
Jaylen Brown recently left the country for an international commitment with the NBPA so there has been no movement on
his supermax extension talks with the Celtics this past week amid a busy offseason for Boston.
“I can’t really talk about it but it’s been all good discussion,” Stevens said last week in Las Vegas of negotiations with Brown.
“We want Jaylen to be here for a long, long time, and we’ve made that clear. We’re looking forward to all sitting down and
we have time here. I probably shouldn’t say anything else, but I feel optimistic.”
Despite Stevens’ optimism, the absence of a supermax deal nearly three weeks into free agency is a little bit noteworthy
given the factors in play for both sides. There are issues to work out per sources (trade kicker possibilities, player option for a
fifth year, etc.) that come as no surprise at this point. However, it will be interesting to see just what side gives in on their
preferred terms for a deal.
The Celtics would seemingly have the trump card on a lot of fronts since they are the only team that can give Brown a
supermax deal (35 percent of the cap with 8 percent yearly raises) for now once his current deal expires in 2024. That should
give the organization plenty of incentive to try to hold the line when it comes to making the deal as long as possible (no
player option in year five) and avoiding a trade kicker (which could complicate a future deal for them involving Brown with
the new CBA restrictions).
of the salary cap if he were to hit free agency. However, Brown will gain 10 years of NBA experience by the summer of 2026
and at that point he will be eligible for 35 percent of the salary cap (equal to the supermax) in a new deal regardless of his
qualifications.
The odds firmly remain in favor of Brown and the Celtics finding common ground on the supermax and reaching a deal
since this would be an extreme stance for Brown to take. Still, it’s one to consider when looking at why these negotiations
have drawn out longer than expected. Both sides still need each other but they likely want to stay together on their preferred
terms.
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