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Count NBA Hall-of-Famer Tracy McGrady to be among those who believe that the Boston Celtics should pay Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown the supermax contract extension he’s eligible for this summer. While talking with Rachel Nichols on “What’s Burnin’,” McGrady explained why he thinks paying the two of them is the way to go.
“You don’t dismantle that,” McGrady said. “You keep that. 25- and 26-year-old. Why would you get rid of that? I don’t understand what would you get rid of two guys that have played for an NBA championship, right? (They) went to four Eastern Conference Finals. At some point, these guys are going to raise a banner.”
McGrady then explained why winning a title is feasible with Tatum and Brown.
“LeBron is on his way out. Steph is getting older. (Kevin Durant) and those guys are getting older. These guys (Tatum and Brown) are 25 and 26 years old. You’re not going to find a better duo than these two.”
McGrady has worked out with Brown in the past, as Brown posted a video of the two of them playing basketball together on his personal YouTube channel on September 3, 2018.
Brad Stevens Comments on Jaylen Brown’s Future
In his first press conference after the Celtics were eliminated by the Miami Heat, Stevens opened up about where he sees Brown’s future with the Celtics.
Though Stevens couldn’t comment on the supermax contract extension Brown is eligible for, Stevens praised Brown and said the Celtics want to keep him.
“I’ve had nothing but great conversations with Jaylen,” Stevens told reporters. “Without a doubt, we want Jaylen to be here, and he’s a big part of us. We believe in him, and I’m thankful for him.”
Stevens then singled out Brown’s ability to keep working even after facing defeat and how rare it is to find a player like that.
“I’m really thankful when those guys have success, they come back to work, and when they get beat, they own it, and they come back to work. So, I know that’s what they’re about. And that’s hard to find…Jaylen had a great All-NBA year. He’s a big part of us moving forward in our eyes.”
Analyst Proposes Celtics Trade For Damian Lillard
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith explained why he believes it’s in the Celtics’ best interest to trade Brown for Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard.
“There’s a guy by the name of Damian Lillard in Portland. I wouldn’t mind getting someone like him who’s a closer, by the way, who’s a point guard as a closer, who’s a sniper. We got all of that stuff going for ourselves if you’re Damian Lillard. Obviously, he’s older than Jaylen Brown, but [for] Jaylen Brown, I think the real challenge is that he has aspirations to be that number one guy, and that is never going to happen with Jayson Tatum.”
Smith added an alternative route for the Celtics to take should they trade Brown.
“If he feels adamant that [he can’t serve as a 1A next to Tatum] and he needs to move on, then you need to think about an abundance of parts that you can get potentially for Jaylen Brown because he is a star in this league and he is young. Either you get an abundance of players, which I don’t think is necessary, or you get a superstar-caliber sniper like Damian Lillard to come to Boston in return for his services.”
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