Contract Extensions for Ainge and Stevens

boca

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Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine 2m2 minutes ago
The Celtics just announced contract extensions for Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens

gary washburn ‏@GwashburnGlobe 2m2 minutes ago Emeryville, CA
#Celtics announce they have extended the contracts of team president Danny Ainge and coach Brad Stevens. Stevens had 3 yrs left on deal.

Apologies if I've linked those tweets incorrectly
 

Ed Hillel

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How has this thread not blown up already? This is tremendous news, and should quell some concerns about him jumping back to college. I hope Stevens is here another 30 years.
 

AlNipper49

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You could make a case that, even in a Belichick world, that Stevens is the most valuable coach in Boston at the moment. This news is beyond incredible, I hope that he's getting $20/mil/year.
 

TheoShmeo

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Agreed this is great news and I see it as potentially helpful in the free agent realm. Ainge and Stevens can now look at KD or other free agents and say "we're in it for the long haul...come build the next great Cs team with us..." Or some such thing.

For that reason, I strongly suspect the timing of this announcement is not coincidental.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Doc and Danny had a fine relationship for awhile but you get the sense that Stevens is really the guy Ainge has been waiting for all his life.

Talent rules this league, but organizational continuity and stability shouldn't be overstated, particularly when you're talking about the hottest up-and-comer in the league and a GM who is universally acknowledged as one of the best. Of course, it remains to be seen exactly how much all of this really counts for in terms of attracting talent, but the knowledge that the entire org is operating with a shared vision of the next 5 years in mind does feel a bit like being wrapped in a warm blanket.
 

4 6 3 DP

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This is fantastic news. I would not want a different combination running my organization.
 

wutang112878

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Fantastic, absolutely awesome. Behind Red, Danny is the best GM and Stevens is the best coach that this franchise has ever had. While we would all obviously prefer more instant gratification, but I know this franchise is in great hands with these two at the wheel. If you told me we wouldnt attract a significant free agent over the next 3 years, but I'd get contract extensions for Danny and Stevens, I'd take the contract extensions in a heartbeat. Thats how strongly I feel about these guys.
 

zenter

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Fantastic news. I hope terms leak. I'm curious what year Stevens is signed through. The Cs have not-subtly trying to establish a Buford/Popovich vibe with these two, and this helps.

It also hopefully puts the kibosh on the "Stevens to _____" (insert prestigious university bball program).
 

GeorgeCostanza

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It absolutely part of the FA recruiting process. FAs want stability in their coach and front office and this is a sign that Brad and Danny will be here for the long haul.
On the flip side, some big name FAs may want some say in who the coach will be. This would seem to remove that potential. Not saying Durant is one of those players, but I'm sure they're out there. However, I wouldn't want that type of guy on the Celtics so this is good news for me.
 

CreightonGubanich

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On the flip side, some big name FAs may want some say in who the coach will be. This would seem to remove that potential. Not saying Durant is one of those players, but I'm sure they're out there. However, I wouldn't want that type of guy on the Celtics so this is good news for me.
Not saying you're wrong here, but Stevens already had three years left on his contract before the extension, and I honestly don't think Ainge would fire him no matter who it meant he'd be able to recruit. Maybe that's naive, I just don't think Danny does business that way.
 

Pxer

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Successful offseason.

It's really fun having competent ownership that is good at staying ahead of the curve. Locking up top-flight GMs and coaches with plenty of rope is the number one thing you can do to sustain a winning culture.

The Patriots, Celtics, and to an extent, the Red Sox do this pretty well. We're spoiled.
 

BigSoxFan

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And behind Walter Brown, the Grousbeck/Pagliuca ownership team is the best that this franchise has ever had.
Agreed. Don't think these guys get the recognition they deserve. They're passionate, hire great management, and they don't micro-manage to the best of my knowledge. Barring something unforeseen, this team is in good hands for a while.
 

sox311

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That's what she said.
Adam Kaufman ‏@AdamMKaufman 5s5 seconds ago
Very interesting that Steve Pagliuca just said, "We didn't just do this to keep Brad away from Duke." #Celtics

Hmm interesting. Wonder if that was suggested by Coach K as his successor especially knowing Steve's son played for Duke.
Sort of sounded like a joke to me. They also mentioned Butler, Indiana, and North Carolina.


We'll see if exact numbers leak. Danny or Brad would not mention specifics.
 

HomeRunBaker

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It also hopefully puts the kibosh on the "Stevens to _____" (insert prestigious university bball program).
Those really came off the table when Crean got Indiana straightened out both on and off the court this winter. After Indiana and Duke there were never really any other options that even made sense for Stevens.
 

Bleedred

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Adam Kaufman ‏@AdamMKaufman 5s5 seconds ago
Very interesting that Steve Pagliuca just said, "We didn't just do this to keep Brad away from Duke." #Celtics

Hmm interesting. Wonder if that was suggested by Coach K as his successor especially knowing Steve's son played for Duke.
Pagliuca's kid is on the Duke team because his father bought him onto the Duke team. The kid can't play. Still, it's cool to be able to ride the pine with that team.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Pagliuca's kid is on the Duke team because his father bought him onto the Duke team. The kid can't play. Still, it's cool to be able to ride the pine with that team.
D-1 walk-ons are typically D-3 level players with few exceptions. I remember watching the walk-on tryouts one year at Providence with 30 kids and maybe 5 of them could have even played D-3 back then. I'm not naive enough to believe that payoffs and favors don't occur and that many times the tryouts are there just for looks.
 

LoneWarrior1

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I'm happy with this news. I am curious how this is different from when an NCAA coach gets another mult-year extension when he has 2+ years on his contract. It doesn't always prevent them from leaving before the extension kicks in. Is it mostly symbolic & financial than a reflection of ones desire to stay? Don't mean to rain on the parade.
 

zenter

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I'm happy with this news. I am curious how this is different from when an NCAA coach gets another mult-year extension when he has 2+ years on his contract. It doesn't always prevent them from leaving before the extension kicks in. Is it mostly symbolic & financial than a reflection of ones desire to stay? Don't mean to rain on the parade.
Two related things here which make it not so rainy...

1) Stevens's extension likely rips up current deal and is a new deal starting in August.
2) RJ Hunter says hello. Breaking a contract to go elsewhere can bring potentially-valuable compensation picks.
 

Koufax

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I can still remember walking down to the kitchen that morning, my Mom as usual had on WESX out of Salem, hearing the sports and thinking "they traded WHAT for WHO????"

Cant begin to explain what a shit storm the Y John Brown years were......
Phyllis George wasn't bad, though.
 

HomeRunBaker

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I'm happy with this news. I am curious how this is different from when an NCAA coach gets another mult-year extension when he has 2+ years on his contract. It doesn't always prevent them from leaving before the extension kicks in. Is it mostly symbolic & financial than a reflection of ones desire to stay? Don't mean to rain on the parade.
1. It's good PR and comforting for the players to hear knowing their team is committed to their coach. This was a turning point year imo and an extension sure beats the alternative.

2. It is a common occurrence to extend a deal to bring the latter years up to market value for all coaches in the middle of contracts. Toronto just brought Casey up to $6m per season which is what the new norm is for experienced coaches this summer and I expect that Brad's is now up in this range from the previous $3.67m.

3. I'm sure Wyc included some creative language in the deal for future potential leverage as zenter mentioned above.