Jaylen Brown is in the thick of contract negotiations with the Boston Celtics, an identical situation to the one Marcus Smart was in leading up to the 2017-18 season.
Smart, now entering Year 2 of a four-year, $52 million deal, has been helping Brown work through his current scenario as Monday night’s deadline approaches. If the two sides don’t reach an agreement to extend Brown’s rookie contract by Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. ET, the 22-year-old will become a restricted free agent next summer. But past experience serves as a valuable teacher, and Smart is relaying that to Brown.
“I’ve talked to him a lot about it,” Smart told MassLive’s Tom Westerholm on Thursday. “Jaylen understands where he’s at, he understands that things are going to get a little shaky and rough at a certain time, but he can’t allow that to affect how he plays, and things like that. My advice to him is just go out there and play. Everything will handle itself. You go out there and do what you’re supposed to do and worry about playing together, doing the right thing on the court, worry about winning. All the individual accolades and everything will come together.”
The Celtics have the ability to match any offer Brown gets once he hits restricted free agency next summer in a weak 2020 class.
Smart played out the season and returned to the Celtics the following summer. Time will tell if the same occurs with Brown.
