(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
On Tuesday, the Boston Celtics gave star wing Jaylen Brown a massive five-year contract extension that will be worth $304 million.
It is the richest contract ever given out in league history, but many are wondering why it was given to Brown, who is a very good player, but not a bona fide franchise player.
According to Zach Lowe, via Legion Hoops, executives from other teams are seriously questioning the wisdom of Brown’s new deal.
Zach Lowe on Jaylen Brown:
“I’ve had a couple people in opposing front offices tell me something along the lines of, ‘Are the Celtics really gonna pay their 3rd or 4th or 5th best player all this money?’”
(via @ZachLowe_NBA, https://t.co/9UnlVaol59) pic.twitter.com/7GVEnH47v1
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 25, 2023
For the last few months, there was speculation that Brown, who would’ve become a free agent next summer, wasn’t happy in Boston and that he would end up leaving, either as a free agent or via a trade prior to this coming season’s trade deadline.
He may not be the Celtics’ best player overall, but in big games and important moments, he has stepped up.
In 2022, when they reached the NBA Finals, Jayson Tatum played very poorly, but Brown gave them a shot at winning it all.
In the Game 6 finale, while Tatum had a 6-of-18 clunker, Brown went for an efficient 34 points.
The 2022-23 campaign was Brown’s best yet, as he put up 26.6 points and 6.9 rebounds a game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field, all of which were career highs.
With the departures of Marcus Smart and Grant Williams, he may have to step things up in order to allow Boston to contend for a world championship.
The team will likely have a very thin bench, which will put more pressure on Brown, Tatum, and newcomer Kristaps Porzingis to keep the Celtics afloat.
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