Just a few days ago, it seemed like Jaylen Brown was heading to free agency next summer, as he and the Boston Celtics couldn’t agree on a rookie extension. But, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the two sides managed to strike a deal hours before the deadline, which will keep Brown with the Celtics organization for a foreseeable future.
Celtics, who last gave a rookie contract extension to Rajon Rondo in 2009, offered Brown a four-year, $80 million last week. The 22-year-old rejected it, deciding to bet on himself and pursue a bigger deal next summer when he was set to become a restricted free agent.
While the negotiations appeared to be dead at one point, Wojnarowski reports that the Celtics’ general manager Danny Ainge sat down with Brown’s representatives over the weekend, hoping the two sides could come to an agreement. Ainge significantly stepped up his initial offer and reportedly gave Brown a four-year, $115 million extension.
By giving Jaylen Brown this kind of contract, Boston Celtics are hoping he could reach the projections of becoming a perennial All-Star player. Brown showed potential since becoming a third overall pick in 2016, but the last season saw him having a decline in production.
In 2018/19, Brown averaged 13.0 points and 4.2 rebounds, which was down from the 14.5 points and 4.9 rebounds he had in 2017/18. Still, considering that the Celtics were a mess last year and that he was in and out as a starter, the numbers might not tell the whole story.
One thing is for sure, Celtics believe Brown is one of their franchise’s cornerstones and this deal proves it.
