Inside The Celtics

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Earn All-NBA Honors; Here's What That Means for Them and the Celtics

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have qualified for veteran supermax contract extensions.

Bobby Krivitsky

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Celtics fans can exhale. The organization certainly is. Jaylen Brown has earned All-NBA Second Team honors.

His All-NBA selection makes him eligible for a five-year, $295 million veteran supermax extension this summer. Expect Boston to offer it. Furthermore, it's the only franchise that can do so, even if he's traded.

Had the two-time All-Star not made an All-NBA team, the most the Celtics could offer him is four years, $189 million. That's not enticing enough to have kept Brown from playing out his contract. Leaving in free agency in the summer of 2024 would shave that figure to $184 million over four years.

Brown's made it clear there are more factors involved in determining what team he'll sign his next contract with. For instance, shortly after leading Boston in scoring in the NBA Finals, averaging 23.5 points on the league's brightest stage, he again found himself in trade rumors.

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Granted, the organization could've been more proactive and vocal about publicly declaring its intention of building around Brown and Jayson Tatum, but managing the relationship, like when Celtics' president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, flew to LA to reassure their star wing a deal for Kevin Durant that would've sent Brown to Brooklyn wasn't happening, is paramount.

The same goes for the conference call the Marietta, Georgia, native asked for with Tatum and Stevens last summer after photos surfaced of the former Duke Blue Devil working out with Durant as trade rumors swirled.

After a win against the Pacers in late March, Tatum said of the message he conveyed to his all-star running mate, "Without him, we can't reach our goals. You guys know that. The world knows that. The team knows that. We need him to be the best version of ourselves."

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Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

And when rumors about potentially swapping Brown for Durant reignited near this year's All-Star break, team owner Wyc Grousbeck told the former California Golden Bear the same message Stevens delivered.

Even if Brown remains uncertain about his future in Boston, passing up on a $295 million supermax extension that he can only get from the Celtics would be as perplexing as his team's performance this postseason, which has them preparing for a Game 6 in Philadelphia with their season on the line.

The 26-year-old wing could ask out whenever he felt like it, if compelled to do so, like Durant did, requesting a trade from the Nets before his extension kicked in.

From an on-court perspective, Brown deserves more fourth-quarter touches, and his team would benefit from it. But as he acknowledged, standing in the corner instead of demanding the ball more makes him complicit.

Still, the individual and team accolades are coming Brown's way in Boston. He and Tatum have led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals three times in their first five years together. The former's just entering his prime, and the latter's not even there.

Brown put together the best regular season of his career this campaign, generating 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, all career highs. He also swiped 1.1 steals per contest.

He's evolved into a mid-range assassin with a jump shot stuck on automatic, the handles to get to his spot, and the poise to play under control.

And his tone-setting, shutdown defense against James Harden in Boston's two wins against the Sixers prompted Al Horford to declare, "It's as good of a game as I've ever seen him play," after a 121-87 victory in the second matchup of this series, in which he also scored 25 points and dished out four assists.

Brown's evolving, the Celtics are a perennial title contender for as long as he and Tatum are together and healthy, and the individual honors keep pouring in. He's not the unquestioned best player on his team, but Brown's in an ideal situation.

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Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

As for Tatum, who earned All-NBA First Team honors for the second-straight season, he's qualified for a five-year, $318 million supermax extension he's eligible for starting in July 2024.

The four-time All-Star generated 30.1 points per contest this season, becoming the first player in franchise history to do so. His 2,225 total points were the most in the league in the 2022-23 campaign. Tatum's 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists are also career highs.

Like with Brown, expect Boston to offer Tatum the full supermax extension he's qualified for once it can. 

But starting this summer, those contracts and the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement taking the furthest steps in league history to create parity will force the Celtics to make difficult decisions about building a championship-caliber roster around their two stars.

Further Reading

Joe Mazzulla Shares His Message to the Celtics Ahead of Must-Win Game 6 vs. Sixers

Celtics Share Their Perspective on Failing to Meet the Moment in Game 5 Loss to Sixers

Here's What Stood Out in Game 5 Loss: Celtics Falls Flat as Sixers Push Them to Brink of Elimination

Joe Mazzulla Explains Why He Didn't Take a Timeout in Celtics' Game 4 Loss to Sixers

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 4 Loss to Sixers: Boston Falls One Play Short of 3-1 Lead

Joe Mazzulla Sheds Light on Keys to Celtics' Defense Stifling Sixers in Game 3 Win

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 3 Win vs. Sixers: Boston Shows Its Championship-Mettle, Takes 2-1 Series Lead

Celtics Praise Jaylen Brown for Setting Tone in Game 2 Win vs. Sixers: 'It's as Good of a Game as I've Ever Seen Him Play'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 2 Win vs. Sixers: Renewed Defensive Commitment, Three-Point Barrage Even the Series

Film Room: Recalibrating Celtics' Defense for Game 2 Against Sixers

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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