Wednesday afternoon marked the first time that Jaylen Brown addressed the media since inking his supermax contract extension with the Boston Celtics. The All-NBA forward hosted a press conference in Cambridge at the site of his 7uice Foundation Bridge Program, MIT.
“I appreciate the investment and commitment from the Celtics and the rest of the community,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “That commitment will felt and returned from me in Boston — on and off the floor — and hopefully soon around the world. You guys being here is special for me today. You guys represent the next generation, you represent the future. Everything I do is to try and make the world a better place. So, thank you for being in attendance, thank you for being here, thank you for sharing this moment from me. We got a lot of work to do, so let’s get started.”
News of the extension first broke on Tuesday morning, when multiple reports surfaced that the deal was done.
“Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has agreed to a five-year, $304 million supermax contract extension with the franchise, per sources,” The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported in a tweet. “This is the richest deal in NBA history, negotiated by agent Jason Glushon.”
BREAKING: Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has agreed to a five-year, $304 million supermax contract extension with the franchise, per sources. This is the richest deal in NBA history, negotiated by agent Jason Glushon.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 25, 2023
Fully guaranteed, with a trade kicker. No player option. pic.twitter.com/MQ6NKILY8Q
The 26-year-old’s new extension is worth $304 million — the most that the Celtics could’ve possibly offered and the richest in NBA history. The contract has perks that benefit both sides. Brown is entitled to a trade kicker, which means that Boston will have to pay him a trade bonus worth up to 15% of his yearly salary, should they decide to include him in a swap.
As for the Celtics, the sweetener for them is that there is no player option for the final season of Brown’s extension, which means they don’t run the risk of him leaving a year early.
Jaylen Brown’s extension sets the Boston Celtics up for years of success
Hopefully, the agreement also means sustained success for the Boston Celtics, who have only failed to advance past the opening round of the playoffs once in Brown’s seven-year career.
Plus, the star wing has filled his role as a key contributor in the past few seasons quite well, to say the very least. He’s been named to two NBA All-Star teams in the last three years, averaging 25.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, while shooting 48.3% from the field and 36.1% from distance, since the 2020-21 season.
For more on the Jaylen Brown contract extension, check out a recent episode of the How ‘Bout Them Celtics podcast, where CelticsBlog’s Jack Simone and I discuss the news.