Assessing Jaylen Brown’s Future in Boston
In 2018, Jaylen Brown predicted his 28-year-old self would have won five championships. Five years later, Brown has yet to earn a ring with the Boston Celtics.
After being overwhelmed by the veteran heavy Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, many predicted the Celtics would contend again for its 18th NBA championship banner this year. And they very nearly made history in doing so.
The Celtics entered the 2023 NBA playoffs as the second-seeded team in the Eastern Conference with a 57-25 record after the 2022-2023 regular season. To reach the conference finals, the Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. Then, Jayson Tatum and the rest of the team went the distance against the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals.
However, things went south for the Celtics in the East Finals against the 8th seeded Miami Heat. A team that’s historically given Boston fits in the past, regardless of what their record might be.
Not only did Boston fall into a 0-3 series deficit but they also ended up falling short of completing what would have been the greatest postseason comeback in NBA history. Most observers also believed fate played a part in the series’ outcome as Jayson Tatum hurt his ankle on the first offensive possession of Game Seven in Boston.
With Boston’s primary scoring option hobbled from the opening tip, the Miami Heat earned a 103-84 Game Seven victory to become the second eighth-seeded team to reach the NBA Finals. While the pain of the loss stings, the team’s front office will have little time to lick their wounds as they have a potentially franchise altering decision to make this offseason.
Jaylen Brown’s Struggles
While Jayson Tatum averaged 25.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in the conference finals, Jaylen Brown’s struggles were evident.
After averaging 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 49.1% field goal shooting in the regular season, Jaylen Brown’s numbers plummeted in the playoffs- particularly in the East Finals.
In seven games against the Heat, the third pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, averaged 19 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 41.8% field goal shooting. He also didn’t help the Celtics’ cause with his 16.3% shooting from the three-point line.
In Game Seven at TD Garden, Brown finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and a steal. He made just one of nine shots from deep and had eight turnovers in 43 minutes.
Brown’s struggles in the playoffs raised questions as to whether or not he’s worthy of the $295 million supermax extension which he became eligible for after earning a spot on the All-NBA Second Team.
Boston Future in Question
If you were to ask Jayson Tatum, it’s extremely important for Boston to keep Jaylen Brown in Beantown. However, signing Brown to a supermax extension this offseason and Tatum to a possible $300+ million deal next season would massively impact the Celtics’ finances. An aspect of the game that’s become even more important to navigate under the new CBA.
If Brown gets the new deal, the Celtics won’t be able to trade him for at least a year while tying him to the franchise on paper until 2029.
If the Celtics feel understandably reluctant to offer a supermax contract extension to Jaylen Brown, the 2023 offseason provides an opportunity to trade him. One such trade proposal that’s been making the rounds in hoops circles of late would send Brown to the Portland TrailBlazers in exchange for Damian Lillard.
Whether the team wants to swap out a 26 year old borderline star player for a soon to be 33 year old undersized guard, talented as Lillard may be, remains to be seen. Either way, the Celtics will have a multitude of options to mull over in the offseason.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.