The Celtics and Jaylen Brown have finally agreed on a contract extension
After three weeks of negotiating, the Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown have agreed on a supermax contract extension.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 27: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics reacts to defeating the Miami Heat 104-103 in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals at Kaseya Center on May 27, 2023 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images25 days after the window opened for the Celtics to extend Jaylen Brown, the two sides have a deal. Following a few weeks of roller coaster speculation, Brown is now set up to stay in Boston long-term.
As first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, Brown will get a supermax extension that will pay him $304 million dollars over five years. The deal makes Brown, 26, the highest-paid player in NBA history.
While those are big numbers, they don't come as much of a surprise. The supermax contract structure is tied to a percentage of the league salary cap, so the number was already known well before the teal was signed. The year-by-year breakdown of the contract is...
2024-2025 $52,368,085
2025-2026 $56,557,532
2026-2027 $60,746,979
2027-2028 $64,936,425
2028-2029 $69,125,872
The more notable information to come out of the deal being done is the structure. It's a maximum five year deal, with no player option for the fifth year. There's also a trade kicker included.
Given speculation about Brown's feelings about his future in Boston, some wondered if the holdup in getting the deal done was Brown angling for an easy out at some point in the contract. Instead, the Celtics ended up with as much team control as possible out of the deal.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 27: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on against the Miami Heat during the first quarter in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals at Kaseya Center on May 27, 2023 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Even if Brown is going to get dealt, it won't happen for a while. Per NBA rules, players can't be traded for a full calendar year after signing a supermax contract extension.
Brown is coming off of a career year in 2022-2023 that resulted in him being named second-team All-NBA. He scored a career-high 26.6 points per game, shooting a career-best 49.1 percent from the floor and 33.5 percent from three. Brown also grabbed 6.9 rebounds and had 3.5 assists per game.
With Brown's deal done, the next major contract for the Celtics will be Jayson Tatum. He'll be eligible for his own supermax deal starting next offseason.
Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.
