Nothing is ever quite as easy as it seems on the surface in the NBA. This especially stands true when it comes to contract negotiations, trade talks and everything in between. The latest proof of this seems to be the Celtics and a potential supermax contract extension for guard Jaylen Brown, which ESPN’s Brian Windhorst detailed.
While discussing the current state of the potential extension on SportsCenter, Windhorst offered some insight into what he called a "fragile" deal. When all is said and done, the ESPN analyst believes the two sides will come to terms but made an interesting note on Boston's side of things.
"The side are talking, this is obviously a very important, fragile deal. I know that there's interest in both sides to get something done. I would expect it to head in that direction."
"The one thing to point out: if Jaylen Brown does extend on this deal, he cannot be traded for a year. For any deal at all. He's prohibited from being traded. So the Celtics probably want to make sure all their business is locked down before going into this."
Windhorst explained his reasoning behind the deal being considered "fragile," explaining that there are numerous things to negotiate on this potential extension. This includes the fact that while Brown is eligible for "up to 35 percent of the salary cap," the guard "doesn't have to get that — the Celtics can negotiate on that."
The overall takeaway from Windhorst was that he does expect Brown and the Celtics to come to terms on an extension.
Brown, who's 26 currently, is coming off the best season of his career, with averages of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 49.1 percent from the field in 67 regular-season games. He posted marks of 22.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during the postseason but also averaged 3.3 turnovers, including eight in a Game 7 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Heat.
The obvious elephant in the room surrounding Boston being unable to trade Brown for a year after this deal is signed is the Damian Lillard factor. With a Lillard trade likely looming, if the Celtics want to make a play for the Blazers star, it's possible Brown could be a factor in those hypothetical negotiations.
