Jaylen Brown signs 5-year, $952 million contract extension with the Celtics, setting a record for the highest salary in NBA history

The ESPN sports channel reported today that Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics star player in the NBA, has reached an agreement with the team Jaylen Brown signs 5-year, $952 million contract extension with the Celtics, setting a record for the highest salary in NBA history

The ESPN sports channel reported today that Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics star player in the NBA, has reached an agreement with the team. Brown has secured a 5-year, $304 million supermax contract extension, setting a new record for the highest salary in NBA history. Last season, Brown achieved career-high averages of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He played a crucial role in leading the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals and was selected to the NBA All-Star Game for the first time. As a result, he earned the opportunity to sign a 5-year max contract extension with the Celtics.

According to reports from Reuters, Brown was selected by the Celtics as the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He has been selected to the NBA All-Star Game twice and will earn $28.5 million in the upcoming season. His new contract extension will begin in 2024 and will see his salary increase each year, averaging $60.8 million per year. This doubles his current value. Brown's supermax contract amount even surpasses the $276 million contract of Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets' star center, making it the most lucrative contract in NBA history. Jokic has won the regular-season MVP award twice and led the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship in the 2022-23 season, earning himself the NBA Finals MVP.

However, Jaylen Brown's position as the highest-paid player in the NBA may not last long, as his teammate Jayson Tatum will also be eligible to sign a supermax contract extension next year, potentially surpassing Brown's record.

Why would the Celtics be willing to invest heavily in re-signing Brown? According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Brown and Tatum formed a formidable duo last season, combining for an average of 56.7 points per game. They scored over 30 points each in 10 games, a feat achieved by only Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in the past 30 years.

In addition, according to Second Spectrum, 54% of Brown's scoring last season came from unassisted shots, and he averaged 1.15 points per possession on drives, setting a new career high.