The Boston Celtics have officially signed rookie big man Jordan Mickey to a contract worth $5 million over 4 years.
From Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe:
The Celtics on Monday signed second-round draft pick Jordan Mickey. It is a four-year, $5 million deal, according to a league source.
The two guaranteed years on the deal — one of the largest ever given to a second-round pick — will total about $2.4 million, a source said. That will be more than some late first-round picks receive through the league-mandated rookie scale. Also, Mickey could become an unrestricted free agent after four seasons.
While Himmelsbach called the deal “one of the largest” for a second-rounder, many sources are saying that it is in fact the highest-paying deal ever given to second-round pick. Regardless, Mickey is an excellent talent, especially given where he was drafted, and he deserves every penny of this deal.
The Celtics selected the former LSU big man with the 33rd overall pick in the draft. Mickey, who stands at just 6’8″, led Division 1 NCAA in blocks per game last year.
Mickey showed his ability on both ends of the floor for Boston in the Summer League, where he put up strong per-game averages of 13.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and a steal in five outings. Mickey also shot 52.9% from the field.
It looks like the C’s want Mickey around for the long haul. That being said, Mickey will likely struggle to find playing time this season in a very crowded Celtics’ frontcourt which already has Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller, David Lee, Amir Johnson, and Perry Jones.
With Mickey’s signing, the Celtics have given guaranteed contracts to 16 players on the roster, one above the league limit.
