Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

NBA Rumors: Anonymous Exec Says Jaylen Brown Could Play His Way to Max Contract

Timothy Rapp

Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown is set to become a restricted free agent after the season, and if he and the team don't agree to a rookie-scale extension, he could see max offers next summer with a big 2019-20 campaign.

At least, that's what one Eastern Conference general manager believes, as he told Frank Urbina of Hoops Hype:

"The Celtics may be thinking that they don't want to give a max deal to their third-best player, but Jaylen Brown may be thinking that he can be the top free agent next summer if he has a big year. Brown could play his way into a max contract. He's going to have a bigger role than ever before with Kyrie IrvingAl Horford and Marcus Morris gone, and next summer's free-agent class is weak. If he does play his way into a max deal, Boston can match since he'll be restricted.

"I think if you're the Celtics, you try see if he'd do something around $20 million [per year], but if you want him to be part of your core long-term and want to lock him in, it may make sense to give him more. Boston may be comfortable saying, 'We'll give you something around $25 million [per year] now to sort of get a discount and not pay the max.' And Brown really could be the top free agent available next summer, so I could see the argument for giving him the max."

The 22-year-old Brown can make a case for being a max player. For one, two-way wings are increasingly important in the modern NBA and come at a premium. For another, he's still a young player whose best basketball is conceivably ahead of him.

And he's already shown glimpses of being a top-tier wing, averaging 18 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three in the 2017-18 postseason. He, alongside Tatum, was a huge reason the Celtics reached the 2017-18 Eastern Conference Finals despite being without injured stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. 

That upside could make him the crown jewel of a weak free agency class next season. Anthony Davis will be eligible to hit free agency but seems unlikely to leave the Los Angeles Lakers. The Toronto Raptors aren't going to let possible restricted free agent Pascal Siakam get away. DeMar DeRozan could hit free agency, but it might be tough to pass up his $28 million player option. It's possible that restricted free agents like Buddy Hield and Caris LeVert could be the most appealing players, outside of Brown, to actually hit the market. 

In that scenario, teams that don't feel they will be major contenders in what is expected to be a more loaded free agency class in 2021 could be enticed to throw a max offer Brown's way. 

The Celtics, of course, can simply wait to see, since they'll be able to match any offers. The gamble is that if Brown has a huge season it will take the max to retain him, whereas they could perhaps get a more team-friendly deal by signing him to an extension now.

It's also possible that Brown would prefer to bet on himself and prove this season he's worthy of max offers after a disappointing 2018-19 campaign (13 PPG, 34.4 percent from three). With a bigger role now that Irving and Al Horford are gone, Brown will have the chance to show he's capable of being one of the top players on a contending team.  

But that obviously presents its own risks. As one Western Conference coach told Urbina:

"Brown is in a tough spot. The group of guys that he has around him will play a part in this. I don't think that his talent level is worthy of a max contract, especially on that roster and with those guys around him. That plays such a big part when it comes time for teams to make that kind of investment. A lot of times, teams will give that big contract anyway because they know they could always move it—that plays a part too—but if his production or role decrease for any reason, it makes that deal very tough to move."

So unless Brown and the Celtics agree to an extension before the season, the 2019-20 campaign will be a huge one for the young wing.

   

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