Brad Stevens stepped down as head coach, and Danny Ainge stepped down as president of basketball operations. Sources said the team will keep Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but Walker will be a part of the shakeup. And the feeling is mutual between Walker and the organization.
Jaylen Brown Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: F
Born: 10/24/96
Height: 6-6 / 1.98
Weight:223 lbs. / 101.2 kg.
Salary: $25,035,118
Born: 10/24/96
Height: 6-6 / 1.98
Weight:223 lbs. / 101.2 kg.
Salary: $25,035,118
A source close to Walker said he was hurt by Boston’s efforts to trade him, which created a rift in the Walker-Ainge relationship. Walker has a great relationship with his teammates and looked forward to being a veteran mentor to Tatum and Brown, but the same can’t be said about Walker and the front office. He no longer feels wanted.
Stevens and the Celtics hired Allen in 2015, viewing him as someone who could help push the organization forward. Allen has worked closely with many of the Celtics top players over the years, including Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. He was responsible for coordinating how the Celtics would attack their opponents’ defensive schemes. The Undefeated earlier reported that Allen was expected to get consideration for the job. A league source confirmed that, saying Allen is among a group of internal candidates who will speak with Stevens.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown untradeable?
Tatum and Brown are as close to being untradeable as you will find, according to multiple league executives.
Jaylen Brown has three years left on his extension and if the franchise is still languishing after next season, the clock starts ticking even louder on his deal and interest across the league starts growing. The irony is that several league sources feel the Brown injury may have extended the runway on Stevens’ job security, giving him an incomplete grade instead of a failing one for the season.
Celtics on NBC Sports Boston: Jaylen Brown addressing Kyrie Irving’s comments from earlier this week: “I think that systemic racism should be addressed in Boston and the United States. However, I do not like the manner it was brought up, in terms of centering it around a playoff game.”
Brown declined to take questions from the media, instead saying he had “a perspective to share.” “I saw things floating around with Boston and the topic of racism,” he said. “People around me urged that I should share my perspective. I have not talked to anyone — Kyrie, Marcus [Smart] or [Celtics GM] Danny Ainge — about my thoughts or my perspective, but I do think it’s a good conversation. I think that racism should be addressed, and systemic racism should be addressed in the city of Boston, and also the United States.
