Jayson Tatum is eligible for a max contract extension this offseason, and the Boston Celtics probably won’t think twice about offering the All-Star forward such a deal.
In fact, one Eastern Conference general manager believes it’s an absolute no-brainer for Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge.
“Locking him up to a max deal, that’s gotta be the easiest decision Danny has had to make, like ever,” the GM told NBC Sports Boston. “The talent, his age, the success he’s already had both for himself and for the team, the relationship he has with Jaylen (Brown) who we all know Danny loves … unless there’s some issue that none of us know about which I don’t think there is, there’s just no scenario I can think of that’ll keep them from putting a max offer on the table for Jayson.”
It’s unclear what exactly the max contract offer will look like — NBC Sports Boston’s A. Sherrod Blakely did a nice job of breaking it down here — but Tatum figures to be paid handsomely, and understandably so. Tatum, the third overall pick in 2017, is just 22 years old, yet he’s already one of the best players in the NBA.
The Celtics signed Jaylen Brown, the third overall pick in 2016, to a four-year, $115 million contract extension last October. Tatum is positioned to earn an even bigger payday, but that 1-2 punch alongside the likes of Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart, among others, could make Boston a legitimate title contender for the foreseeable future.
