If there’s one thing that Brad Stevens made clear at his Wednesday press conference, it’s that this is going to be a busy summer for the Boston Celtics.
A season that was full of promise and excitement ended in frustration when the Cs blew the franchise’s first-ever 3-1 series lead to the Philadelphia 76ers. Stevens indirectly voiced that this was a year where Boston’s record may have been inflated thanks to the volume of tanking teams around the league.
The first question of the morning, however, wasn’t about what moves Boston would make this summer.
It was about Jaylen Brown, and the rumors that he is “frustrated” with the Celtics.
Stevens quickly poured water on the fire and explained that he hadn’t gotten any feeling of frustration from the star forward when the two had met earlier in the week.
"I hate that our president of basketball operations even had to respond to this," Brown said on his Twitch channel Wednesday night. "Me and Brad have a great relationship. I love Boston. And if it was up to me I could play in Boston for the next 10 years."
The first step towards another 10 years could come in a few months when the Celtics will be met with a tough Brown decision. Brown will become eligible for a two-year $141.9 million contract extension once the new league year begins in July.
The 2024 NBA Finals MVP signed a five-year supermax contract extension to remain in Boston back in 2023. That deal still has three seasons remaining and runs through the end of the 2028-29 campaign.
Brown just had the best season of his 10-year career. He averaged a career-high 28.7 points, along with 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field and 34.7% from beyond the arc.
Not only did he increase his production, but he did it in a way that impacted winning. Brown led the Celtics to 56 wins in a year where they weren’t expected to accomplish much.
What is the most probable outcome in regards to a Jaylen Brown extension?
It’s a no-brainer to extend him, right?
Well, it’s complicated.
There’s no disputing Brown’s value to the Celtics and the impact he made on this season’s group. Unfortunately, his current contract is widely viewed as an overpay on a national scale. Again, to the Celtics, Brown is valuable. We all watched it this season.
Other teams may not feel the same way -- an important wrinkle when considering the future and how long the front office plans to keep this current core together. It gets tricky to commit significant cash to the 29-year-old at this point in time because other franchises may not want to take on that contract in a trade if Boston, or Brown, decides they need to move in a different direction.
There’s likely no urgency to get a deal done on either side, to be honest.
Brown probably wouldn’t want to limit his earnings to just those two years, when he can wait a year or two and lock in a max salary for longer. The Celtics simply don’t seem to be in a position where they’re eager to commit long-term money to anyone.
If the two sides reach an early agreement, great. If not, fans shouldn’t panic or read too much into it.
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