Doc Rivers and the Celtics both know they have a good thing going, and it appears they’re not going to take even a chance at letting it come to an end.
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge has turned down a request from the Brooklyn Nets to speak to Rivers about their head coaching job, Jackie MacMullan of ESPN reports. The Nets are without a coach after firing interim coach P.J. Carlesimo.
Rivers is entering the third year of a five-year contract he signed with Boston, with $21 million remaining on the deal. Ainge confirmed earlier this month that Rivers would return despite speculation that the Celtics’ underwhelming performance in the postseason and the possible departure of both or either Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett would make Rivers reconsider.
“Doc has told me he’s coming back,” Ainge told MacMullan on Thursday. “I talk to him almost every day about our team and what we are going to do moving forward.”
Some have also speculated that Rivers could be drawn back to broadcasting.
