The Boston Celtics Had No Choice But to Re-Sign Jaylen Brown
Entering the NBA offseason, one of the biggest questions was how the Boston Celtics were going to handle Jaylen Brown. We finally got our answer a few weeks ago as the 26-year-old Brown was inked to a record-setting supermax extension. The five-year, $304 million deal is the richest in NBA history and will kick in for the 2024-25 season.
Some looked at the potential extension and advised against the hefty price tag. After the fact, Celtics legend Paul Pierce voiced his approval. Stephen A. Smith had some questions but ultimately agreed that it was the right call. However, the questions of whether or not Jaylen Brown was worth this massive deal are almost irrelevant because I don’t believe the Celtics had another option.
Boston Didn’t Have a Choice
Boston had two alternatives to a Jaylen Brown extension, neither of which were viable. They could have let Brown walk in free agency, thereby creating a gaping hole in their lineup that would be nearly impossible to fill with the new CBA kicking in. Boston could also have attempted to trade Jaylen Brown, but they certainly would not have gotten a return equal to Brown’s value. In either scenario, their roster would have become demonstrably worse.
While the optics of shelling out $60 million a year to Brown after he struggled to perform in the playoffs certainly aren’t great, the Celtics didn’t really have a choice. They either let him go for nothing, or are on the losing end of a trade.
The new CBA will restrict the league’s biggest spenders, such as the Boston Celtics, making it harder to acquire high-profile free agents if above certain thresholds. Brown is a player they needed to retain – getting a comparable player in free agency just wasn’t financially feasible.
The California product understands the pressure that comes with his new deal, and he’s not shying away from it. He not only plans to validate the extension with his play on the court, but is also looking to heavily invest in the Boston community.
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