Boston Celtics: Why Jaylen Brown may not receive an extension this summer

Boston Celtics fans don’t need a 2022 All-Star Game appearance to know that Jaylen Brown is indispensable to this franchise.

While Brown’s All-Star snub was perhaps the most notable of the 2021-22 season, his play has propelled the Cs to a 34-21 record with him in the lineup. Boston is just 8-7 without Brown in the starting five this season.

The Houdini refers to him as the 1A superstar to Jayson Tatum’s #1 status. Think less Batman and Robin, and more Captain America and Winter Soldier.

Unequivocally, Brown is a pillar of the franchise. So why is it unlikely he’ll receive a contract extension this offseason?

Brian Robb of MassLive explained that the Cs will likely look to sign him to one, but Brown himself likely won’t bite considering what could be due for him in the summer of 2023 or 2024:

"The Celtics can offer 120 percent of Brown’s 2022-23 salary, which is about $34.2 million dollar as the starting salary for an extension and offer eight percent annual raises for each year of the deal. That’s a sizable pay jump but is still expected to be plenty short of what a max deal is for a player with 7-9 years of experience in the summer of 2023. Cap estimates are a bit murky that far into the future but a safe guess here is that the max starting salary that summer for a player with Brown’s experience will be around $40 million."

What it comes down to is Brown maximizing his value on the free agent market, and waiting is his best chance to do so.

By the same token, that waiting period could help make things clearer for both his own and the franchise’s own future. Remember, between now and 2023/24, the Cs could collapse and convince him that the best future home for the Atlanta native is elsewhere.

Think about just the 2021-22 season for a second. We were hearing Brown-for-Ben Simmons rumors at the beginning of it, and now the Cs are getting their proper respect for having the best starting five in the NBA.

Even the 2020-21 season was a radical departure from the feel-good vibes of the COVID-stricken 2019-20 season.

So be cautiously optimistic that Brown will stick with the team long-term, but this summer won’t provide Boston Celtics fans with the sigh of relief they need about the situation.