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NBA Insider Says Celtics Intend to Extend Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum's Partnership
It's worth seeing what Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can accomplish together as they enter their primes.
Do the Celtics need to get more from their star tandem working together? Of course. And is it easier for a duo like NBA champions Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray to accomplish that offensively? The answer is also yes.
But when Brad Stevens stated at his end-of-season press conference that Boston's best path forward is with "small tweaks," offensively, the Celtics' president of basketball operations is primarily referring to improving in areas such as solving how they can better sustain scoring, become less reliant on tough shot-making, execute more consistently in crunch time, and tapping further into what their All-NBA wings can provide on that end.
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Too often, Boston's free-flowing scheme results in Brown, in particular, being stationary. There must be more cuts and off-ball screens to encourage that. It'll also occupy the attention of multiple defenders and can make it easier for either of its All-Stars to get downhill.
In this author's opinion, the Celtics also shouldn't shy from Tatum and Brown pick-and-rolls. Yes, the defense will switch most of the time, but that can also create angles to get downhill, especially when they re-screen.
Furthermore, a simple action they don't use much is a back screen. Seeing Brown cutting to the rim off a back screen when Tatum has the ball or is coming off a pick and receiving it, then hits his running mate in stride, or when he's able to catch it with two feet in the paint is rarer than spotting Halley's Comet.
And Tatum getting the ball down low off movement most likely generates a bucket, a trip to the free-throw line, or the defense collapses, leading to an open three for a teammate.
Boston added Sam Cassell and Charles Lee, two of the league's top assistant coaches, for a reason: It's worth seeing if the newest members of Joe Mazzulla's staff can help elevate the offense.
And it appears they'll be trying to do so for an attack that continues revolving around Tatum and Brown. According to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, the franchise's goal is to reach a deal with the latter, who's eligible for a five-year, $295 million veteran supermax extension.
"Their intention is to get Jaylen Brown done on a contract extension this year," Windhorst conveyed on ESPN's NBA Today while expressing he doesn't think Boston is "necessarily in on" the pursuit of Bradley Beal, who may be on the move this summer.
Windhorst added, "I don't think any conversation that involves trading Jaylen Brown is something the Celtics are super interested in right now."
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Inking the two-time All-Star to a $295 million veteran supermax extension the summer before signing Tatum to a five-year, $318 million extension will result in the duo taking up roughly 70 percent of the team's salary cap when both are on the books in 2025-26.
The restrictive nature of the league's new collective bargaining agreement makes it even more difficult to build around Boston's 25 and 26-year-old stars while living over the second apron. That includes not having the mid-level exception and it becoming more challenging to pull off trades.
But parting with Brown this summer likely requires a downgrade in talent. And the Celtics can keep most of their rotation intact for the next two years. It's worth seeing if the tandem that's led the franchise to four Eastern Conference Finals in six seasons and came within two wins of a title can guide them to Banner 18.
Maybe the results of preserving this partnership persuade the organization to make more difficult choices and sacrifices regarding the supporting cast. But even if, in two years, the pivot is to trade Brown, the return will likely be better than it would be this offseason.
The option that gives Boston the most flexibility and best chance to win a championship is patience.
Further Reading
The Latest on Celtics' Pursuit of Bradley Beal
Rick Barry Says Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Suffer From “Westbrook Syndrome”
Rick Barry Discusses Nearly Joining Celtics, Shares His Perspective on Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson
Scouting Report on Prospects Celtics Could Draft with No. 35 Pick: Julian Strawther
Scouting Report on Prospects Celtics Could Draft with No. 35 Pick: Jordan Walsh
Scouting Report on Prospects Celtics Could Draft with No. 35 Pick: Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Scouting Report on Prospects Celtics Could Draft with No. 35 Pick: Brandin Podziemski
Scouting Report on Prospects Celtics Could Draft with No. 35 Pick: Ben Sheppard
The Latest Trade Buzz Surrounding Celtics' Guard Payton Pritchard
Suns Waiving Chris Paul; Should the Celtics Sign Him?
If Celtics Trade Malcolm Brogdon, Here's a Realistic Return Who'd Be a Better Fit
Are the Celtics Small Tweaks from a Title? Brad Stevens Thinks So
