It’s been a great summer for a few members of the 2016 NBA Draft class.
Both the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets made confident commitments to their respective franchise cornerstones, as Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray each reportedly landed five-year, $170 million dollar extensions. Both players were set to enter the final year of their rookie contracts in the 2019-20 campaign.
The third overall pick from that class, Jaylen Brown, also is eligible for a rookie-scale extension, but ESPN’s Tim MacMahon doesn’t believe the Boston Celtics shouldn’t hurry to work out a new deal for the 22-year-old swingman. Given the ups and downs Brown has endured through his first three NBA seasons, MacMahon thinks it’s in the C’s best interest to see how things play out in the upcoming campaign.
“Gotta hold off and it’s not because I don’t think he’s a talent,” MacMahon said Friday on ESPN’s “The Jump.” “Is he the guy who played so well during that (2018) playoff run? Is he the guy who struggled last year? Is it something in the middle? I just think it would be extremely difficult to make a massive financial commitment or even to agree on what that number might be without giving him a chance to play the season in hopefully a lot less dramatic situation. This is a prove-it year for him.”
MacMahon probably is right, but there’s an obvious risk for the Celtics in dragging their feet on an extension for Brown. Should he put together a breakout season, Brown will be in position to field lucrative offers as a restricted free agent next summer. Boston would have the opportunity to match any offer Brown receives, but the franchise likely will have a ceiling in mind, especially given Jayson Tatum’s impending payday.
All things considered, the C’s are bound for yet another intriguing offseason in 2020.
