Jonas Jerebko

Jonas Jerebko said Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens will weigh heavily on his free-agent decisions this summer.

(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

BOSTON -- Jonas Jerebko is one of the more intriguing free-agent decisions the Boston Celtics face this summer.

On the one hand, Jerebko is 28-years-old and likely fully realized as a basketball player. For a team that's still rebuilding and remains relatively far from deep playoff contention, that's not a selling point.

On the other hand, Jerebko boosted Boston's bench in a big way. His ability to switch and guard three different positions, as well as his ability to stretch the floor around Isaiah Thomas whenever the explosive point guard drove to the basket, made him a tangible asset on both ends. The Celtics' second unit was a serious advantage, especially down the stretch as Boston made its playoff run, and Jerebko played a large role in its success.

There's also this: Jerebko genuinely seemed to enjoy his time with Brad Stevens and the Celtics. After the Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated the Celtics in Game 4 on Sunday, Jerebko said the prospect of returning to Boston and continuing to play for Stevens and the Celtics weighs heavily on the free-agent decisions he'll make this summer.

"He's been the best coach I've had in the NBA," the six-year veteran said. "He leads this team very well, and he's a great coach, so he definitely weighs in a lot."

During Jerebko's five-and-a-half years with the Pistons, he had four coaches -- John Kuester, Maurice Cheeks, Lawrence Frank and Stan Van Gundy. The half-season Jerebko had with Stevens was also his first postseason push, and while it ended abruptly, Jerebko said it was well worth the experience for a young team.

"For a lot of guys being in the playoffs for the first time, now we know during the season where we want to be at," Jerebko said. "You don't want to be outside the playoffs when the season's over, because we want to be in this next year, and we want to take it further than we did last year. It makes the season important. Sometimes, you forget that every game matters. We want to do this again.

"I haven't felt like this in all my years in the league," he added. "I've had my ups and downs in this league, and making the playoffs with this team really gave me some motivation, and I just want to get back and get there again."

Part of the attraction of the 2014-15 Celtics for Jerebko was their style of play. On a team with no superstars, there were also no egos -- whoever was shooting well was the go-to player.

"Playing together, sharing the ball, we're very unselfish," Jerebko said. "That's the one word I'd use to describe this group: Unselfish...That's the beauty with this team. Anybody can step up on any given day."

Jerebko, like several others on the 2014-15 squad, said he enjoyed this season and the camaraderie being on a playoff-caliber team.

"I love being a Celtic," Jerebko said. "I know the guys in this locker room love being Celtics...I'm just happy to be here."