The Celtics and Avery Bradley have held a mutual detente on contract talks for most of the offseason and preseason, but that may have changed in recent days.
Although the fourth-year guard is eligible for restricted free agency after this season, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has maintained that the team is unlikely to get a deal done before the Oct. 31 deadline for teams to finalize extensions with their teams. Bradley expressed no problem with that approach during training camp. But with seven days to go before the start of the regular season, Ainge told reporters Thursday that talks have occurred.
“One thing that raised eyebrows was that, asked about the looming extension deadline for Avery Bradley, Ainge admitted he’s been in negotiations with Bradley’s camp but wouldn’t comment further,” according to ESPN. “That’s a departure from last month, when Ainge suggested that the team might wait until next summer, when Bradley would be a restricted free agent, to revisit his future with the team.”
This shift suggests the Celtics may be more sold on Bradley being their point guard or shooting guard of the future that previously thought. He had a mixed preseason, averaging 10.6 points, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game in eight exhibition contests. He is coming off a season in which his shooting percentages dipped across the board — on 2-pointers, 3-pointers and even free throws.
Bradley will make roughly $2.5 million this season on a team option the Celtics exercised in October 2012.
