Boston Celtics Using Brad Stevens And Danny Ainge To Lure NBA Free Agents

Boston Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck sees a very bright future for his franchise. He knows greatness is right around the corner. Grousbeck decided to make major commitments to ensure that the Celtics become of the best teams in the NBA again. He did that by handing out contract extensions to general manager Danny Ainge and head coach Brad Stevens. Fox Sports is reporting that the moves were done to make Boston more attractive to free agents.

When NBA players do their tour of the league in free agency, they want to know that they’re signing a contract with a team that will put them in a good situation. Stars visiting the Boston Celtics this summer will see a lot of things that they like. The franchise has seven picks in the upcoming draft, cap space to sign two superstars and a plethora of talented players who are committed to a team first approach.

What NBA players will also see this summer when they visit the Boston Celtics is a team that has key people in place. A general manager and head coach are two of the most important pieces of any sports team. The Celtics have two very good ones in place with Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens. While terms of the deals were not immediately disclosed, the belief is that Ainge and Stevens are going to be in Boston for a very long time.

When Danny Ainge took a gamble by plucking Brad Stevens from Butler University, he handed him a six year contract worth $22 million to convince him to give the NBA a try. Stevens still had three years remaining on his contract. However, Wyc Grousbeck wanted to let Stevens know that he’s going to be around for the long haul. A financial commitment was needed to send that message across.

A possible reason why the Boston Celtics were able to lock down Brad Stevens so easily is the fact that he simply loves to coach basketball. Stevens has publicly stated that it’s not important for him to be paid among the top coaches in the NBA. He doesn’t need that to validate what he can do as a coach. Stevens is simply happy to have an opportunity to compete in the NBA.

Now that they are financially set, Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens can focus on finishing the rebuilding period for the Boston Celtics.

It’s highly unlikely that the Boston Celtics keep all seven of their draft picks. There simply is not enough room on the roster for that. Danny Ainge might draft a couple of foreign players and stash them overseas for a couple of years. That strategy has worked out rather well for Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs for more than a decade now.

Since they own the third overall pick in the NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics are really hoping that they can find someone that can contribute right away. It would help their chances of returning to the playoffs if they can find someone that immediately joins the rotation. Moving up to draft Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram has not been ruled out yet.

In free agency, the Boston Celtics have been linked to Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks. The versatile center would be the star player that the Celtics have coveted. Kevin Durant is also another option, but that seems like a pipe dream, as many in the NBA believe that he will sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder to stick around for another year.

With Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens as the lure, the Boston Celtics have a very good chance of catching one of the top free agents in the NBA this upcoming summer.

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