Isaiah Thomas Says Celtics Will Have to Offer Max Contract to Keep Star PG

Don't expect Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas to give the franchise a discount when he's eligible to become a free agent after the 2017-18 season. He wants a max contract.

On Friday, the 28-year-old point guard told CSN New England's A. Sherrod Blakely he's a "max guy" and he's "happy" for everyone getting paid this offseason because his monster payday is coming soon.

"My time is coming," Thomas said. "They know they've got to bring the Brink's truck."

The comments are similar to the ones he made last summer when the topic was raised.

"They better bring out the Brink's truck," Thomas told reporters last July. "They're paying everybody else. I gotta get something."

It's no surprise his stance hasn't changed following a breakout 2016-17 campaign during which he averaged 28.9 points, 5.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor, including 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Thomas ranked seventh in the NBA in player efficiency rating and ninth in value added, per ESPN.com. He was second in both categories among point guards to only 2016-17 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

So if anyone had lingering questions about whether the University of Washington product was truly a max player, Thomas has answered them.

The Celtics won't have much choice next summer but to do what Thomas asks: load up the Brink's truck and give him every penny he's eligible to earn. The front office may need to get creative to ensure all of its top players fit under the salary cap, though.