, he did it with Jaylen, he did it with Horford and Ray Allen and on and on and on.  Sometimes that worked, like with Smart, other times it didn't, like with Fournier (who could have been locked up with an extension last year) and Theis (whom he traded for two players who are both gone.  Theis signed with the Rockets for 4 years, $36M, $9M/year isn't bad for a starting center).

Brad, on the other hand, is more aggressive and decisive.  He hasn't shown a willingness to "let things play themselves out", at least not so far.  He wanted to move Kemba, for whatever reason(s), and moved on Horford and Brown swiftly.  I wouldn't have been surprised if Danny didn't make that trade at all, he was emotionally invested in Kemba.  When he saw he was being priced out of Fournier's contract he didn't hope against hope he'd give him a discount, he pivoted and cut a deal for Richardson which included throwing in the piece that came with Horford, Moses Brown.  We will see if that was a mistake or not as Moses' career progresses but Brad didn't take a laid back approach to his new player.  He said "I need a player to replace Fournier, whom I will lose no matter how much he loves me, and that's a priority" and he pulled the trigger.  I am not convinced Danny would have done that, not that quickly.

Look at all the activity Brad has had since he became GM, less than 3 months ago in June.  It really is amazing.  Set aside whether you understand his strategy or if you like his individual decisions (like trading away Moses to get JRich) there has been a lot of stuff.  Three trades (Thompson, Kemba, Richardson), two free agent signings (Kanter, Schroder) and three extensions (Smart, RWill and Richardson).  Did I miss anybody?  I'm not even counting Sam Hauser.  It would be easy to overlook a more major move, considering all the flurries.  That's close to one/week!

Danny was talked about a lot as being involved with a wide range of trade rumors.  Brad is actually pulling the trigger.


Bob

.

Brad AND the team in the FO are doing a great job.
It’s how some writers pen articles and give one player all the credit and blame for losing then everyone gets pissed at the writer.
I give him his props too but it ain’t just Brad.

Ktron wrote:

bobheckler wrote:

RosalieTCeltics wrote:If he fits in with our two stars, it is very likely he is here for the fulll two years, unless that "star" free agency that requires them to get rid of salaries.  It seems like a win win situation to me.  If Richardson fits, he may finally find a home where he can relax and just play basketball. If not, and that trade/free agent comes up, he is a valuable chip.

Brad has learned well from his former boss

Rosalie,

While the jury is still out, we haven't started the season yet and can see for ourselves how well Brad's maneuverings turn out, I would agree with your statement "Brad has learned well from his former boss".  He has, in more ways than one.  While Danny's nickname was Trader Danny he is famous (notorious?) for standing pat at trade deadlines, or maybe just nibbling around the edges.  He liked to wait, and let the market establish player's value, before offering them contracts.  He did it with Smart, he did it with Jaylen, he did it with Horford and Ray Allen and on and on and on.  Sometimes that worked, like with Smart, other times it didn't, like with Fournier (who could have been locked up with an extension last year) and Theis (whom he traded for two players who are both gone.  Theis signed with the Rockets for 4 years, $36M, $9M/year isn't bad for a starting center).

Brad, on the other hand, is more aggressive and decisive.  He hasn't shown a willingness to "let things play themselves out", at least not so far.  He wanted to move Kemba, for whatever reason(s), and moved on Horford and Brown swiftly.  I wouldn't have been surprised if Danny didn't make that trade at all, he was emotionally invested in Kemba.  When he saw he was being priced out of Fournier's contract he didn't hope against hope he'd give him a discount, he pivoted and cut a deal for Richardson which included throwing in the piece that came with Horford, Moses Brown.  We will see if that was a mistake or not as Moses' career progresses but Brad didn't take a laid back approach to his new player.  He said "I need a player to replace Fournier, whom I will lose no matter how much he loves me, and that's a priority" and he pulled the trigger.  I am not convinced Danny would have done that, not that quickly.

Look at all the activity Brad has had since he became GM, less than 3 months ago in June.  It really is amazing.  Set aside whether you understand his strategy or if you like his individual decisions (like trading away Moses to get JRich) there has been a lot of stuff.  Three trades (Thompson, Kemba, Richardson), two free agent signings (Kanter, Schroder) and three extensions (Smart, RWill and Richardson).  Did I miss anybody?  I'm not even counting Sam Hauser.  It would be easy to overlook a more major move, considering all the flurries.  That's close to one/week!

Danny was talked about a lot as being involved with a wide range of trade rumors.  Brad is actually pulling the trigger.


Bob

.

Brad AND the team in the FO are doing a great job.
It’s how some writers pen articles and give one player all the credit and blame for losing then everyone gets pissed at the writer.
I give him his props too but it ain’t just Brad.

ktron,

True. He's the leader but it's a team sport, a team effort.


Bob


.

You notice, they sit in the background, but are highly regarded on only by Brad but the owners. Mike Zarren is listed as an assistant gm and lead counsel. He is one smart cookie, knows the cap inside out and back. Austin Ainge appears to be solid in this rotation of management. Brad has been lucky to have these guys with him. I know everyone feels Zarren will be gone soon, I am not so sure about that. I would put my money on Wyc realizing what he has a paying for it.