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Outside of the NBA draft and Summer League, basketball fans have little to no on-court action to look forward to during the off-season. However, that does not mean that excitement around the league is entirely on pause.
The summer months are typically when players and franchises make impactful decisions about their futures. And the Boston Celtics have answered one of the fan’s most pressing questions by resigning shooting guard Jaylen Brown.
According to the Associated Press, the Celtics and Brown have agreed to a five-year supermax contract extension that will pay him up to $304 million.
This new deal positions Brown to have the largest NBA contract in league history, surpassing the most recent NBA Finals MVP, Nikola Jokic, who signed a $264 million deal last summer.
Brown entered the league in 2016 as the third overall pick and was selected by the Celtics and has been a significant contributor to the team since joining the franchise. Last season, Brown averaged 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. He also made the All-NBA 2nd Team in 2023 and the 2017 All-Rookie 2nd Team.
Based on data from Spotrac, his original contract from his rookie year was a four-year deal worth $106 million. This contract will go through the 2023-2024 season, which means his current extension will kick in at the top of the 2024-2025 season.
Once the historic contract goes into effect, ESPN notes that Brown will earn $52.3 million in the first year and $69.1 million during the 2028-2029 season, the final year of the deal. The supermax contract makes him ineligible for a no-trade clause.
While the Celtics did not make this move at the beginning of the off-season, the team’s President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens, remained adamant about Brown’s contribution to the team and the desire to keep him in Boston.
“He’s a big part of us. We believe in him, and I’m thankful for him,” Stevens said. “I’m really thankful that when those guys have success, they come back to work. And when they get beat, they own it, and they come back to work. And so I know that’s what they’re about. And that’s hard to find.”
Brown’s contract speculates future moves around its franchise star Jayson Tatum who is still playing through his original rookie contract. Tatum will be eligible for his own potential supermax deal in Summer 2024.
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