WALTHAM, Mass. -- The Boston Celtics let the midnight deadline lapse for picking up MarShon Brooks' fourth-year option, which means he'll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Earlier this week, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said the team needs to evaluate Brooks during the 2013-14 season to determine if he has a future here. While Brooks didn't appear in Wednesday's season opener, first-year coach Brad Stevens reaffirmed Thursday that the shooting guard will get a chance to prove himself.
"I told MarShon [Thursday] ... 'Don’t get down and don’t measure your progress or your confidence based on how much you play right now.' Because his opportunity is right around the corner," said Stevens. "I think he’ll do well when that opportunity comes. He’s been much better the last two weeks of practice, and you’ve seen it in spurts, where he can really score the basketball. And I think there’s things that he can really work on.
"But I told him, if I had to give my evaluation of MarShon, I’d say, ‘Really improving, and easy to coach.’ I think if those two things stay the same, he’s going to be in good shape."
Brooks played only 76 minutes in six preseason appearances. The team option was for $2.2 million, but that was too steep for Boston without first seeing how Brooks meshes in Boston. He was acquired as part of the summer blockbuster deal with the Brooklyn Nets.