Robb: Celtics wisely reward Brad Stevens with lengthy contract extension

The Celtics announced on Wednesday afternoon that they have signed Brad Stevens to a contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed but a league source tells BSJ that the deal will ensure the head coach remains in Boston through at least the first half of the upcoming decade.

The Celtics originally hired Stevens in July 2013, inking him to a six-year contract. Ownership extended his deal by three years in the summer of 2016, which left Stevens with still two years remaining on that extension at the end of the 2019-20 season.

“Brad is an accomplished coach and an outstanding person,”  Wyc Grousbeck said in a team release. “We are proud to have him lead our team forward in our quest for Banner 18.”

“Brad is one of the most intelligent and hard-working coaches in the game today,” added Danny Ainge. “More importantly, his character and integrity have contributed to a culture that we all highly value here. Brad is a great teammate, and a leader people want to follow. We are honored  to have him with us as we continue to pursue our next championship.”

The 43-year-old Stevens has led Boston to six straight postseason appearances and two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals during his tenure. He already ranks fourth in regular season wins in team history after surpassing the 300 win mark midway through the 2019-20 season.

BSJ Analysis

This strong vote of confidence from the Celtics front office should come as no surprise. Among a long list of things that have gone well for the C’s this year has been Stevens bringing the best out of this group in the midst of an injury-riddled year for much of the team's core talent. Stevens’ job security has never been a question in Boston over the past seven years, but last year’s season clearly took a toll on the head coach mentally as he tried to manage a roster that was overloaded with talent, didn't fit well together, featured a diva superstar and too much drama at times.

Stevens has responded well to that down year by surpassing expectations during the 2019-20 regular season on paper for the talent level and health of this group. More importantly, Stevens has the backing of all the key players on this roster and has helped bring out the best of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown this year once they were given leading roles following the departure of Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Marcus Morris and others.

The Celtics have their core of the future in place in Brown/Tatum along with a couple star veterans willing to sacrifice in Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker, so it makes complete sense from an organizational standpoint to give its head coach the same kind of security those guys already have or will be getting this summer (Tatum). Hayward's future beyond next season is murky, in Boston but everyone else should be staying put.

Assuming Stevens coaches at least through his new extension, he will pass Doc Rivers and Tommy Heinsohn to become the second longest-tenured coach in Celtics history, trailing the one and only Red Auerbach (16 seasons) on that front. Given his age and progression of this roster, it’s hard to envision a scenario where he doesn’t reach that second place milestone. Getting a crack at Red's 16 seasons doesn't seem like a huge stretch either.

Stevens has a long way to go to be considered on equal footing as guys like Auerbach or Bill Belichick from a success standpoint, since championships will be necessary to be involved in those conversations. However, the Celtics know that he has the potential to join those ranks long-term if they give him the talent needed to contend. This new extension gives Stevens an extended runway to mold the younger talent he has on this roster this decade, along with some added peace of mind in a profession where job security is hard to come by.