

Playing in 69 games - or 84.1 percent of the regular-season slate - triggers a $446,000 incentive. After appearing in 72 percent of the team’s regular-season games last season, there is hope that he’ll be an even more consistent presence moving forward. But we’ve repeatedly been told that there is nothing about Williams’ long-term health that should have given the Celtics pause in offering this extension. That Williams has played only 113 games through his first three NBA seasons and has endured a cocktail of maladies is worrisome. But to get him at 4/54, with only $48 million in guaranteed money truly feels like a steal. We were half-joking when we dubbed the Williams deal the biggest home run of the offseason last week on "Early Edition." Now, the Celtics could have inked Williams at 4 years, $100 million and this president of the RWIII Fan Club could have rationalized it.It doesn’t guarantee success, but it matters. The security of contracts, and with the Jays well-established as All-Stars now, there should be less on players’ minds this season. Maybe with better health and (fingers crossed) less COVID impact, then this group can show itself better than it did last season. This year’s squad can more easily just go play basketball. From Kyrie Irving preparing to bolt for Brooklyn, to Terry Rozier yearning for his big payday, to Jaylen Brown subsisting on limited touches, to Marcus Morris taking too many shots - it was a mess that culminated with a second-round exit. Just about every player on that team was worried about their future, their role, or their status. Why is that important? Think back to that 2018-19 team that was overflowing with talent but woefully underperformed. Forsberg: Instant takeaways from 2021-22 Celtics schedule What’s more, each has a defined role on this team and likely understands the hierarchy of this group. If Richardson is the team’s fifth starter (more on that later) then every single one of Boston’s 2021-22 starters has some degree of financial security. The Celtics now have four potential core pieces of their team locked in place in Smart, Williams, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. But the word we keep uttering in the aftermath is "security." The buzzword this offseason has been "flexibility" and the Celtics maintained that even after their burst of extensions for Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Josh Richardson.And Mazzulla’s staff will need to be filled by experienced coaches to help out a head coach who had multiple errors that hurt Boston in the NBA playoffs.Some vacation-delayed thoughts after the Celtics’ frenetic August, while wondering if Brad Stevens will ever get to take a vacation. Jaylen Brown is eligible for an extension, but he could be traded for another star if that’s what Stevens sees fit. This offseason will be an important one for the Celtics as president of basketball operations Brad Stevens will have to evaluate his roster to determine what needs to be changed. Udoka was hired by the Rockets in April, and while Houston didn’t fare well in the 2023 NBA Draft lottery, it hopes the leadership of Udoka and his new staff can help bring it back to contention. Will Hardy and Damon Stoudamire left the Celtics for the Utah Jazz and Georgia Tech, respectively, and the Celtics did not properly fill their absences during the season. But Boston apparently will have to fill up multiple vacancies on his staff.Īssistants Ben Sullivan, Aaron Miles, and Mike Moser are expected to join Ime Udoka’s staff with the Houston Rockets, according to The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn. Joe Mazzulla is expected to remain head coach, and he reportedly has three years, $14 million left on his deal. The Celtics are in for a busy offseason, specifically when it comes to their coaching staff.
Current celtics roster free#
Sox Transactions, Trades, and Free Agents.NBA Rumors: Celtics Will Lose Assistants To Rockets' Ime Udoka
