Thursday 13 August 2020 07:24, UK
The Boston Celtics have signed coach Brad Stevens to a contract extension, the team announced on Wednesday. Terms of the new deal were not disclosed.
The Celtics signed Stevens to a six-year deal when they hired him in 2013. They gave him an initial extension in 2016 that would have expired following next season.
Stevens, 43, has a 318-245 record in seven seasons in Boston. His wins rank fourth in franchise history, trailing Red Auerbach (795), Tom Heinsohn (427) and Doc Rivers (416).
The Celtics are 48-23 this season and have won at least 48 games in each of the last five seasons. Boston have already clinched the third seed in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs starting on Monday, which will mark their sixth straight trip to the postseason under Stevens.
During Stevens' tenure, the Celtics made back-to-back trips to the East finals in 2016-17 and 2017-18, the first time since the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons that they have reached the Conference Finals in consecutive seasons.
"Brad is an accomplished coach and an outstanding person," Celtics lead owner Wyc Grousbeck said in a statement. "We are proud to have him lead our team forward in our quest for banner 18."
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge called Stevens a great team-mate. "His character and integrity have contributed to a culture that we all highly value here," Ainge said.
Indiana Pacers coach Nate McMillan wasn't sure how this season would end. So before the league's teams arrived in the NBA bubble, McMillan and president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard started discussing a potential contract extension.
On Wednesday, McMillan and the Pacers added another year to his current deal, which was set to expire after next season.
"It's just a one-year extension. I felt that was appropriate for both sides," McMillan told reporters on a pregame Zoom call. "Normally, I don't do any negotiations 'til after the season. But this has been an unusual season for all of us - coaches, players and management - and we had been talking about this. We just thought a one-year extension really was appropriate."
McMillan has a 182-136 record in four seasons in Indiana, taking the Pacers to the playoffs every year. The Pacers finish the regular season Friday against the Miami Heat.
When the playoffs begin next week, McMillan will be trying to lead the Pacers into the second round for the first time since 2014.
"What Nate has done in four seasons with our franchise merits this extension," Pritchard said. "Between injuries and changes in personnel, he and his coaching staff have adapted and produced positive results. He also represents the franchise, the city and our state in a first-class manner."
"Great news coming from the front office today that they have extended coach another year," guard Malcolm Brogdon wrote on Twitter. "We need one healthy year to prove how good we can be."
