Boston Celtics pick up options on Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier

The Boston Celtics secured several pieces of their developing youth movement today, picking up 2018-19 team options on the rookie-year contracts of Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier. Danny Ainge waited patiently until the Halloween deadline, but ultimately acted as everyone anticipated he would.

Ainge loved both players coming out of their respective drafts, and they’ve each shown significant improvement to open the year.

Brown is starting games, and averaging 15.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per game. His defense has been inconsistent, and his efficiency has dipped in recent outings, but Brown’s growth as an all-around player is clearly evident, and decidedly encouraging.

For his part, Rozier has carved out a more substantial niche on the Celtics bench than he’s ever claimed before. The backup point guard (and occasional shooting guard) has averaged 9.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, and posted career-best shooting percentages from the field and beyond the arc.

Keeping both Brown and Rozier in the fold will cost the Celtics $5.17 million and $3.05 million respectively. Those deals project as value contracts, assuming both players can continue to develop their games.

The Celtics will have to make a similar decision on whether or not to pick up a team option on Brown in one year’s time. Things will be more complicated with Rozier, who will be entering his fourth season as pro in 2018-19, and will be set to either sign an extension to stay in Boston prior to it, or enter into the dance of restricted free agency the following summer (a la Marcus Smart in the current year).