The Latest Intel on Celtics' Negotiations with Jaylen Brown

Eleven days into NBA free agency, the Celtics and Jaylen Brown haven't agreed to an extension. Here's why the deal most likely isn't done yet.

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Surprisingly, 11 days into NBA free agency, the Celtics and Jaylen Brown haven't agreed to a contract extension.

However, while Boston isn't hesitant to offer the two-time All-Star a five-year deal worth 35 percent of the league's salary cap, translating to a projected total of $295 million, there's much for the two sides to iron out.

Whether his eight percent annual change in salary increases or decreases is likely easy to decide on, with the Celtics presumably preferring the latter, considering Jayson Tatum's eligible for a projected five-year, $318 million extension next summer and Kristaps Porzingis's two-year, $60 million extension begins next season.

Boston and Brown must also hash out the incentives in this deal, especially the amount tied to unlikely-to-be-earned bonuses like winning league MVP. He made $2 million in incentives in 2022-23 for playing 65 games and getting selected for the All-Star Game.

However, it's unlikely that's what's standing in the way of getting this extension done.

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The two sides, who met in Las Vegas over the weekend, also have to resolve whether Brown will have a player option for the fifth year of the contract.

And considering if the Celtics All-NBA duo remain in Boston on supermax extensions, they'll account for roughly 70 percent of the team's cap space in two years, whether this deal includes a trade bonus is another critical aspect of negotiations.

If that's in his contract and the Celtics move Brown to a new NBA home, they could have to pay him as much as 15 percent of his salary in additional money.

According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, as of Monday morning, no deal was imminent. League sources conveyed to him that there's confidence they soon reach an agreement, but "it's unclear how far they are from the finish line."

Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports the two sides are "starting to make progress and likely moving closer to an agreement over the coming week."

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Another element of this is Damian Lillard's trade request. If Brown signs an extension, he's ineligible to get dealt for a year. A package centered around Robert Williams, draft picks that project to land in the 20s, plus salary filler, probably doesn't prove the best offer the Trail Blazers receive.

Brown also would lack an enticing enough incentive not to play out his current contract if he's dealt, making the prospect of him leaving Portland in free agency next summer a gamble its better off not making.

That could lead to a three-team trade, sending the 26-year-old wing, who turns 27 in October, to a franchise like the Rockets, where he'd reunite with Ime Udoka. If Houston's confident in its ability to re-sign Brown, it could send a package of promising young prospects to the Trail Blazers to help facilitate the deal.

However, even with the punitive nature of the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement threatening the longevity of Tatum and Brown teaming together in Boston, rather than trading for the soon-to-be 33-year-old Lillard at the latter's expense, the Celtics want to see whether their star tandem can accomplish together in their primes and whether they can lead the franchise to Banner 18 and will likely get an extension done to keep Brown in Boston; for now at least.

Further Reading

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Evaluating Celtics' Options in Free Agency

Celtics Reportedly Not Pursuing Damian Lillard

Celtics Losing Grant Williams in Sign-and-Trade Demonstrates Intention of NBA's New CBA

Brad Stevens Discusses Difficult Decision to Trade Marcus Smart: 'He'll Always Have Boston'

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