The Boston Celtics are in line to work out an extension of Jaylen Brown's rookie-scale contract, but while an Eastern Conference general manager expects the two parties to come to terms, he doesn't think the fourth-year wing will merit the max.
Via Frank Urbina of HoopsHype:
“I would guess that the Celtics will try to do an extension with Brown, but I don’t think they’ll give him a max right now by any stretch of the imagination. But they’ll try to get something done,” said the GM. “And if that doesn’t work out, Brown will go into restricted free agency. But the interesting thing with the Celtics is that they need to start planning for Jayson Tatum too. That’s approaching. (He’s eligible for a rookie-scale extension next summer). Brown is obviously part of their puzzle, though. Boston needs to find out what he’s looking for and see if it makes sense.”
Unlike his 2016 NBA Draft counterparts Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray, who mustered a five-year, $170 million max extension, Brown is expected to get a lot less, considering that the Celtics are likely saving their pockets for Jayson Tatum, who they envision as a cornerstone player.
Brown shifted from starter to bench cog throughout the season due to some struggles on the floor, which have certainly hurt his case for a long-term extension.
A salary similar to Caris LeVert, who signed a three-year, $52 million extension with the Brooklyn Nets in the summer, is more among the lines of what Brown could muster in this market — getting around the $17-18 million per year range.
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