Death, Taxes and Brad Stevens’ rumored return to Indiana.
It’s hard to live in this world and not have all the above to contend with at some point every year.
For the umpteenth time, Stevens reiterated that he has no intensions of returning to the college game.
“I don’t speak to the rumor mill or anything else,” Stevens, an Indiana native who led Butler University to a pair of national title runner-up finishes, told reporters prior to tonight’s game at Brooklyn. “I’m made pretty clear I’m going to be here. I’ve been asked about that quite a bit. And I’ll keep saying the same thing. I’m going to be here until the Celtics decide they want to move in another direction.”
Stevens’ name has been rumored about after Indiana University fired Tom Crean earlier this week.
Even if Stevens were interested, it would be next to impossible for him to leave Boston for another college coaching job.
The Celtics signed Stevens to a six-year, $22 million contract when they hired him in 2013, and gave Stevens a three-year extension in 2016.
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The Celtics have no incentive to release him from his current contract to take a college job.
Unlike when ex-coach Doc Rivers was interested in leaving the Celtics for another NBA job, colleges can’t strike a deal with the Celtics in order for them to make Stevens available.
In 2013, Boston let Rivers out of his contract to become head coach and president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Clippers. In exchange for that, the Celtics received a first-round pick that was used to select R.J. Hunter.
At the time of Stevens’ extension in June of last year, the Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge – he also received an extension at that time – thought Stevens’ new deal would end all rumors regarding Stevens’ availability to return to the college game.
“We don't have to answer any more questions about Indiana or Butler, or Duke, or North Carolina," Ainge said in June when the Celtics announced both of their contract extensions.