After winning the 2024 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics have made a major move on one of their franchise cornerstones. Boston and star forward Jayson Tatum have agreed on a five-year, $315M supermax extension with a player option, the largest contract in NBA history, per Chris Haynes.

Tatum has played a crucial role in Boston's success since the team drafted him in 2017. The star forward has helped lead the Celtics to three Conference Finals and two NBA Finals appearances. Tatum and Celtics finally got over the hump with their championship win over the Dallas Mavericks in 2024.

Through 74 regular season games, Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and shot 37.6 percent on three-pointers. His two-way presence was a game-changer for the Celtics, who went 64-18 and finished as the Eastern Conference's top seed. As a result, Tatum earned his fourth All-NBA honor.

Jayson Tatum's contract is not the first deal Boston has made NBA history on. During the summer of 2023, the Celtics signed Jaylen Brown to a five-year, $315 million supermax contract. Brown had come off his first All-NBA honor and like Tatum, was regarded as one of the best two-way players in the league.

Brown continued his stout production during the 2023-24 season, averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He elevated his game against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. Brown pressured Luka Doncic with an unreal intensity and habitually gathered blocks and steals against the Mavs.

The duo of Brown and Tatum look unstoppable, as Boston seeks its second straight championship in 2025.

Can Jayson Tatum, Celtics make more NBA history?

Many fans and analysts questioned the Celtics' ability to win a title after their mishaps in years prior.

First, Boston had a 2-1 lead over the Golden State Warriors during the 2022 NBA Finals, but the Dubs came back to win the series 4-2. One year later, Boston nearly made it big again but suffered a disappointing Game 7 Conference Finals defeat to the Miami Heat. The Celtics added Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis the following offseason to bolster their squad, and their moves paid off.

Jayson Tatum's seven-year journey with Boston culminated in a dominant postseason run and championship, but the star forward is not done yet. Now that Tatum has had a taste of victory, he and his team will be back for more. Head coach Joe Mazzulla never doubted Boston's chances of winning a title in 2024. He visualized his team winning the championship on their home floor, which is exactly what happened in mid-June.

“I just had a feeling that everything that everyone had been through, we were gonna face that head-on,” Mazzulla said, per ClutchPoints' Daniel Donabedian. “And we were gonna conquer it together. I knew we were gonna win, and I knew we were gonna win at home. It was a sense of inevitability within our team because they made a decision that they were gonna do it. And that they were gonna do it together.”

Will anyone in the NBA stop Boston's reign atop the Eastern Conference? With Jayson Tatum extended long-term, it will be hard for the opposition to get past him and his squad.