Two-time All-Star wing Jaylen Brown has agreed to a five-year, $304 million supermax contract extension with the Boston Celtics, making him the highest-paid participant in NBA historical past, his agent, Jason Glushon of Glushon Sports activities Administration, confirmed to Yahoo Sports activities. ESPN’s Marc J. Spears first reported the deal.
The contract is totally assured. There is no such thing as a participant choice on the ultimate yr of Brown’s deal in 2028-29. The contract features a commerce kicker that may additional improve Brown’s wage if granted at any time.
The 26-year-old averaged 26.6 factors per sport (49/34/77 taking pictures), 6.9 rebounds and three.5 assists in 35.9 minutes a sport final season, serving to Boston attain Recreation 7 of the Jap Convention Finals. The Celtics reached the convention finals in 5 of Brown’s seven seasons, together with a visit to the NBA Finals in 2022 after they misplaced to the quarter-final champion Golden State Warriors in a six-game collection.
The richest contract in league historical past is a matter of wonderful timing on Brown’s half. He was the one member of the 2016 draft class to earn All-NBA honors with a yr remaining on his present contract, which certified him for the supermax extension this summer time. Brown will make $28.5 million earlier than his extension begins in 2024.
Brown was reluctant to debate his future in Boston final season, understandably upset after a season-ending loss to the Miami Warmth, and instructed The Ringer’s Logan Murdock earlier this yr, “I do not know and I do not wish to reply that query as a result of that sort of factor makes Celtics followers speculate and go loopy.”
Nonetheless, turning down $304 million assured when the choice in 2024 might be $100 million much less is a no brainer. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens confirmed this in a postseason press convention, telling reporters, “I am not allowed to speak in regards to the specifics of the contract, not to mention the extension … however I can say unquestionably that we would like Jaylen right here. He’s a giant a part of us.”
Brown’s teammate Jayson Tatum will grow to be the league’s highest-paid participant subsequent summer time when he turns into eligible for a supermax extension value north of $300 million. There’s a lot debate as as to if paying Brown greater than Tatum is Boston’s greatest path to a championship, particularly in mild of a brand new collective bargaining settlement that severely restricts high-priced groups from constructing rosters.
Brown has struggled at occasions within the playoffs, significantly as a playmaker and most notably on this yr’s convention finals, the place he shot 16.Three p.c on six Three-point makes an attempt per sport and totaled extra turnovers (25) than assists (24). A part of his decline in manufacturing might be attributed to a laceration on his taking pictures hand that reopened repeatedly all through the playoffs, however he additionally struggled to grasp his ball dealing with within the 2022 Finals loss.
Nonetheless, Brown turns 27 in October and Tatum would not flip 26 till March. They’ve completed no worse than the convention finals yearly they’ve each been wholesome for the 2020 playoffs. (Brown missed the 2021 playoffs with a torn ligament in his left wrist, and the Celtics misplaced within the opening spherical.) It was 4 minutes and an all-time breakout from Stephen Curry — removed from the game’s biggest, however 1-shooter in historical past. themselves a championship.
It isn’t solely doable for the Celtics to win with Tatum and Brown as the very best paid gamers, it is confirmed. The choice is to purchase Brown for gamers who virtually actually would not come near a title. Tatum and Brown should proceed their upward trajectory within the early years that also lie forward.
They’re additionally within the Boston workplace to construct a extra cohesive crew round them. Stevens started working as quickly because the season resulted in disappointment, neatly including veteran assistants Sam Cassell and Charles Lee to rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla’s employees and boldly buying and selling 2022 Defensive Participant of the Yr Marcus Good for 2018 Kristaps Porzingis and a number of other draft picks, together with rookie Jordan Walsh.
Earlier than free company even started, the Celtics boasted a deep rotation and BetMGM’s greatest title odds within the East. It is fairly onerous to argue towards paying Brown when he is bordering on the precipice at 26.
