One of the Celtics’ biggest question marks of the offseason has officially been answered and taken care of. The Celtics and star Jaylen Brown have agreed to a five-year, up to $304 million supermax extension according to a league source, putting an end to any speculation about Brown’s long-term career in Boston for now. Marc Spears of ESPN.com was first to report the deal. There is a trade kicker as part of the deal but no player option in the fifth season per Shams Charania of Stadium.
Brown is coming off a career-best season, named to the All-Star team for the second time in three seasons while averaging a career-high 26.6 points, along with 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Brown was named second-team All-NBA, which made him eligible for the supermax extension this summer.
There was criticism thrown Brown’s way as he struggled in the East Finals against the Heat. That included a brutal eight-turnover Game 7 where Brown said he failed his team. Despite those struggles, Boston president Brad Stevens remained committed to Brown being part of the team’s core going forward. With the extension signed, Brown should be with the Celtics for at least the foreseeable future.
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“I can say, without a doubt, we want Jaylen to be here and he’s a big part of us and we believe in him and I’m thankful for him,” Stevens said June 1 at his end-of-season news conference. “Jaylen had a great year, All-NBA year. He’s a big part of us moving forward in our eyes.”
Questions arose midway through the season when Brown gave some noncommittal answers about his future with the Celtics. But now, Brown’s new extension will kick in after the 2023-24 season. As long as things continue to be good with the C’s — and they continue competing for titles — Brown should be in Boston for a long time.
Brown is set to make just $31.8 million in the final year of his current deal during the 2023-24 season before his supermax contract kicks in next season. Under the supermax, Brown will make 35 percent of the salary cap compared to a 30 percent max that other players can make with the same level of NBA experience.
Brown’s new contract gives the Celtics a valuable building block for the long-term future but may create some tough decisions for the front office in the years to come. The possible extension for Kristaps Porzingis that could be in the cards for Boston in the coming weeks will only add to those roster building challenges but those are issues the Celtics will need to tackle down the line. For now, Brown is locked in for the next decade and the team will have the ability to sign a similar deal with Jayson Tatum next summer.
