Jaylen Brown Unveils Court Back in Boston Ahead of Contract Talks

Jaylen Brown returned from his trip to Spain for an NBPA event this week as reports indicate extension talks between Brown and the Celtics will resume next week. Brown worked out with Donovan Mitchell, Javale McGee, former Celtic Bruno Fernando and others at a summit built on player improvement in Andalucia.

Brown and Boston paused talks for the trip with the expectation that they’d restart when he returned. He did so on Thursday, arriving in New York for an ABC News interview promoting his 7UICE Foundation and the educational Bridge Program, before appearing in Boston on Friday to open a refurbished court at the Fenelon Street playground.

“I feel the love in the room,” he said. “Nothing fills my heart more than being part of my community, and being able to do projects like this. Having different spaces is very important for representation. Me, growing up in the inner-city of Atlanta, being able to have a place that somebody put and effort into, that the community put time and effort into, becomes like a safe haven for you to feel like, man, I can do exactly what people inspire me to do. It’s always about the next generation. I know as an athlete … they put you over in these areas where you forget about the communities you come from. Since I’ve been an athlete, since I’ve been here, I’ve been refusing to that. This is one small example of what’s going on in these spaces in Boston, but as long as I’m here, these things will continue.”

Brown’s commitment to the city of Boston grew since his arrival through the 2016 draft. Isiah Thomas recounted on the Cedric Maxwell Podcast how he reassured Brown —who held concerns then about the city — how perfectly he’d fit in with the organization. He made efforts to expand the Celtics’ involvement in Boston, a majority-minority city with wealth division Brown mentioned Friday. Some of his comments to the New York Times and Ringer about his on-court role and roadblocks to his business and societal pursuits in Boston raised questions about his long-term desire to stay in the city. His extension delay sustained them.

The latest reporting remains consistent with what CLNS Media noted in Las Vegas last week, that Brown and Boston stand optimistic about completing a deal upon finalizing finer details, with the value of the contract expected to approach the full super max, $295-million over five years. That left a player option, trade kicker and incentives as the final bargaining points, many of the latter already included and achieved in his current deal.

A no-trade clause, early opt-outs or desire for a shorter-term deal should not disrupt talks. Those cannot be included in Brown’s extension, and would require he wait until free agency for a long-term deal. That route appears too risky for both Brown and Boston. That’s where the optimism over a done deal stems from.

It makes sense for both sides to lock in, too. Brown guarantees himself roughly $100-million over leaving for a new team. The Celtics gain four or five-years of team control, inevitably signing Jayson Tatum next summer and increasing the likelihood the team’s stars play together until close to the end of the decade. Windows rarely last that long though. Given Brown’s stated concerns about the team’s commitment and transparency with him, and inevitable team anxiety in this NBA climate, where no contract guarantees commitment that long, both sides will look to increase their protection and leverage.

Debate over a player option and trade kicker would reflect, at least to some degree, efforts on both sides to remain flexible. A trade kicker could possibly increase Brown’s control over a trade later in the deal, though for now, if it exceeds the max contract, which it would, it would simply become waived in a deal.

Brown doesn’t want to be traded currently, and if he is, would want control over his destination. It’s not quite a no-trade, but it’s better than not having one. Players can waive trade kickers to make deals easier for a preferred destination. A player option would increase his leverage, in that same sense, earlier in the contract.

The Celtics don’t intend to trade Brown over the course of this deal, but if he decided to want out, would prefer flexibility in moving him. Of course, a player option also would also allow Brown to maximize his earnings earlier in a new cap environment, and a lack of one would likely keep him in Boston another year at a lower cost. Those have become routine in star deals recently. Nikola Jokić has one, as do Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid and Bradley Beal in their designated veteran extensions.

This negotiation also progressed differently than theirs. Only the early super maxes signed by Steph Curry, John Wall and Russell Westbrook lingered late into the summer as the new CBA instituted it. James Harden’s deal got grandfathered in.

Anything else beyond that becomes speculation.

It’s difficult to assess what Kristaps Porziņģis’ arrival means for Brown. Signing all three stars into the future would create massive, roughly over 5x luxury tax multipliers when the Celtics become a repeater tax team. Porziņģis provides some leverage for the Celtics, able to maintain a second star if Brown departs and build around the trade pieces they’d receive back. A larger Brown salary would maximize Boston’s return (remember, second apron teams must match trade $ dollar-for-dollar), so they’re incentivized to offer the full super max in that sense too, taxes aside. It’s also hard to see how the Celtics benefit from a haircut in a second apron sense, they’ll shoot above it next year and stay above it for the foreseeable future.

For Brown, the best opportunities to win and grow come with his Celtics role. He mentioned as such last season, stating there’s nothing wrong with sacrificing to win in Boston. Porziņģis’ arrival will demand more from Tatum and Brown to help him acclimate, and the team push closer to a title. Joe Mazzulla’s offensive system challenged Brown at first, then helped him thrive at an All-NBA level. Of course, a sour taste followed the worst game and arguably playoff series of his career following Game 7 against Miami. Brown will return next season to avenge that performance.

The Celtics gain little by moving him now. A long-term deal remains unsigned though, and the closer to training camp that stretches, the more uncertainty lingers regarding the hold-up.

“I just see opportunity. A lot to learn, a lot to improve on,” Brown told ABC. “You can’t take for granted the opportunities that you get. It’s a privilege to be in a winning organization, a winning team. It’ll be great to bring back the guys and try to make another run.”