Boston Celtics (USA)

Dennis Schröder announced it on his Instagram account: for the 2021-2022 season, he will wear the Boston Celtics jersey. The 27-year-old point guard, who spent a year at the Los Angeles Lakers, was free from any contract.

According to ESPN, he has just signed a contract in Boston for 5.9 million dollars (regarding 5 M€), well below what the Lakers offered him. Also according to the American sports media, the player had indeed refused during the season an extension of 80 million dollars (around 68 M €) over four years in Los Angeles, to hope to get a better offer during transfers.

“It’s one of the best franchises in NBA history and it will be an honor for me to wear the green and white jersey to do what I love. I will give my all in every game for this city.”, promised Schröder on his social network.

Last season, Schröder scored 15.4 points per game in the jersey of the Lakers, crowned in the summer of 2020 before his arrival, but eliminated in the first round of the 2021 play-offs by the Phoenix Suns. The German arrives in a team where the position of leader was vacant, following the departure of Kemba Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the former club of Schröder.

The turnover has not dragged on, and it is significant. According to information confirmed by ESPN (Adrian Wojnarowski) et The Athletic (Shams Sharania) in particular, then confirmed by the club in stride, Brad Stevens, coach of the Boston Celtics since 2013, will no longer coach the franchise from next season. He will replace the president of basketball operations, the legendary Danny Ainge, who has decided to leave the position he has held since 2003. A game of musical chairs mainly caused by the Massachusetts franchise’s first round loss to the Brooklyn Nets (1-4), while having given the impression of a lack of progress.

Still according to the American press, and in particular the very informed Wojnarowski, Ainge had been considering leaving his place in Boston for several months. As for Stevens, he would have appeared “ tired of coaching from the bubble (of Orlando) and welcomed the opportunity to transition into an executive position ».

Stevens will naturally be in charge of finding a new coach for the Celtics. The names of Jason Kidd (current assistant at the Los Angeles Lakers) or Lloyd Pierce (ex-coach of Atlanta) have already surfaced.

Thus, according to Adrian Wojnaroswski (ESPN) it is the eternal assistant Ime Udoka, 43, who would have been chosen to help the Massachusetts team to raise their heads. Former pro player (Lakers, Knicks, Spurs, Kings or Blazers), with a modest career in the NBA (316 games, 5.2 points average), Udoka had spent seven years with the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant ( 2012-2019) before chaining two freelances with the Philadelphia Sixers then the Brooklyn Nets. Among the latter, he thus supported Steve Nash.