It didn’t take a strenuous back-and-forth on the negotiating desk for Jayson Tatum and the Celtics to succeed in an settlement Monday, checking off the most important field on Boston’s offseason agenda.
The Celtics reportedly retained Tatum on a five-year, $314 million contract extension, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, making the 26-year-old the highest-paid participant in NBA historical past. It additionally marked the second consecutive summer season by which Boston awarded one in all its gamers with the biggest contract in league historical past — final offseason Jaylen Brown signed for $285 million.
Boston stood by its phrase after workforce governor Wyc Grousbeck verbally dedicated to keep up the roster accountable for elevating Banner 18. After having re-signed fellow starters Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Vacation and Derrick White — mixed with Tatum and Brown — the Celtics have fashioned a lineup costing possession $920 million in contract extensions.
However Tatum’s newest supermax places the five-time All-Star in a category of his personal.
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Right here’s how Tatum’s record-setting contract shall be divvied up by way of its five-year span, in response to Bobby Marks of ESPN:
2025-26: $54,126,450
2026-27: $58,456,566
2027-28: $62,786,682
2028-29: $67,116,798
2029-30: $71,446,914
When it got here to producing on the ground, Tatum proved himself deserving of watching the Celtics again up the brinks vans. He averaged 26.9 factors, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists by way of 74 video games this previous season, however most impressively, excelled in no matter position helped Boston keep on monitor. Whether or not it was facilitating, rebounding, or defending, Tatum was prime notch, and that remained the case as soon as the postseason commenced.
Tatum’s versatility went on full show higher than it ever had all through his earlier six seasons with the Celtics. Playoff rivals just like the Warmth, Cavaliers and Pacers threw the kitchen sink Tatum’s method by double or triple-teaming him defensively, however the Duke product didn’t falter. Tatum took benefit, utilized the locker room’s team-first mentality, and reaped the advantage of turning into an NBA champion with a possibility to repeat in 2025.
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It’ll be a steep worth to pay, however that worth got here rewarded as soon as the ultimate buzzer sounded in Recreation 5 of the NBA Finals and TD Backyard was plastered with title-seizing confetti to welcome one more Larry O’Brien Trophy.
