CAMBRIDGE — Jaylen Brown had plenty to smile about on Wednesday after signing a five-year supermax extension with the Celtics that will keep him under contract through the 2028-29 season.
The deal took a few weeks to complete but the negotiations were a smooth process according to the All-Star who could make up to $304 million in the deal.
“I just think it went great,” Brown said of negotiations. “I think a lot of times, when you talk about a relationship that you have with individuals, you can just talk to them normally and direct cause I’ve known these guys for seven-plus years. And a lot of times when financial stuff kind of gets into play, it gets a little bit more sensitive or etc. But I thought from my standpoint, they understood where I came from, I understood where he came from. It was all about being in the place where it made sense for everybody and I was glad that we were able to finish it, get everything done and be able to have the community here. At the same time, I think that was a story that writes itself.”
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Celtics co-governor Wyc Grousbeck said the team’s focus with Brown was both on and off the court in their attempts to retain him over the long term.
“Off the court is a big part of our discussion,” Grousbeck said. “It was very explicit. We spent serious time on it on Monday, as an example. But it’s always been that way with Jaylen being here and with his teammates. We try to lead the league in things we do off the court, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t double it or triple it. That’s the aspiration. Jaylen’s going to be a driving force in that. In terms of having Jaylen here from my personal perspective — and I speak for the front office and teammates and fans; I couldn’t speak for everybody — he’s the key.
“Jaylen stood tall for seven years here, improving, to my mind, every single year with hard work and true talent and intensity. And we want to go win on the basketball court as well. It is entertainment, it is the fun part of the job. There is a lot more work to do than just that, but we intend to go do that. And having our All-NBA Jaylen Brown here enthusiastically ready to build, ready to grow from here off the court and on the court is absolutely a great day for the Boston Celtics.”
Brown’s new deal will kick in during the 2024-25 season where he will earn 35 percent of the salary cap with eight percent annual raises for each season of his five-year deal.
