Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown is eligible for a contract extension with his rookie deal up soon but there have been no signs from the front office that they intend to do just that in advance of the deadline, much to his frustration.
A Western Conference executive isn't surprised by the lack of offers from the Celtics brass, however, telling Hoopshype's Frank Urbina that at this point he wouldn't extend Brown and wait for the young wing to play out the season and show what he can do one last time.
Another Western Conference executive agreed that he’s not worth the max, telling HoopsHype: “Out of Pascal Siakam, Jaylen Brown, Brandon Ingram and Buddy Hield, [the main candidates remaining for a rookie-scale extension], I don’t think any of them will get the max or deserve the max. If I was running each team, I would force them to play it out. In some situations, keeping their cap holds is so much more beneficial. You should only extend if you get a below-market-value deal or if it’s a no-brainer extension.”
For what it's worth, the anonymous exec had the same mindset with other no-brainer candidates for an extension such as Sacramento Kings' Buddy Hield and the reigning Most Improved Player in the Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam. So it's not exactly a sign of disrespect for the 22-year-old although a case could be made that his numbers are on the pedestrian side by comparison, holding career averages of 11.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, in just under 25 minutes per game.
Still, it's a double-edged sword to not extend rookies because the Celtics gamble on the possibility of losing him to a massive overpay or “poison pill” provisions by a desperate rival. But it's a risk the C's appear to be willing to take.
Follow Us
Subscribe