The four-year contract that Ron Harper Jr. signed in July assures he will remain in Celtics green, but fans will notice something different about him next season, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes in a subscriber-only piece. Haper agreed to give his number 13 to new teammate Paul George in a deal that “benefits both parties” and will switch to 8 in honor of Kobe Bryant.

“We don’t got to get into the exact details of how it went down, but about an hour after the trade I got a phone call saying he wanted the number, so me and him were able to work it out,” Harper said. “We’ll have some funny conversations about that, for sure. But I’m happy he’s able to get back to his number and get back to being PG-13, for sure.”

Harper also talked about having some NBA security after beginning last season on a two-way contract. He was eventually able to earn steady minutes and was rewarded with a standard deal in April. He now has two fully guaranteed years and the chance to convince the Celtics to keep him around for the duration of the deal.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity and that they believe in me and want me here long term,” he said. “It’s just motivation to keep getting better and keep proving them right, so that’s something I look forward to doing.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

• After Jaylen Brown held his introductory press conference in Philadelphia on Thursday, Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey provided some insight into how the trade came together in early July, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “It was a process of talking with them, going back-and-forth,” Gansey said. “We just kept at it. Boston kept calling. We kept calling and trying to figure something out. Credit (Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens). We really kept this thing quiet. But they got Paul. Paul can still really play. They got some picks that can be very valuable.” Gansey singled out the Clippers’ 2028 first-round selection as an asset that was difficult to part with.
• In a subscriber-only story, Terada examines the state of the roster now that draft picks Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell are both under contract. Boston currently has 14 players with standard deals, and two of its three two-way slots are filled.
• Brown will say goodbye to the city by hosting a going-away party August 30 at Boston Common, according to Daniel Donabedian of Celtics Wire. The event is open to the public and promises carnival games, a surprise concert, giveaways and more. “A lot of my most important years, my most developmental years as a young man, I spent in Boston,” Brown said. “I’m very grateful for my experience.”