The Boston Celtics are keeping Jaylen Brown. After all of the speculation during the offseason, the team has decided to retain the services of their All-NBA forward. The Celtics and Brown have agreed to the supermax five-year contract extension worth nearly $304 million, according to ESPN's Marc Spears and Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, who reports the deal is fully guaranteed and has no options. It does have a trade kicker.
This is the biggest contract in NBA history, surpassing Nikola Jokic's $276 million supermax deal. Here's a breakdown of the contract:
Jaylen Brown Player Profile
Jaylen Brown is perhaps the most polarizing Celtics player today. Drafted with the third overall pick in 2016, Brown was heralded by many as one of the next great Boston star alongside Jayson Tatum. For a while, it seemed rough: Brown struggled during his first few years in the league. Over time, though, Brown morphed into a star in his own right.
However, with better production comes higher expectations. After Jaylen Brown's ascent, many Celtics fans wanted him to take that next leap towards stardom. Tatum was already there, and if Brown could reach that level, Boston would go farther than they've ever gone in the last decade.
2023 was arguably Brown's best regular season in a Celtics uniform. Averaging 26.6 points per game with nearly seven rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, Brown earned Second-Team All-NBA honors, and deservedly so. Unfortunately, Brown was unable to recreate his regular season success in the playoffs. Many of Brown's weaknesses came back to haunt him in the Eastern Conference Finals, culminating in an eight-turnover performance in Game 7. Because of that, many wondered if the Celtics would still be willing to give Jaylen Brown the long-term extension he desired.
Jaylen Brown Fit with Celtics
Don't let his abysmal performance in the playoffs fool you, though: Jaylen Brown is absolutely one of the best players in the NBA. You don't earn All-NBA honors for just running around and doing nothing. Brown is one of the best downhill attackers in the game, and he's able to score in bunches when needed. Add to that the Celtics star's defense and length, and you have the perfect NBA wing.
There are, of course, concerns about Brown's ball-handling issues. Against the Heat, the Celtics star struggled to maintain possession of the ball while attacking. If Brown wants to live up to this max contract he's been handed, he will need to work on this particular skill of his.
But, ultimately, Celtics Brad Stevens had noted he expected Brown to be back. Trading Brown would have been a massive shakeup given all the success Boston has had in recent years, even without a title. The Celtics have already changed some things up by shipping out Marcus Smart and bringing in Kristaps Porzingis, and now they've locked up Brown on the biggest deal in NBA history.