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Jaylen Brown had finally signed a supermax contract extension with the Boston Celtics worth nearly $304 million over five years, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Tuesday, July 25.
With his new deal, Brown will be the highest-paid player in NBA history, although that won’t last long. Despite all the chatter regarding potential player options, and no-trade clauses, Brown’s deal is fairly straightforward.
According to Charania and others, Brown’s deal does not have a player option for the fifth year but does boast a trade kicker – meaning the All-NBA forward would receive a bump in salary should the Celtics move him via trade.
Shortly after news broke of Brown’s deal, ESPN’s Bobby Marks broke down how much the Georgia native can expect to earn each season, starting with $52.4 million for the 2024-25 season and increasing each year to $69.1 million for the 2028-29 season.
Brown became eligible for the supermax contract, which is officially known as the Designated Veteran Player Exception, when he was named to the 2023 All-NBA Second Team.
Jaylen Brown Will Need to Improve 2-Man Game
A big question surrounding Brown and Jayson Tatum has been their ability to elevate each other’s game. At this point in their careers, the Celtics All-Star duo have proven capable of co-existing on the court. However, there is still work to be done in the two-man game between Tatum and Brown.
With 35% of the Celtics’ future cap space now committed to Brown and another 35% expected to be committed to Tatum next summer, the Celtics will be relying on the duo to lead them to multiple championships.
The best way for Tatum and Brown to sustain a genuine period of championship content is to improve how they play off of each other, and that means running more two-man actions when the game slows down in the half-court. Hopefully, Joe Mazzulla can put his two star players in better positions to elevate each other’s game next season while using Kristaps Porzingis as a pivot point in the center of the court.
Brown’s Contract Puts Celtics Over 2nd Apron
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement has changed the way teams approach the salary cap. Now, there is a second-tax apron, which comes with a string of penalties for teams who exceed said apron and further punishment for repeat offenders.
According to HoopsHype’s cap expert Yossi Gozlan, Brown’s new contract has positioned the Celtics over the second tax apron for the 2024-25 season.
“The Boston Celtics are set to operate over the second apron in 2024-25,” Gozlan Tweeted. “No more mid-level exception, signing buyout players, among other things. They’ll essentially be limited to increasing payroll and adding to the roster by re-signing players, minimum players, and the draft.”
Boston can still make other moves before the 2024-25 season begins to bring them under the second tax apron; however, right now, it’s clear Brad Stevens and the Celtics front office are focused on maximizing their championship window.
Brown will be a significant part of the Celtics’ championship push in the coming seasons, but his new deal doesn’t necessarily mean he will see out the full duration of the contract with Boston. For now, though, the Celtics can put any rumors regarding a potential Brown trade to bed.
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