By Matt McCarthy, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Celtics and Jaylen Brown face an October 21 deadline to strike a contract extension before Brown becomes eligible for restricted free agency next summer.
Now details have emerged on what the Celtics are reportedly offering Brown ahead of next week’s deadline.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the team has put a four-year, $80 million extension on the table for the third overall draft pick in 2016. But according to Haynes, Brown does not seem inclined to accept that offer.
“The Celtics have extended the 6-foot-7 swingman an offer of four years and $80 million, league sources told Yahoo Sports…But Brown believes in his ability to one day be a star and is pursuing a bigger offer, sources said,” Haynes wrote.
Last month, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reported the chances were “slim” that the Celtics and Brown would come to a contract extension. Those around the NBA reportedly believe that Brown will hit restricted free agency as well.
“According to a league source, ‘the chance is pretty slim’ that Brown signs a long-term deal with the team in the coming month,” Deveney wrote. “Around the league, the expectation is that Brown and the Celtics won’t come to a deal.”
Brown is almost certainly in for a big payday. Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray, both members of the same draft class, got max contracts from Philadelphia and Denver respectively this past summer. It’s unclear if Brown could command that type of deal, but it only takes one team to drive the price up.
The Celtics have let a number of players they drafted and developed hit restricted free agency in recent years. Terry Rozier, Kelly Olynyk, and Jared Sullinger all departed via free agency while Marcus Smart explored the market and returned to Boston on a four-year, $52 million deal.
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