3 ways the Boston Celtics can make Jaylen Brown feel more respected

When the Boston Celtics drafted Jaylen Brown with the third pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, there were many questions regarding the selection.

While people did not doubt Brown’s raw talent and athleticism coming out of the University of California, they debated whether he was the best player for the Celtics at the time, especially when Kris Dunn, Buddy Hield, and Jamal Murray were on the board.

As he had a respectable rookie campaign, he started proving his doubters wrong the second he became a starter in his second season. He went from 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 2017 to 14.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 2017-18, helping the Celtics make the Eastern Conference Finals, who had a hard-fought series against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers before losing in seven games.

After an underwhelming 2018-19 campaign that saw Brown play more games coming off the bench than being a starter, he revitalized his playstyle the following two seasons. He became an efficient 20-point scorer while using his driving ability and mid-range game to his advantage.

He continued improving his game during the 2021-22 season, as he played an important role in the Celtics’ remarkable run to the NBA Finals. He was arguably the most consistent player on the team despite the six-game series loss against the Golden State Warriors, averaging 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 43.1% shooting from the field and 34% from the 3-point line.

As the Boston Celtics were brilliant in retooling their roster during free agency with the additions of Danilo Gallinari and Malcolm Brogdon, they have also been rumored to be one of the teams interested in obtaining the services of Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets as it would mainly involve trading Brown and other players or picks to do so.

While it makes sense for Boston to look into the ways they could get Durant, it is also understandable for Brown to feel a lack of respect from the franchise he’s played for his whole career.

With everything Brown has done for Boston since they drafted him in 2016, he deserves to reap the rewards for improving himself and the franchise.

Here are 3 ways the Boston Celtics can do to show more respect for Jaylen Brown

Not Trading Him For Kevin Durant

For starters, the first thing Boston has to do to show its respect for Brown is by not trading him for Durant.

Even though Durant is a top 10 player in the league and will be a future Hall of Famer, his recent injury history since tearing his achilles in 2019 provides a lot of concern for the Celtics, who want their core to be healthy when the playoffs arrive.

Not only that, Durant is in his mid-30s and is arguably past his prime. He had a disappointing performance in the first round against the Celtics as the Nets’ first option, putting up 26.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.8 rebounds but shot 38.6 percent from the field and turned the ball over 21 times throughout the series.

This is significant due to Brown playing very well in the same series as Boston’s second option, averaging 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 49.3 percent from the field.

If Durant was healthy and in his prime, it would make all the sense in the world to trade for him. At this point in time however, his ability to stay on the court and handle defensive schemes against him as he ages has to be taken into account.

Giving Him a Max Contract

As Jaylen Brown will see his current contract expire in 2024, the Boston Celtics must offer him a max extension to convince him to stay.

There were questions surrounding Boston giving Brown his four-year rookie extension of $107 million, especially after his inconsistent play during the 2018-19 season. Since then however, Brown has stepped up when the team needed him and evolved his game for the better.

Brown can start negotiations for the max after the 2022-23 season, which is expected to be over $43 million a year starting from the 2024-25 campaign considering he will have played over seven years in the league with Boston, according to HoopsRumors.

As he would join co-star Jayson Tatum as the sole max contract players on the Celtics, that will tell the rest of the NBA the duo is there to stay for a long time.

Showing His Importance in the Long Term

By following through on the aforementioned options, the Celtics have to tell Jaylen Brown he is important to their success in the long term, and that includes the short term.

Brown has already been involved with a lot of the Celtics’ recent success. With the aforementioned NBA Finals against Golden State, he appeared in four Eastern Conference Finals as the team never lost in the first round when Brown is available (Boston lost to Brooklyn in five games without him in 2021).

The best part is Brown will continue to get better. As he keeps improving his ball handling and free-throw shooting, he has already expanded his game to Boston’s benefit with his aggressive play-style and tenacious defense.

By showing Brown his worth to the franchise, the Celtics are geared to compete for many NBA titles with him by their side.