Should the Celtics extend Jaylen Brown?

Jaylen Brown has three years and about $183 million left on a 5-year contract he signed in July of 2023. It was a controversial deal on the time, however Brown was headed to free company the following yr and the Celtics knew they wanted to maintain him.

Quick ahead three years later and Jaylen Brown will as soon as once more be eligible to signal a contract extension on July twenty sixth. This deal would tack on a further two years and an estimated $142 million to his deal.

That in whole would have Brown on Boston’s books for the following 5 years at $325 million and he can be 34-years-old when the deal runs out.

Final summer season, the Phoenix Suns had been offered a really related scenario with Devin Booker. Booker, like Brown, had three years left on a super-max extension he signed in 2022 and was eligible so as to add two extra years on to his deal. The Suns did provide him that extension, which was reported at $145 million however primarily based on future cap projections, Spotrac estimates that it’ll are available at $132 million. It doesn’t matter what the deal is value, Booker goes to make some huge cash.

Brown simply had his greatest NBA season this previous yr and, to me, is a greater participant than Booker is. If Brown goes to signal a brand new deal, it’s going to be a max.

With that stated, I’m in no rush to increase him.

There are causes for the Celtics to ink Brown to an extension.

Primary, it could preserve him pleased. Earlier this week, Brown stated on his Twitch stream that he desires to be in Boston for the following ten years. Nobody turns down the 35% tremendous max and Brown is not any completely different. If the Celtics had been to supply him a max extension, I’m very assured that Brown would signal it.

Quantity two, and the much more compelling motive, is that Jaylen Brown is a superb participant who the Celtics ought to wish to preserve round for a very very long time. I do know he didn’t have a terrific collection in opposition to the 76ers however he was so superior this season. He averaged profession highs in factors (28.7) and assists (5.1) within the common season whereas being one of the best participant on a crew that received 56 video games with out Jayson Tatum.

However, why ought to Boston rush to signal him? As was talked about, Brown has three years left on his present take care of no participant choice. Free company shouldn’t be lurking prefer it was again in 2023.

One other facet of that is that the Celtics have Jayson Tatum. The Suns had been backed right into a nook with Booker as a result of he’s their greatest participant. Phoenix had simply traded Kevin Durant and bought-out Bradley Beal — they wanted to maintain Booker on the crew and pleased so that they paid him.

The Tatum and Brown duo has introduced Celtics followers a variety of pleasure through the years, together with a championship, and the Celtics ought to wish to preserve them paired collectively. Extending Brown this summer season and Tatum subsequent summer season, when he turns into extension eligible, would accomplish that.

Nonetheless, the Celtics did lose within the first spherical this season and Brad Stevens talked about how they weren’t ok at his finish of season press convention on Wednesday.

Nonetheless, I don’t suppose the Celtics have to rush into signing Brown to a brand new deal as a result of their crew wasn’t ok this season and locking into this core doesn’t sound like one thing Brad Stevens is able to do.