Brad Stevens may not adhere to the TB12 Method, but he's all about flexibility. The Celtics signed Josh Richardson to a one-year extension Monday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Richardson is now on a two-year deal worth $24 million.
While the deal is reasonable on its face for a veteran guard and top level defender, the biggest win for the Celtics is creating more financial wiggle room. The extensions for Marcus Smart, Robert Williams and Richardson add up to $43 million between the three for 2022-23, as Evan Sidery of Basketball News points out. That could work in a sign-and-trade for Bradley Beal.
The Celtics also picked up a valuable trade exception for Evan Fournier, but don't expect me to explain how that works.
The point is, Stevens now has a bevy of options at his disposal. He'll ultimately be judged on who he acquires going forward, but he's setting himself up nicely.
