The Boston Celtics and backup point guard Terry Rozier will not sign a contract extension before Monday's deadline, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.
An excellent fill-in for the injured Kyrie Irving last season, Rozier is instead hoping to set his value as a restricted free agent, per Himmelsbach. Rozier will look to sign a deal that will pay him around $20 million per season.
This shouldn't be much of a surprise to anybody, as Rozier would cost himself a starting gig and a lot of money if he re-signed with Boston. The Celtics are expected to hand Irving a long-term extension next summer, which is a clear indicator that they don't plan on making Rozier their starting point guard of the future.
The 24-year-old enjoyed a career season for the Celtics in 2017-18, averaging 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. With Irving needing a knee procedure that cost him the entire postseason, Rozier played like a true No. 1 point guard in his place.
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Rozier averaged 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in 19 postseason games, guiding the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. They fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games, but Rozier was instrumental in getting them that close to the NBA Finals.
As Tom Westerholm of MassLive.com noted, Rozier could take Boston's $4.3 million qualifying offer. That would allow Rozier to become a free agent in 2020, when he'll be 26 years of age.
The Celtics need to save cap space to give Irving the likely super max contract, while young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will look for significant pay raises down the road. As such, it doesn't make sense for Boston to invest a lot of money in a backup point guard.
The Sacramento Kings gave Zach LaVine a four-year, $80 million offer sheet this offseason, but the Chicago Bulls matched it. Rozier could land a contract in that neighborhood if he has another solid showing in 2018-19.
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