WALTHAM, Mass. — The Boston Celtics on Wednesday locked down their top departing free agent, agreeing to terms with forward Jae Crowder on a reported five-year, $35 million contract.
Speaking after Thursday’s summer league practice, Celtics point guard Marcus Smart said he’s excited to have Crowder back in the fold.
“Jae is a great player,” Smart said. “Especially for us — he did a lot of things for us this year. He deserved to have a chance to be able to do what he wanted to do, and I think he loved playing with this organization. Right now, this organization is happy to have him back. I know I am. I know Jae personally, so like I said, I’m glad to have him back, and I’m pretty sure this organization is, too.”
Crowder quickly took on a leadership role with the Celtics this past season, impressing coach Brad Stevens with his tenacity on the court and preaching accountability in the locker room. The 24-year-old saw a massive boost in playing time following his December trade from the Dallas Mavericks and took advantage, averaging 9.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals over his 57 games with Boston.
“Jae is one of the top competitors in this league, for sure,” Smart said. “The way he approaches every game and practices, he comes out and is ready to play every day. You’ve got to respect a guy like that.”
The Celtics on Wednesday reached a contract agreement with another of their free agents, forward Jonas Jerebko, and also agreed to terms on a reported two-year, $24 million deal with former Toronto Raptors power forward Amir Johnson.
Smart couldn’t offer much insight on Johnson’s game, his knowledge coming only from what he saw during the Celtics’ matchups with the Raptors this past season. Even that was limited, as the 6-foot-9 veteran missed two of those four tilts due to injury.
“From playing against him when he was with Toronto, that’s about it.” Smart said. “… (He’s) just another body that’s going to bring toughness. He’s going to make guys better each and every day in practice, and it’s going to translate over to the games.”
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
