Jayson Tatum returned to the Boston Celtics just ten months after tearing his Achilles tendon in what has been one of the more positive recent NBA storylines.
However, while all things considered, Tatum has been solid in his two games back, the Celtics need him to get back to close to his pre-injury level, as he signed the biggest contract in NBA history back in 2024, and is set to be owed $314 million over the next five years.
Deal is the biggest in NBA history.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus named Tatum’s Celtics contract as one of the riskiest deals in the league over the next few seasons, as with the large amount of money he’s set to be owed, he might not be worth the $62 million average annual salary he’ll earn from now until 2030.
Jayson Tatum Contract Very Risky For Celtics
Yes, Tatum did help lead Boston to a championship in 2024, and while teammate Jaylen Brown was named Finals MVP, the former was likely more important to the team’s success during that run and their prowess in the Eastern Conference throughout his Celtics career.
But at the same time, signing anybody to a five-year, $314 million contract is risky, and after he suffered his torn Achilles, the risk that comes with Tatum can only be multiplied over the next few seasons.
“Tatum’s unfortunate Achilles injury illustrates how serious, and potentially fleeting, a quarter-of-a-billion-dollar investment in any athlete can be,” Pincus wrote. “He’s owed a massive amount over the next three years. Players rarely come back at the same level from an Achilles tear, but Tatum may be the exception to the rule.”
Not anything to do with his own doing, but Boston being tied up with Tatum’s contract in his post-torn Achilles era likely isn’t what they’d want in an ideal world. That, compounded by the fact that Brown is on a similar, five-year, $285 million deal, means the Celtics are locked in to this duo for the rest of the decade.
Celtics Played It Smart On Other Contracts
While the $600 million in money the Celtics are set to owe their two stars is a lot, the team made a few other smart moves that could save them from a brutal salary cap future for the next few years, specifically as it relates to Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Neemias Queta.
In a recent article ranking the best value NBA contracts, all three were named by Sam Quinn of CBS Sports in the top 14.
White is on a four-year, $118 million contract, earning $29.5 million this year, putting up a career-high 17.3 points, along with 4.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks on 39.2% shooting.
Pritchard is on a four-year, $30 million contract, earning just over $7 million this season, while putting up 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on 46% shooting, while being the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
To top it off, Queta, the Celtics’ starting center for most of the season, is on a three-year, $7.1 million contract. The injury to Nikola Vucevic only makes his deal look even better, as he’s likely the one player most outperforming his contract in the entire NBA.
Those three make up just over a quarter of the Celtics’ salary cap, while other contributors, Sam Hauser, Hugo Gonzalez, Bailor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh, account for just 11.4% of the salary cap.
While Tatum and Brown are on the two largest contracts in the NBA, which could become an issue down the road, Brad Stevens and Boston made smart decisions to put cheap but impactful players around that star duo.
Celtics Get Concerning Jayson Tatum Contract News Amid Injury Return