Jayson Tatum will quickly signal the biggest contract in NBA historical past. He and the Boston Celtics have reportedly agreed to a five-year most contract extension projected to be value $314 million. The deal features a participant possibility on the ultimate season and a commerce kicker, in keeping with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The participant possibility and commerce kicker imply that Tatum obtained every thing {that a} star participant can probably get in a deal like this. And why should not he have? The five-time All-Star led the Celtics to their 18th championship this previous season, and he simply turned 26 in March. This extension will run by the 2029-30 season, together with the participant possibility. Ought to Tatum choose up the participant possibility, he stands to make $71.4 million. No participant in league historical past has ever made $70 million in a single season earlier than, and Tatum could possibly be the primary.Â
Beforehand, Tatum’s teammate Jaylen Brown’s five-year extension, signed final summer season, was the biggest contract in league historical past ($304 million). This time subsequent 12 months, the Dallas Mavericks‘ Luka Doncic will likely be eligible to to signal a five-year extension value a projected $346 million. And better and better the salaries will go. It’s a good time to be a perennial All-Star within the NBA.
In 2023-24, Tatum averaged 26.9 factors (on 60.4% true capturing), 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 35.7 minutes per sport. His 29.6% utilization fee was tops on the staff, however his lowest mark since 2019-20, a results of Boston having an abundance of playmaking choices. The Celtics scored an insane 121.7 factors per 100 possessions (and outscored opponents by 11.2 per 100) with him on the court docket, and Tatum had the most effective passing season of his profession. He completed sixth in MVP voting and made First Group All-NBA.Â
Earlier than the Tatum deal, Boston agreed to a four-year extension with Derrick White value a reported $125.9 million over 4 years. In 2025-2026, the Celtics’ payroll is projected to be greater than $200 million, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, and that quantity does not embody the large luxury-tax invoice that possession — whoever that’s — should pay. Relying on what the Phoenix Suns do going ahead, Boston may develop into the most costly staff in league historical past.Â
Sooner or later, as a result of roster-building restrictions that massive spenders face underneath the brand new collective-bargaining settlement, the Celtics may want to determine a option to trim payroll. That time, nonetheless, is clearly not proper now. They only gained the title, and so they have an opportunity to do it once more. This Tatum extension is technically historic, however, on this state of affairs, it is nothing greater than a formality.