- The Boston Celtics signed Jaylen Brown to a five-year, $304 million supermax extension following months of speculation.
- Brown’s deal broke an NBA record for the richest contract ever signed in the league. The record only lasted a year after Nikola Jokic signed a five-year, $276 million extension last year.
- Despite the supermax contract for Brown, the Celtics’ 2024 NBA Championship odds have not been impacted by the signing.
In an offseason shrouded in rumors and speculation for Jaylen Brown, he put the ink to paper with a $304 million supermax extension. In May, sports betting sites had Brown as a heavy favorite to remain with the Celtics at -500.
According to Bovada, the Celtics were +500 before news of the record-breaking contract. After it was confirmed that Brown was staying with the Celtics, the 2024 NBA Championship odds did not budge. The Denver Nuggets remained at +450, while the Celtics are still +500 to capture the title next spring.
The most likely explanation for the Celtics’ 2024 NBA Championship odds standing still is that oddsmakers already assumed Brown was staying in Boston.
Brown is an important piece of the Celtics on both ends of the floor. In 2022-23, the 26-year-old set a career-high with 26.6 points scored per game on 49.1 percent shooting. Additionally, Brown recorded a career-high in rebounds at 6.9 per game.
Brown’s Contract Smashes NBA Record
Whether you agree or not, Brown owns the record for the richest contract in NBA history. It didn’t take long for the previous record to be broken.
The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic reached a five-year $276 million agreement with the organization last offseason. In June, Jokic rewarded the franchise with their first NBA Championship in team history.
It was money well spent by owner Stan Kroenke. Now that a year has passed, Jokic looks like a bargain compared to Brown’s contract. However, in two or three years, Brown’s five-year, $304 million contract might look like a bargain.
Jaylen Brown is set to make more money in the final year of his supermax than the ’08 Celtics starting five
Brown: $69M
KG, Rondo, Allen, Pierce & Kendrick Perkins: $62M
(h/t @ClutchPoints) pic.twitter.com/V7CfzmOlaH
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 25, 2023
We will continue to see NBA contracts run rampant over the next five seasons. It is unlikely that Brown will hold onto the record for very long.
In March, Brown wasn’t thrilled with the uncertainty of where he stood on the Celtics. The relationship between Brown and the Celtics was reportedly not on the best of terms. In the midst of trade rumors, Brown caught wind of trade rumors involving Kevin Durant.
This prompted him to have a discussion with Brad Stevens regarding the team’s intentions. This came around the same time that Brown said, “I will stay where I’m needed and treated correct”. The comment didn’t evoke the most confidence in Celtics fans.
Brown Cashes In On All-NBA Selection
Due to making the All-NBA Second Team, Brown immediately became eligible for a supermax contract with the Celtics. All-NBA selections carry a substantial amount of weight in this league.
It opened up the door for the Celtics to offer Brown a minimum of a five-year, $295 million dollar contract. In other words, he wouldn’t be able to make more money elsewhere in the league.
All-NBA is announced tonight.
Here’s what is at stake in Boston. pic.twitter.com/Wj2OkXHXhp
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 10, 2023
If Brown really wanted out of Boston, he wouldn’t have been guaranteed this money. No other team would have been able to offer Brown more than 30 percent of the salary cap. The Celtics, though, were eligible to give him a 35 percent max contract as a result of his All-NBA campaign.
Regardless, the talk of Brown wanting out of Boston persisted. If Brown was traded, the most likely destination was reportedly going to be Dallas or Portland, according to odds on May 31 at Bovada.
At the time, there were brief discussions regarding Damian Lillard going to the Celtics. It obviously did not materialize, and Lillard remains in Portland on the Trail Blazers roster. Lillard’s trade drama has been heating up recently, but if he is traded, the Celtics are highly unlikely to be in the mix now.
