Jaylen Brown said Tuesday it was an “easy decision” to sign a four-year, $115 million contract extension with the Boston Celtics.
To which you might reply: No kidding. That’s a lot of money, especially for someone who’s still developing as a player, and it’d probably be hard for the young swingman to pass up such financial security.
But according to Brown, who turns 23 on Thursday, the decision wasn’t just about the money. Now entering his fourth season, the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft is looking forward to sticking around with a franchise he’s come to admire, even though he might have been able to secure even more dollars in restricted free agency next offseason if he elevates his game in 2019-20.
“Being in this market, playing for the Boston Celtics is not like playing for a lot of other teams, to be honest,” Brown told reporters Tuesday, per MassLive.com. “Once it came down to something that made sense, it was an easy decision, to be honest. Playing for the Boston Celtics isn’t like playing for some of these other teams in the league. No disrespect. Boston is a top-five organization in this league so I think that was a possibility. Once I got to look at the offer in front of me, it was easy.”
Brown believes he still has room to grow on the hardwood after a 2018-19 campaign in which he experienced ups and downs, suggesting his role last season in some ways prevented him from flourishing. As such, he didn’t spend much time celebrating his new deal. Instead, he treated Monday like a normal work day, knowing that taking another step forward in 2019-20 would go a long way toward the Celtics becoming NBA Finals contenders in the Eastern Conference.
“For me, it was great. It shows that the front office believes in me,” Brown said, per NBC Sports Boston. “I got a text from (team co-owners Steve Pagliuca) and Wyc (Grousbeck), saying they’re excited about the future. As a player, that’s what you want: The organization to be behind you. I was definitely excited for that and excited for this season.”
