Boston Celtics star wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum stand to make a LOT more money if they make an All-NBA team this season. Both would become eligible to earn a supermax contract extension relative to their level of experience should they be so honored.
But they aren’t the first Celtic to be in such a position. Former Boston floor general Kemba Walker was in the same situation with the Charlotte Hornets after the 2018-19 season. The Hornets were unwilling to offer the onetime UConn star a deal for that much money, which opened the door to Walker being signed by Boston for $80 million less than he would have made with that supermax deal.
Could the Celtics be similarly reluctant to offer one of their star wings the supermax?
Larry Bird first returned to the Boston Garden as an opposing coach in January of 1998. Rick Carlisle was there for the extraordinary moment. https://t.co/pwnVkONSBL
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 28, 2023
Almost certainly not. Brown and Tatum are among the top 20 or so players in the league. Both are under 27 years old, and both have been blessed with fairly durable bodies, unlike Walker.
The fact the NBA’s salary cap is set to jump considerably with the looming new media rights deal is another factor in favor of the team having two supermax deals on the roster at the same time.
That will make it critical for Boston to maximize the talent filling out the roster in future seasons, but there is virtually no chance the team will try to skimp on either Tatum or Brown’s next deal.
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