Jaylen Brown needed some further time. The Celtics star, understandably, was processing somewhat rather a lot.
Moments after the Celtics’ sudden season-ending loss in Recreation 7 on Monday night time time, a very powerful question of this summer season was raised. About Brown’s future with the Celtics. About what he’s in the hunt for. About his expectations for a means extension talks will play out.
This summer season, the Celtics can present Brown a supermax extension worth $295 million that may maintain him in Boston long-term. Brown, who had merely come off the bottom after most likely essentially the most disappointing performances of his career, shrugged off the first question about his future.
“I anticipated to win at present and transfer on,” Brown said. “That’s what my focus was on and that’s what my focus has been on. We failed. I failed. It’s arduous to consider anything proper now, to be trustworthy. We’ll cross that bridge after we get there.”
When the topic was raised as soon as extra minutes later, Brown struggled to give you an answer when requested about his mindset stepping into potential extension talks and his expectations.
“Say that once more?” Brown said, looking for himself further time to course of an answer.
When it was requested as soon as extra, Brown took 25 seconds to formulate one factor.
“You requested my thought course of?” Brown requested within the midst of that.
“I don’t even actually know tips on how to reply that query proper now, to be trustworthy,” Brown said. “My thought course of is take it at some point at a time, deal with getting higher. Concentrate on what the long run holds and see the place we’re from there. I suppose I don’t know actually know tips on how to reply that.”
A while after July 1, when the Celtics can formally present Brown the supermax, an answer will come. It’s undoubtedly a very powerful question coping with this franchise as they flip the net web page from a failed season and work out the easiest way to assemble a championship employees shifting forward spherical Jayson Tatum and Brown.
Brown had a career season in 2022-23, posting a career-high 26.6 elements per recreation as he was named an All-NBA second employees alternative for the first time. However he crumbled with a forgettable effectivity throughout the East finals. He averaged merely 19 elements over the seven video video games and punctuated the sequence with a disastrous effectivity in Recreation 7 as he scored merely 19 elements and devoted a career-high eight turnovers after Tatum sprained his left ankle to ship the C’s packing for the summer season.
“Only a horrible sport,” Brown said. “When my workforce wanted me most, like J.T. damage his ankle, first play of the sport, and you could possibly see it like swelling up on him. He couldn’t transfer on the market. It was robust for him. My workforce turned to me to make performs and I got here up brief, I failed. It’s robust. I give credit score to Miami, however only a horrible job.”
There are essential considerations president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and the Celtics will make whereas assessing their future with Tatum and Brown, who’re nonetheless stepping into their primes at age 25 and 26, respectively, and have confirmed capable of major the C’s to the NBA Finals.
Each Celtics stars are eligible to be offered the supermax extension, with Brown licensed to acquire one first this summer season after which Tatum subsequent summer season. Tatum is eligible to acquire a five-year, $318 million extension subsequent summer season and may practically undoubtedly get it as a result of the face of the Celtics franchise.
If the C’s resolve to produce Brown the supermax, then, they is perhaps committing $613 million to their two stars, who would take up a very good portion of the wage cap in that scenario. That turns into tougher with the introduction of a model new collective bargaining settlement that comes with challenges for teams spending into the luxurious tax and may limit the Celtics’ flexibility to assemble a championship roster spherical Tatum and Brown.
The Celtics offering Brown a supermax deal lastly feels most likely till they instantly actually really feel like a big change is crucial and shake up a core that’s on the purpose of a championship nevertheless hasn’t however climbed over the hump. There aren’t easy choices to make.
In the end, it’d come all the way in which right down to Brown. As Monday suggested, he’s undecided what his future holds and his must make a long-term dedication to stay in Boston is a professional question. However no participant has ever rejected a supermax extension.
These questions will loom over the Celtics for at least the next month. Tatum, for one, made clear his hope for the Celtics and Brown to return to a long-term settlement this summer season.
“It’s extraordinarily necessary,” Tatum said. “He’s among the finest gamers on this league. He performs each ends of the ball and nonetheless is comparatively younger. And he’s achieved rather a lot to date in his profession. So, I believe it’s extraordinarily necessary.”