How Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins handle home grown talent
Boston Celtics
Over the years, the Boston Celtics have missed on many players in the draft who have gone on to be All-Stars in the NBA.
But some of the players they have brought into Boston from the draft have gone through the system and made their way into Celtics history. This is what is called “homegrown talent”.
Paul Pierce was drafted in the first round of the 1998 NBA draft. By 2001, Pierce and the Celtics agreed on a six-year, $79 million, rookie scale contract.
In just under three years, the Celtics saw the potential and growth from Pierce and knew they needed to lock him in for the future. The Celtics would re-sign Pierce two more times in 2006 and 2010.
In 2006, the Celtics landed a player who changed the dynamic of the team’s chemistry and was a player Danny Ainge was scouting for a long time, Rajon Rondo. The Celtics exercised their player options for Rondo two times before he signed his rookie extension worth five-years, $55 million. Rondo was a key factor in the Celtics raising their 17th championship banner.
Marcus Smart was drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft and has made a career for himself in Boston. In 2015 and 2016, after proving his defensive abilities can contribute to winning games, the Celtics exercised their player option rights for Marcus Smart. But in 2018, the Celtics agreed to sign Smart to a four-year, $52 million contract.
In more recent years, the Celtics selected two young, one-and-done players, third overall in the draft with tremendous upside in Jaylen Brown (2016) and Jayson Tatum (2017). These two guys are poised to do great things for the Celtics and to be in Boston for a long time.
The Celtics showed their belief in Jaylen Brown by using their player option in 2017 and 2018. After taking a step back in 2019, the Celtics showed their appreciation for Jaylen by re-signing him to a four-year, $100 million contract at the beginning of this season. It just goes to show how much the Celtics truly value their players.
Although Jayson Tatum is still in his rookie contract, the Celtics can already see the type of player he is becoming. In doing so, the Celtics have exercised their player option for Tatum in 2018 and 2019.
It’s obvious the Celtics are interested in Tatum being the face of their franchise and keeping him in Boston for the remainder of his career. It shows how much the Celtics value their home grown talent and are always looking towards the future for the betterment of the team.