Multiple NBA executives commented on the massive extension that the Boston Celtics gave wing Jaylen Brown this offseason.
Brown’s deal – the richest in NBA history – is worth $304 million over the course of five seasons. After making an All-NBA team in the 2022-23 season, Brown was eligible for the supermax extension, which is 35 percent of the team’s cap room.
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus shared the reactions of multiple NBA executives following Brown’s extension.
“Crazy — it’s all Monopoly money,” an Eastern Conference executive said, scoffing at the price Boston paid Brown.
The Celtics are NBA Finals contenders, reaching the Finals in the 2021-22 season and the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2022-23 season. Brown has been an integral part of the team’s success, making two All-Star teams in the last three seasons.
However, a Western Conference executive doesn’t believe that supermax deals are a good thing for the NBA.
“It’s become a tough landscape, to be honest,” the executive said. “Supermax (contracts aren’t) ideal for the league.”
Boston is certainly hoping that the contract it gave Brown will pan out, but it will likely make it tough to move him in a trade down the line if it doesn’t.
The Celtics will likely have to pay Jayson Tatum at a similar price point when his contract is up, meaning Boston will commit a large chunk of its salary cap – likely well over 50 percent – to just two players.
Last season, Brown averaged 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc. He’s one of the best wing scorers in the NBA, and he’s been a great second option to Tatum in Boston’s offense.
After signing his contract, Brown shared that he wants to combat the wealth disparity in Boston.
Jaylen Brown, who recently signed the biggest contract in NBA history, says he wants to use it to combat the “unsettling” wealth disparity in Boston
“I want to launch a project to bring Black Wall Street to Boston and help bridge the wealth gap.“
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 27, 2023
Brown’s deal likely won’t be the richest contract in the NBA for long, as there are other stars that will eventually be eligible for supermax deals like his – including Tatum.
While the deal is certainly a win for players that are looking to maximize their values, it remains to be seen how a deal like Brown’s will affect a team’s ability to build a championship contender under the new collective bargaining agreement.
