The Boston Celtics made waves this summer when they signed Jaylen Brown to a five-year, $288 million supermax contract. Brown had become eligible for the Designated Veteran Player Extension (aka the Supermax) by being named to an All-NBA team last season. Since then, a debate regarding Brown’s new contract has raged within the fan base.
When speaking to Jeff Goodman for an interview with The Messenger, Jayson Tatum called Brown’s new deal a no-brainer. Tatum has shared the court with Brown for his entire NBA career and has witnessed the Georgia native’s growth firsthand.
Buy Celtics Tickets“I was excited for Jaylen, and I wasn’t surprised,” Tatum said. “That was a no-brainer for me because he deserves it. He had a hell of a year, the best year of his career, and he was rewarded for that. It was the right time. People make a big deal of $300 million. The NBA makes a lot of money. Contracts will be $350 and then $370 million. That’s the way it’s going. I was happy for him. I knew it was going to happen, it was a no-brainer, but I still reached out to him and told him he should be proud of himself and his family. Don’t take it for granted. This is generational.”
Brown ended last season as an All-Star, an All-NBA selection and an Eastern Conference finalist.
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The Celtics would have had no way to replace Brown had he left in free agency next summer. As such, Brad Stevens made the decision to extend one of his star players to keep Boston’s championship window open.
It was a smart move that every Celtics fan hopes pays off.
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